it to Him who has "appointed a set time" to each of us, and will "remember" us. And for ourselves, let the true language of our hearts be— "Let me never choose, Or to live or die. Bind or bruise, "For my blinded choice Like myself would be, I rejoice That Thou choose for me." II The Publicity of a Death-bed, and the Temptation to choose the Circumstances of it T is not only death that some people fear, but IT there is a peculiar shrinking from the sort of publicity of a death-bed. How often they think, "If I might but die in the night; or if there were but one person with me; or only one friend, and a pastor to commend my soul to God, then to die would seem much easier; but I dread the distraction of thought that the presence of many may produce their very weeping and sorrow will fill my thoughts, and oppress and sadden my mind. I feel as if I could not bear it. Then, too, I fear lest I should be tempted to speak anything merely to give them pleasure, or for words to be remembered I fear lest they should be words. I fear, 2 Job xiv. 13. too, lest I should at the last dishonour my Lord and Master, who has 'fed me all my life long." I fear, too, lest at the last there should be impatience, or evil words, or even in delirium, when those fearful pains come which will separate the soul from the body." These are most natural fears indeed, and are not inconsistent with true faith. These fears are not peculiar to you. From the intuitive knowledge of the wants of all her children, the Church teaches us to pray-" Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not Thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, Thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not at our last hour, for any pains of death to fall from Thee." We may offer this prayer continually now, and may be sure that it will be answered to us when the time of need actually arrives. Beware of the temptation to choose the circumstances of your death. You cannot choose if you would. You will be just where your heavenly Father sees fit. He will call you by night or by day; alone or in company; sleeping or waking, as "seemeth good in His sight;"4 leave it all to Him. Do not revolve the possible circumstances, or pains, or words. Do not judge from your present symptoms what turn they must take, what suffering they must bring. All things may be wholly changed: another illness may be the appointed 3 Gen. xlviii. 15. 4 Luke x. 21. You may be in a have been; with messenger to call you away. place in which you never yet persons whom you never yet saw. It is useless to speculate upon it, or to distress your mind with forms of trial which may never come nigh unto you. Of this be sure, that you will not be alone, for "The Father will be with you.5 III The right way of viewing Death YES ES, it is most awful to meet death, because death is the " wages of sin," and to meet that last full judgment with nothing to offer in return, but the very thing which has brought the punishment—sin itself. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men.' But is there no other way of looking on death? Yes, there is; "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."8 917 "He hath overcome the sharpness of death, and opened the kingdom of Heaven to all believers." And He who is our Judge, is also our Saviour. "His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins."" He has said, "O death, I will be thy plague," "I have ransomed thee from the power of death." "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"2 "Fear not, for I am with thee."3 He has passed through death. “He tasted death for every man;" He has redeemed it from its loneliness; from henceforth no one can go down into death alone; for even there shall " Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall uphold me."5 He is near that justifieth thee."" He is the companion of every one whom He calls into the dark valley. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."7 All the weariness and languor of dying, all its unutterable pains, all its exceeding vagueness, all its fears and temptations, all its darkness and dreariness, He passed through. He knows every step of the way, and He comes to fetch each one Himself. He "carries them on His shoulders rejoicing;" it is a "land that no man passeth through," a way in which no one can truly help another; yet He who has gone every step of the way knows the way Himself, and He will conduct each child of His safely through it. Fear not to go down with Him into the dark river; it may prove boisterous for a season; the waves may threaten to drown you; but fear not, He is with 21 Cor. xv. 55. 8 Luke xv. 5. 3 Isa. xli. 10. 9 Jer. ii. 6. 4 Heb. ii. 2. 7 Ps. xxiii. 4. you. "He will hold you by your right hand, saying unto you, Fear not.' Whatever weakness you may be called to pass through, He will be the "strength of your heart," He will sustain thee, however the body may fail. In the deepest weakness you will meet strength such as you never knew before, for the Almighty Lord will be with you, and strengthen you. You will never know the fulness of His strength, until you know your utmost weakness; then shall His "strength be made perfect in your weakness."3 The way is very short, shorter than you can imagine, until you reach the end. You will surely find that a highway shall be there,"4 for He with whom and in whom you walk, is the "Way." Walk in that way, and in a little while you "shall come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon your head. You shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." You shall be "delivered from the burden of the flesh," and be in "joy and felicity" for ever. "And God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things have passed away.” 1 Isa. xli. 13. 2 Ps. lxxiii. 26. 5 Isa. xxxv. 10. 2 Cor. xii. 9. 6 Rev. xxi. 4. |