6. Will you reply to all this, “But I am a soldier, and have therefore nothing to do with these things?” Hold! Have soldiers nothing to do with death? How so? Do soldiers never die? can you fright death away? No, my friend; he will not regard all your big words and looks; nor all the weapons of your warfare. You can neither conquer, nor escape him. Your profession may excuse you from many other things; but there is no excusing yourself from death. Are you less sure of this than other men are? No; there is one lot for all. Are you farther from it than they? Nay, rather nearer. You live in the very jaws of death. Why then a soldier (if there be any difference) has more to do with death than other men. It is not far from every one of us: but, to him, it is just at the door. 7. Or, do you fancy a soldier has nothing to do with judgment? Will you say then (as poor Captain _Uratz_ did, when he was ask’d a few minutes before his death, if he had made his peace with God) “I hope God will deal with me like a gentleman?” But God said unto him, “Thou fool! I will deal with thee, as with all mankind. There is no respect of persons with me. I reward every man according to his works.” Thou also shalt receive of the righteous judge, according to the things which thou hast done in the body. Death levels all; it mingles in one dust the gentleman, soldier, clown and beggar; it makes all these distinctions void. When life ends so do they. Holy or unholy is the one question then. Lo! the books are opened, that all the dead may be judged according to the things that are written therein! O may thy name be found written in the book of life!