A Sword Not to Be Judged by the Belt

“IJ’c do not judge a sword to be good merely because it hangs by a golden belt, or because it is set in a jewelled hilt.” Neither is a doctrine to be valued because a fine orator delivers it in gorgeous speech with glittering words. A lie is none the better for being bespangled with poetic phrases and high-sounding periods. Yet half our people forget this, and glittering oratory fascinates them. Alas, poor simpletons!

The same blunders are made about men, who should ever be esteemed according to their native worth, and not according to their position and office. What mistakes we should make if we considered all the hangers-on of great men to be themselves great, or all the followers of good men to be themselves necessarily good. Alas! the Lord himself had his Judas, and to this day swords of brittle metal hang at the golden girdle of his Church. A man is not a saint because he occupies a saintly office, or repeats saintly words.

No; the test of a sword’s goodness is to be found in battle. Will its edge turn in the fray, or will it cut through a coat of mail? Will our faith bear affliction? Will it stand us in good stead when we are hand to hand with the enemy? Will it avail us in the dying hour? If not, we may suspend it on the ghttering belt of great knowledge, and hold it by the jewelled hilt of a high profession; but woe unto us!

Lord, give me the true Jerusalem blade of child-like faith in thee, and may I never rest content with a mere imitation thereof.