He was just an old man of Dartmoor who for many years obtained his livelihood by looking after the flocks distributed over those wild moorland hills. At last, through the infirmities of old age, and constant and continual exposure to all kinds of weather, his sight had entirely failed him. Now totally blind, he had to seek a haven in an infirmary in England. There he must spend his few remaining days.
A bright spot in the blind man's darkness was his young granddaughter. She frequently visited him, and occasionally read to him portions of the Word of God. One day she was reading to him the First Epistle of John. When she reached the seventh verse of the first chapter, "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," the old man raised himself and stopped her. With great earnestness he said: "Is that there, my dear?”
"'Yes, Grandpa.”
"Then read it to me again; I've never heard the like before.”
The young girl read again: "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." "You are quite sure that is there?”
"Yes, quite sure, Grandpa.”
"Then take my hand, and lay my finger on the verse, for I want to feel it.”
His granddaughter took the old blind man's hand and placed his bony finger on the seventh verse. Then he said, "Now, read it to me again.”
With her soft, sweet, gentle voice she read: "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
"You are sure that is there?”
"Yes, quite sure.”
"Then if anyone should ask how I died, tell them I died resting in the faith of these words, 'And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.'”
With that the old man withdrew his hand. His head fell slowly back upon the pillow, and he quietly passed into the presence of Him whose blood cleanseth from all sin.
Friend, if you were called to die, would your testimony be that of the old man of Dartmoor? Are you resting on the precious blood of Christ? Can you say, "I live, as well as die, in the faith of these words: `The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth me from all sin'"?
"But God commendeth His
love toward us, in that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.”