Delivered by
C. H. SPURGEON,
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face."–1
Corinthians 13:12.
IN THIS CHAPTER the apostle Paul has spoken in the highest terms of
charity or love. He accounts it to be a grace far more excellent than
any of the spiritual gifts of which he had just before been speaking.
It is easy to see that there were good reasons for the preference he
gave to it. Those gifts you will observe, were distributed among godly
men, to every man his several portion, so that what one had another
might have lacked; but this grace belongs to all who have passed from
death unto life. The proof that they are disciples of Christ is found
in their love to him and to the brethren. Those gifts, again, were
meant to fit them for service, that each member of the body should be
profitable to the other members of the body; but this grace is of
personal account: it is a light in the heart and a star on the breast
of every one who possesses it. Those gifts, moreover, were of temporary
use: their value was limited to the sphere in which they were
exercised; but this grace thrives at all times and in all places, and
it is no less essential to our eternal future state than it is to our
present welfare. By all means covet the best gifts, my dear brother, as
an artist would wish to be deft with all his limbs and quick with all
his senses; but above all, cherish love, as that same artist would
cultivate the pure taste which lives and breathes within him–the
secret spring of all his motions, the faculty that prompts his skill.
Learn to esteem this sacred instinct of love beyond all the choicest
endowments. However poor you may be in talents, let the love of Christ
dwell in you richly. Such an exhortation as this is the more needful,
because love has a powerful rival. Paul may have noticed that in the
academies of Greece, as indeed in all our modern schools, knowledge was
wont to take all the prizes. Who can tell how much of Dr. Arnold's
success, as a schoolmaster, was due to the honor in which he held a
good boy in preference to a clever boy? Most certainly Paul could
discern in the church many jealousies to which the superior abilities
of those who could speak foreign tongues, and those who could prophecy
or preach well, gave rise. So, then, while he extols the grace of love,
he seems rather to disparage knowledge; at least, he uses an
illustration which tends to show that the kind of knowledge we pride
ourselves in, is not the most reliable thing in the world. Paul
remembered that he was once a child. A very good thing for any of us to
bear in mind. If we forget it, our sympathies are soon dried up, our
temper is apt to get churlish, our opinions may be rather overbearing,
and our selfishness very repulsive. The foremost man of his day in the
Christian church, and exerting the widest influence among the converts
to Christ, Paul thought of the little while ago when he was a young
child, and he thought of it very opportunely too. Though he might have
hinted at the attainments he had made or the high office he held, and
laid claim to some degree of respect, he rather looks back at his
humble beginnings. If there is wisdom in his reflection, there is to my
mind a vein of pleasantry in his manner of expressing it. "When I was a
child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." Thus he
compares two stages of his natural life, and it serves him for a
parable. In spiritual knowledge he felt himself to be then in his
infancy. His maturity, his thorough manhood, lay before him in
prospect. He could easily imagine a future in which he should look back
on his present self as a mere tyro, groping his way amidst the shadows
of his own fancy. "For now," he says, "we see through a glass, darkly;
but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even
as also I am known." Here he employs one or two fresh figures. "Through
a glass!" What kind of a glass he alluded to, we may not be able
exactly to determine. Well; we will leave that question for the critics
to disagree about. It is enough for us that the meaning is obvious.
There is all the difference between viewing an object through an
obscure medium, and closely inspecting it with the naked eye. We must
have the power of vision in either case, but in the latter case we can
use it to more advantage. "Now we see through a glass, darkly."
Darkly–in a riddle! So weak are our perceptions of mind, that plain
truths often puzzle us. The words that teach us are pictures which need
explanation. The thoughts that stir us are visions which coat in our
brains and want rectifying. Oh, for clearer vision! Oh, for more
perfect knowledge! Mark you, brethren, it is a matter of congratulation
that we do see; though we have much cause for diffidence, because we do
but "see through a glass, darkly." Thank God we do know; but let it
cheek our conceit, We know only in part. Beloved, the objects we look
at are distant, and we are near-sighted. The revelation of God is ample
and profound, but our understanding is weak and shallow.
