During a cruel and bloody war a commander took an oath in the presence of his troops
that he would slaughter the entire population of a certain town, and in due course the bloodhounds of war were let loose on the defenseless people.
Now it so happened that a fugitive, seeking for a shelter, saw a sight which was the indirect means of saving both hi; own life and the lives of others. He spied a number of soldiers as they broke into a house, the inmates of which they put to the sword. But on leaving it, they fastened up the place again, and one of them, dipping a cloth into a pool of blood, splashed it on the door, as token to any, who might follow, of what had taken place inside.
Quick as his feet could carry him, the poor fugitive sped away to a large house in the center of the town, where a number of his friends were concealed, and breathlessly told them what he had seen. At once it flashed upon them how to act. A goat was in the yard. Immediately it
was killed, and its blood sprinkled on the door. Scarcely could they close the door again when a band of soldiers rushed into the street, and began to slay right and left. But when they came to the blood-marked door they made no attempt to enter! The sword-so they thought-had already entered therein and performed its work. Thus, whilst the many around were slain, all within the blood-sprinkled door were saved.
The Gospel part of our story is not hard to detect. Feeble and imperfect the illustration is, yet it reminds us of those soul-saving words of God,
" When I see the blood,.
I will pass over you " (Ex. 12. 13).
Yes, " Christ our passover," is indeed " sacrificed for us " (1 Cor. 5.7), and every true believer in Him knows that what has stayed the sword of divine judgment is His sheltering blood.
Reader, hast thou believed God's word about the blood? Hast thou dipped the hyssop of thy faith in the blood? Hast thou sprinkled thy heart's door with the blood? " The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth... from ALL SIN" (1 John 1.7).