On a stormy night a middle-aged man staggered into the Bowery Mission of New York City. In his intoxicated condition, he was unmindful of his unwashed, unshaven face, and that his clothes were soiled and torn. He staggered into a seat and looked around, wondering what kind of a place he had wandered into.
“Rescue the perishing" and other gospel hymns were sung as he listened intently. They seemed to recall some memory of his youth long since forgotten. Then the leader of the meeting told the simple story of the gospel of the Son of God who had come to seek and save sinners. The man listened eagerly, as if it were new to him.
The speaker mentioned that, in his younger days, he had been a soldier and had seen hard and active service. He told of several incidents which had occurred in his experience during the war, and gave God praise for saving him bodily and spiritually through it all. As he named the company in which he had served, the attentive listener gave an audible gasp, and at the close of the meeting hurried unsteadily up to the speaker.
In a broken voice the man said, "When were you in that company you spoke of?”
“Why, all through the war," said the leader.
"Do you remember the battle of ... ?”
"Perfectly.”
"Do you remember the name of the captain of your company at that time?”
"Yes; his name was ... ”
"You are right! I am that man. I was your captain. Look at me today. Just see what a wreck I am. Can you tell your old captain how the One who saved you can make a man out of me? I have lost everything I had in the world through drink, and I don't know where to go.”
Humbly the two "old soldiers" knelt in the mission-room and cried to God for the salvation of the penitent captain. He was saved that night, and was soon helped by some of his former friends to get back his old position. He often told the story of how a soldier of the cross was used of God to lead his captain to the Christ of that cross, to "the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”