There are some things which we count very precious now, which will soon
be of no value to us whatever. There are some things that we know or
think we know, and we pride ourselves a good deal upon our knowledge;
but when we shall become men we shall set no more value upon that
knowledge than a child does upon his toys when he grows up to be a man.
Our spiritual manhood in heaven will discard many things which we now
count precious, as a full grown man discards the treasures of his
childhood. And there are many things that we have been accustomed to
see that, after this transient life has passed, we shall see no more.
Though we delighted in them, and they pleased our eyes while sojourning
on earth, they will pass away as a dream when one awaketh; we shall
never see them again, and never want to see them; for our eyes in
clearer light, anointed with eye-salve, shall see brighter visions, and
we shall never regret what we have lost, in the presence of fairer
scenes we shall have found. Other things there are that we know now and
shall never forget; we shall know them for ever, only in a higher
degree, because no longer with a partial knowledge; and there are some
things that we see now that we shall see in eternity, only we shall see
them there in a clearer light.
So we shall speak upon some things that we do see now, which we are to
see more fully and more distinctly hereafter; then enquire how it is we
shall see them more clearly; and finish up by considering what this
fact teaches us.
I. Among the things that we see now, as many of us as have had our eyes
enlightened by the Holy Spirit, is OURSELVES.
To see ourselves is one of the first steps in true religion. The mass
of men have never seen themselves. They have seen the flattering image
of themselves, and they fancy that to be their own facsimile, but it is
not. You and I have been taught of God's Holy Spirit to see our ruin in
the fall; we have bemoaned ourselves on account of that fall; we have
been made conscious of our own natural depravity; we have been ground
to the very dust by the discovery; we have been shown our actual
sinfulness and how we have transgressed against the Most High. We have
repented for this, and have fled for refuge to the hope set before us
in the gospel. Day by day we see a little more of ourselves–nothing
very pleasing, I grant you–but something very profitable, for it is a
great thing for us to know our emptiness. It is a step towards
receiving his fullness. It is something to discover our weakness; it is
a step essential towards our participation of divine strength. I
suppose the longer we live the more we shall see ourselves; and we
shall probably come to this conclusion: "Vanity of vanities; all is
vanity:" and cry out with Job, "I am vile." The more we shall discover
of ourselves, the more we shall be sick of ourselves. But in heaven, I
doubt not, we shall find out that we never saw even ourselves in the
clearest light, but only as "through a glass, darkly," only as an
unriddled thing, as a deep enigma; for we shall understand more about
ourselves in heaven than we do now. There we shall see, as we have not
yet seen, how desperate a mischief was the Fall, into what a horrible
pit we fell, and how fast we were stuck in the miry clay. There shall
we see the blackness of sin as we have never seen it here, and
understand its hell desert as we could not till we shall look down from
yonder starry height whither infinite mercy shall bring us. When we
shall be singing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," we shall look at
the robes that we have washed in his blood, and see how white they are.
