A Sermon Five Minutes before Death

Life in the trenches must lead men to think of God. An utterly worldly man who had been wounded said to a comrade, “I’ve prayed night and morning since I’ve been in the trenches; if I get through this I have made up my mind to lead a better life.” An officer said to one who had spoken to him about death, “I’m not good enough to die yet.” Just after he had said this he was shot dead.
A beautiful episode of life in the trenches is given in the March Sunday at Home. Two men were fighting side by side. One morning one was hit and fell mortally wounded. His comrade knelt beside him in the trench and asked him if he could do anything for him. “Yes,” he said, “in my pocket there is the address of my father and mother; if you live to get home tell them how I died, and tell them religion was good for me away from home in the trenches, and death has no fears for me.” “I said, ‘Yes, I’ll tell them.’”
“Then he opened his eyes and pulled me down. ‘Supposing a shot came for you next,’ he said, ‘how would it be with you?’ And although he only lived five minutes longer, he talked to me all that five minutes about my soul, trying to get me converted. Then he closed his eyes and died.” No, not died; he went from that battle trench to endless life with Christ. Dear fellow, he was Christ’s soldier, as well as King George’s, and he did his duty to his earthly and his heavenly King to the end. And now he rests with God.