with great insistence, forced him, as it were, to come. Before they took any food, the devout man, who offered according to his custom, praise and prayers to God, saw in spirit that this man's judgment was imminent. He stood there, lifted up in spirit, with his eyes raised to heaven. ^{Jn 17:1} Finally, when he completed his prayer, he drew his kind host aside, predicted that his death was near, admonished him to confess his sins, and encouraged him to do as much good as he could. The soldier agreed to what the blessed man had said and in confession, he revealed all his sins to his companion, put his house in order, committed himself to the mercy of God, and prepared as much as he could to accept death. While the others were taking refreshment for their bodies, the soldier, who seemed strong and healthy, suddenly breathed forth his spirit according to the word of the man of God. Even though this soldier was carried off by a sudden death, nevertheless, he was so protected by the armor of repentance through the spirit's prophetic warning that he escaped perpetual damnation, and according to the promise of the Gospel, entered into the eternal dwellings.

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miles quidam supplici eum devotione cum instantia magna invitavit ad prandium et quasi coëgit invitum. ²Ante vero quam cibum sumerent, vir mente devotus iuxta solitum morem offerens Deo preces et laudes, vidit in spiritu, viro illi mortis de proximo imminere iudicium, menteque suspensus oculis stabat elevatis in caelum. ³Oratione tandem completa, benignum hospitem traxit in partem mortemque illi vicinam praedixit, ut confiteretur admonuit et ad bonum, quantum valuit, animavit. ⁴Acquievit homo continuo beati viri sermonibus socioque illius universa peccata in confessione detexit, domum disposuit divinae se miserationi commisit et ad suscipiendam mortem se, quantum potuit, praeparavit. ⁵Igitur dum alii refectionem corporis sumerent, miles, qui sanus videbatur et fortis, subito spiritum exhalavit iuxta verbum hominis Dei, repentina quidem morte sublatus, armis tamen poenitentiae per eiusdem spiritum propheticum praemunitus, ut et perpetuam damnationem evaderet et in aeterna tabernacula iuxta promissionem evangelicam introiret.