We shall better understand then than now how much we needed
washing–how crimson were the stains and how precious was that blood
that effaced those scarlet spots. There, too, shall we know ourselves
on the bright side better than we do now. We know to-day that we are
saved, and there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in
Christ Jesus; but that robe of righteousness which covers us now, as it
shall cover us then, will be better seen by us, and we shall discern
how lustrous it is, with its needlework and wrought gold–how much
better than the pearls and gems that have decked the robes of monarchs
are the blood and righteousness of Jehovah Jesus, who has given himself
for us. Here we know that we are adopted. We feel the spirit of
sonship; "we cry, Abba, Father;" but there we shall know better what it
is to be the sons of God, for here it doth not yet appear what we shall
be; but when we shall be there, and when Christ shall appear, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and then we shall
understand to the full what sonship means. So, too, I know to-day that
I am a joint-heir with Christ, but I have a very poor idea of what it
is I am heir to; but there shall I see the estates that belong to me;
not only see them, but actually enjoy them. A part shall every
Christian have in the inheritance undefiled and that fadeth not away,
that is reserved in heaven for him, because he is in Christ Jesus; one
with Christ–by eternal union one. But I am afraid that is very much
more a riddle to us than a matter of understanding. We see it as an
enigma now, but there our oneness with Christ will be as conspicuous to
us and as plain as the letters of the alphabet. There shall we know
what it is to be a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones;
there shall I understand the mystical marriage bond that knits the
believer's soul to Christ; there shall I see how, as the branch springs
from the stem, my soul stands in union, vital union, with her blessed
Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, one thing that we see now which we shall see
in a much clearer light hereafter, is "ourselves."
Here, too, we see the CHURCH, but WE SHALL SEE THE CHURCH MUCH MORE
CLEARLY BY-AND-BY.
We know there is a church of God. We know that the Lord has a people
whom he hath chosen from before the foundation of the world: we believe
that these are scattered up and down throughout our land, and many
other lands. There are many of them we do not know, many that we should
not particularly like, I daresay if we did know them, on account of
their outward characteristics; persons of very strange views, and very
odd habits perhaps; and yet, for all that, the people of the living
God; Now, we know this church, we know its glory, moved with one life,
quickened with one Spirit, redeemed with one blood, we believe in this
church, and we feel attachment to it for the sake of Jesus Christ, who
has married the church as the Bride. But, oh! when we shall get to
heaven, how much more we shall know of the church, and how we shall see
her face to face, and not "through a glass, darkly." There we shall
know something, more of the numbers of the chosen than we do now, it
may be to our intense surprise. There we shall find some amongst the
company of God's elect, whom we in our bitterness of spirit had
condemned, and there we shall miss some who, in our charity, we have
conceived to be perfectly secure. We shall know better then who are the
Lord's and who are not than we ever can know here. Here all our
processes of discernment fail us. Judas comes in with the apostles, and
Demas takes his part among the saints, but there we shall know the
righteous, for we shall see them; there will be one flock and one
Shepherd, and he that on the throne doth reign for evermore shall be
glorified. We shall understand then, what the history of the church has
been in all the past, and why it has become so strange a history of
conflict and conquest. Probably, we shall know more of the history of
the church in the future. From that higher elevation and brighter
atmosphere we shall understand better what are the Lord's designs
concerning his people in the latter day; and what glory shall redound
to his own name from his redeemed ones, when he shall have gathered
together all that are called and chosen and faithful from among the
sons of men. This is one of the joys we are looking for, that we shall
come to the general assembly and church of the firstborn whose names
are written in heaven; and have fellowship with those who have
fellowship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thirdly. Is it not possible, nay, is it not certain, that in the next
state WE SHALL KNOW MORE OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD THAN WE DO NOW?
