A shepherd on the Dartmoor Hills, who had spent his whole life looking after his sheep, as old age drew on became totally blind. He was frequently visited by one of his granddaughters, who read to him portions of the Word of God. One day, while the little girl was reading to him from the first chapter of the Epistle of John, she reached the seventh verse— “And the blood of Jesus Christ,” etc. —when the old man stopped her, and raising himself up with great earnestness said, “Is that there, my dear?” “Yes, grandpapa.” “Then read it again to me: I have never heard the like before.” Again she read it. “You are quite sure that it is there?” “Yes, quite sure.” “Then take my hand and put my finger on the passage, for I should like to feel it.”
So the little girl took his bony finger and put it on the seventh verse, when he said, “Read it to me again.” The little girl read over the precious words of our text, when he said, “You are quite sure that it is there?” “Yes, quite sure.” Then the old man said, “If any one should ask how I died, tell them I died in the faith of those words, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’” Not long after the old man passed away to be forever with his Lord. What power there is in the Word of God applied by the Holy Spirit. By nature we are blind, we cannot see what a Saviour has been provided for sinners, but when we yield to the Holy Spirit, He is ever ready to reveal Christ to us as our all-sufficient Saviour. He saves and He keeps all who put their trust in Him.