There was an old man who for many years made his living as a shepherd, looking after the flocks scattered over the wild hills of Dartmoor. At last through old age and infirmity, and the constant exposure to all kinds of weather, his sight entirely failed him. So he sought a hen in an old folk’s home, and there he spent his few remaining days.
While there he was often visited by his little granddaughter, who would read to him portions of the Word of God. One day while little Rose was reading from the First Epistle of John, she came to that wonderful verse, “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Here the old man suddenly interrupted her, and raising himself up on his bed he asked with great earnestness: “Is that there, my dear?”
“Yes, grandpa,” she replied.
“Then read it to me again, I’ve never heard the like before.”
Little Rose 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.”
“Then take my hand, and lay my finger on the passage, for I should like to feel it.”
The little girl 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 sweet gentle voice little Rose read again: “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Again the old man demanded of her, “You are sure that is there, Rose?”
“Yes, quite sure, Grandpa,” she assured him.
“Then,” said the old man, “if any one should ask how I died, tell them I died in the faith of these words, ‘And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ " With that he withdrew his hand, his head fell softly back on the pillow, and he silently passed into the presence of Him whose blood cleanseth from all sin.
Now, dear reader, may I ask, if you were called to die, would your parting testimony be like that of the old blind man? 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 us from all sin.’ "?
“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psa. 51:7.
ML-03/13/1966