Here we see the providence of God, but it is in a glass, darkly. The
apostle says "through" a glass. There was glass in the apostles' days,
not a substance such as our windows are now made of, but thick dull
coloured glass, not much more transparent than that which is used in
the manufacture of common bottles, so that looking through a piece of
that glass you would not see much. That is like what we now see of
divine providence. We believe all things work together for good to them
that love God; we have seen how they work together for good in some
cases, and experimentally proved it to be so. But still it is rather a
matter of faith than a matter of sight with us. We cannot tell how
"every dark and bending line meets in the center of his love." We do
not yet perceive how he will make those dark dispensations of trials
and afflictions that come upon his people really to subserve his glory
and their lasting happiness; but up there we shall see providence, as
it were, face to face; and I suppose it will be amongst our greatest
surprises, the discovery of how the Lord dealt with us. "Why," we shall
some of us say, "we prayed against those very circumstances which were
the best that, could have been appointed for us." "Ah!" another will
say, "I have fretted and troubled myself over what was, after all, the
richest mercy the Lord ever sent." Sometimes I have known persons
refuse a letter at the door, and it has happened, in some cases, that
there has been something very valuable in it, and the postman has said,
afterwards, "You did not know the contents, or else you would not have
refused it." And often God has sent us, in the black envelope of trial,
such a precious mass of mercy, that if we had known what was in it, we
should have taken it in, and been glad to pay for it–glad to give it
house room, to entertain it; but because it looked black we were prone
to shut our door against it. Now, up there we shall know not only more
of ourselves, but perceive the reasons of many of God's dealings with
us on a larger scale; and we shall there perhaps discover that wars
that devasted nations, and pestilences that fill graves, and
earthquakes that make cities tremble, are, after all, necessary cogs in
the great wheel of the divine machinery; and he who sits upon the
throne at this moment, and rules supremely every creature that is
either in heaven, or earth, or hell, will there make it manifest to us
that his government was right. It is good to think in these times when
ever; thing seems loosening, that "the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." It must come
out right in the long run; it must be well; every part and portion must
work together with a unity of design to promote God's glory and the
saint's good. We shall see it there! and we shall lift up our song with
new zest and joy, as fresh displays of the wisdom and goodness of God,
whose ways are past finding out, are unfolded to our admiring view.
Fourthly. It is surely no straining of the text to say, that, though
here we know something of THE DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL, AND THE
MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH, by-and-by, in a few months or years at the
longest, we shall know a great deal more than we do now. There are some
grand doctrines, brethren and sisters, we dearly love, but though we
love them, our understanding is too feeble to grasp them fully. We
account them to be mysteries; we reverently acknowledge them, yet we
dare not attempt to explain them. They are matters of faith to us. It
may be that in heaven there shall be counsels of eternal wisdom into
which no saints or angels can peer. It is the glory of God to conceal a
matter. Surely, no creature will ever be able, even when exalted to
heaven, to comprehend all the thoughts of the Creator. We shall never
be omniscient–we cannot be. God alone knoweth everything, and
understandeth everything. But how much more of authentic truth shall we
discern when the mists and shadows have dissolved; and how much more
shall we understand when raised to that higher sphere and endowed with
brighter faculties, none of us can tell. Probably, things that puzzle
us here will be as plain as possible there. We shall perhaps smile at
our own ignorance. I have fancied sometimes that the elucidations of
learned doctors of divinity, if they could be submitted to the very
least in the kingdom of heaven, would only cause them to smile at the
learned ignorance of the sons of earth. Oh! how little we do know, but
how much we shall know! I am sure we shall know, for it is written,
"Then shall I know even as also I have known." We now see things in a
mist–"men as trees, walking"–a doctrine here, and a doctrine there.
And we are often at a loss to conjecture how one part harmonizes with
another part of the same system, or to make out how all these doctrines
are consistent. This knot cannot be untied, that gnarl cannot be
unravelled, but–
"Then shall I see, and hear and know
All I desired or wish'd below;
And every power find sweet employ
In that eternal world of joy."
