The Sword of the Spirit

IT happened in the Thieves’ Hole, a common lodging-house, where a bed can be had for three-pence or fourpence, as well as the use of an enormous fire to cook by. It was Sunday morning, and a party of young men were holding a service in the kitchen. It was the preacher’s first attempt.
After the singing of a hymn, the young man stood forth and gave out his text: “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” He hesitated a moment. A blasphemer present saw his opportunity.
“What do you want,” he began, “coming here to disturb us?” “We do not wish to disturb you, my friend,” replied the preacher kindly; “we only wish to tell you that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’”
“Do you suppose we are extra filthy, then?” asked the interrupter. “Not at all,” was the answer; “we speak of sin stains, and declare that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’”
“What do you know about it, youngster?” was the next question. But the young man was ready. “I know,” he replied, “by blessed experience, that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth use from all sin.’”
“Go to the rich and tell them your rubbish,” shouted the man getting annoyed. “True,” said the young preacher, “they need to know ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’” “But there are difficulties in the Bible,” said the blasphemer in a different tone. “Very likely,” was the rejoinder, “but there is no difficulty about this: ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’”
“Can’t you tell us anything else, Mr. Ignorance?” said the man with a sneer. “No, friend, nothing better than ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’”
“But why don’t your God?” “What God does not do,” interrupted the preacher, “I cannot answer for; this I know, ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’”
“You make a good thing out of it, I know,” was his parting shot. “We do,” replied the young man. “For ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’”
As they left the field of strife they felt sore and sad, and the preacher wished someone more experienced had spoken. But when the blasphemer lay down that night, the sword of the Spirit cut into his heart, and he heard the words, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” When he rose the next morning he heard the same words quite clearly. All Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, over and over again, the words repeated themselves in his ears.
Sunday came again. The young preacher was sorely tempted to keep away from the place of his encounter. However, he summoned up his courage and went. The moment he stepped forward to give out his text, he was interrupted by his old enemy.
“Mates,” he said, “last Sunday our young friend gave us a good text, and it has stuck to me all the week, and I am here today to declare that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.’ I’ve had enough of the old life; I’ve made up my mind to give it up. God knows I need the cleansing that is in the blood of His Son.”
Reader, can you say, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth me from all sin”? If so, what are you doing to tell the good news to others? —From “With Tongue and Pen.”

Incidents of the War