Many years ago an English diamond merchant was packing gems which he was sending to a trader in India. Each was separately wrapped with the greatest care. Coming to the last and costliest of all, he used as an outer wrapping the soft India paper tom from an old Bible, the first three chapters of the Gospel of John.

A Hindu to whom this precious stone was sent, while unwrapping it had his attention turned to the sacred pages. The Scripture proved much more precious to him than the diamond it covered. He discovered that it was a message from the Book of Life.

He was impressed with the words, "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Then he began to ask others what these words meant.

"Why have I never known this before?" he asked. "Surely this 'whosoever' means ME; this salvation is for me!" By simple faith he believed the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born again (1 Peter 1:23).

—Words of Peace