But, my dear brethren and sisters, having kept you thus far in the
outer courts, I would fain lead you into the temple; or, to change the
figure, if in the beginning I have set forth good wine, certainly I am
not going to bring out that which is worse; rather would I have you
say, as the ruler of the feast did to the bridegroom, "thou has kept
the good wine until now." HERE WE SEE JESUS CHRIST, BUT WE DO NOT SEE
HIM AS WE SHALL SEE HIM SOON. We have seen him by faith in such a way,
that we have beheld our burdens laid on him, and our iniquities carried
by him into the wilderness, where, if they be sought for, they shall
not be found. We have seen enough of Jesus to know that "he is
altogether lovely;" we can say of him, he "is all my salvation, and all
my desire." Sometimes, when he throws up the lattice, and shows himself
through those windows of agate and gates of carbuncle, in the
ordinances of his house, at the Lord's Supper especially, the King's
beauty has entranced us even to our heart's ravishment; yet all we have
ever seen is somewhat like the report which the Queen of Sheba had of
Solomon's wisdom. When we once get to the court of the Great King we
shall declare that the half has not been told us. We shall say, "mine
eyes shall behold, and not another." Brethren, is not this the very
cream of heaven? There have been many suggestions of what we shall do
in heaven, and what we shall enjoy, but they all seem to me to be wide
of the mark compared with this one, that we shall be with Jesus, be
like him, and shall behold his glory. Oh, to see the feet that were
nailed, and to touch the hand that was pierced, and to look upon the
head that wore the thorns, and to bow before him who is ineffable love,
unspeakable condescension, infinite tenderness! Oh, to bow before him,
and to kiss that blessed face! Jesu, what better do we want than to see
thee by shine own light–to see thee, and speak with thee, as when a
man speaketh with his friend? It is pleasant to talk about this, but
what will it be there when the pearl gates open? The streets of gold
will have small attraction to us, and the harps of angels will but
slightly enchant us, compared with the King in the midst of the throne.
He it is who shall rivet our gaze, absorb our thoughts, enchain our
affection, and move all our sacred passions to their highest pitch of
celestial ardor. We shall see Jesus.
Once again (and here we come into the deep things), beyond a doubt WE
SHALL ALSO SEE GOD. It is written that the pure in heart shall see God.
God is seen now in his works and in his word. Little indeed could these
eyes bear of the beatific vision, yet we have reason to expect that, as
far as creatures can bear the sight of the infinite Creator, we shall
be permitted to see God. We read that Aaron and certain chosen ones saw
the throne of God, and the brightness as it were of sapphire
stone–light, pure as jasper. In heaven it is the presence of God that
is the light thereof. God's more immediately dwelling in the midst of
the new Jerusalem is its peerless glory and peculiar bliss. We shall
then understand more of God than we do now; we shall come nearer to
him, be more familiar with him, be more filled with him. The love of
God shall be shed abroad in our hearts; we shall know our Father as we
yet know him not; We shall know the Son to a fuller degree than he has
yet revealed himself to us, and we shall know the Holy Spirit in his
personal love and tenderness towards us, beyond all those influences
and operations which have soothed us in our sorrows and guided us in
our perplexities here below. I leave your thoughts and your desires to
follow the teaching of the Spirit. As for me, I cower before the
thought while I revel in it. I, who have strained my eyes while gazing
at nature, where the things that are made show the handiwork of God; I,
whose conscience has been awe-struck as I listened to the voice of God
proclaiming his holy law; I, whose heart has been melted while there
broke on my ears the tender accents of his blessed gospel in those
snatches of sacred melody that relieve the burden of prophecy; I, who
have recognised in the babe of Bethlehem the hope of Israel; in the man
of Nazareth, the Messiah that should come; in the victim of Calvary,
the one Mediator; in the risen Jesus, the well-beloved Son–to me,
verily, God incarnate has been so palpably revealed that I have almost
seen God, for I have, as it were, seen him in whom all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily doth dwell. Still I "see through a glass, darkly."
Illumine these dark senses, waken this drowsy conscience, purify my
heart, give me fellowship with Christ, end thee bear me up, translate
me to the third heavens; so I may, so I can, so I shall see God. But
what that means, or what it is, ah me! I cannot tell.
II. We proposed to enquire, in the second place, HOW THIS VERY
REMARKABLE CHANGE SHALL BE EFFECTED? WHY IS IT THAT WE SHALL BE MORE
CLEARLY THEN THAN NOW? We cannot altogether answer the question, but
one or two suggestions may help us. No doubt many of these things will
be more clearly revealed in the next state. Here the light is like the
dawn: it is dim twilight. In heaven it will be the blaze of noon. God
has declared somethings of himself by the mouth of his holy prophets
and apostles. He has been pleased, through the lips of his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, to speak to us more plainly, to show
us more openly the thoughts of his heart and the counsel of his will.
These are the first steps to knowledge. But there the light will be as
the light of seven days, and there the manifestation of all the
treasures of wisdom shall be brighter and clearer than it is now; for
God, the only-wise God, shall unveil to us the mysteries, and exhibit
to us the glories of his everlasting kingdom. The revelation we now
have suits us as men clad in our poor mortal bodies; the revelation
then will suit us as immortal spirits. When we have been raised from
the dead, it will be suitable to our immortal spiritual bodies. Here,
too, we are at a distance from many of the things we long to know
something of, but there we shall be nearer to them. We shall then be on
a vantage ground, with the entire horizon spread out before us. Our
Lord Jesus is, as to his personal presence, far away from us. We see
him through the telescope of faith, but then we shall see him face to
face. His literal and bodily presence is in heaven, since he was taken
up, and we need to be taken up likewise to be with him where he is that
we may literally behold him. Get to the fountain-head, and you
understand more; stand in the center, and things seem regular and
orderly. If you could stand in the sun and see the orbits in which the
planets revolve round that central luminary, it would become clear
enough; but for many an age astronomers were unable to discover
anything of order, and spoke of the planets as progressive, retrograde,
and standing still. Let us get to God, the center, and we shall see how
providence in order revolves round his sapphire throne. We, ourselves,
too, when we get to heaven, shall be better qualified to see than we
are now. It would be an inconvenience for us to know here as much as we
shall know in heaven. No doubt we have sometimes thought that if we had
better ears it would be a great blessing. We have wished we could hear
ten miles off; but probably we should be no better off; we might hear
too much, and the sounds might drown each other. Probably our sight is
not as good as we wish it were, but a large increase of ocular power
might not be of any use to us. Our natural organs are fitted for our
present sphere of being; and our mental faculties are, in the case of
most of us, properly adapted to our moral requirements. If we knew more
of our own sinfulness, we might be driven to despair; if we knew more
of God's glory, we might die of terror; if we had more understanding,
unless we had equivalent capacity to employ it, we might be filled with
conceit and tormented with ambition. But up there we shall have our
minds and our systems strengthened to receive more, without the damage
that would come to us here from overleaping the boundaries of order,
supremely appointed and divinely regulated. We cannot here drink the
wine of the kingdom, it is too strong for us; but up there we shall
drink it new in our heavenly Father's kingdom, without fear of the
intoxications of pride, or the staggerings of passions. We shall know
even as we are known. Besides, dear friends, the atmosphere of heaven
is so much clearer than this, that I do not wonder we can see better
there. Here Here is the smoke of daily care; the constant dust of toil;
the mist of trouble perpetually rising. We cannot be expected to see
much in such a smoky atmosphere as this; but when we shall pass beyond,
we shall find no clouds ever gather round the sun to hide his
everlasting brightness. There all is clear. The daylight is serene as
the noonday. We shall be in a clearer atmosphere and brighter light.
III. The practical lessons we may learn from this subject demand your
attention before I close. Methinks there is an appeal to our gratitude.
Let us be very thankful for all we do see. Those, who do not see
now–ah, not even "through a glass, darkly"–shall never see face to
face. The eyes that never see Christ by faith shall never see him with
joy in heaven. If thou hast never seen thyself a leper, defiled with
sin and abashed with penitence, thou shalt never see thyself redeemed
from sin, renewed by grace, a white-robed spirit. If thou hast no sense
of God's presence here, constraining thee to worship and love him, thou
shalt have no sight of his glory hereafter, introducing thee to the
fullness of joy and pleasure for evermore. Oh! be glad for the sight
you have, dear brother, dear sister. It is God that gave it to thee.
Thou art one born blind; and "Since the world began was it not heard
that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind." This miracle
has been wrought on thee; thou canst see, and thou canst say: "One
thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see."
Our text teaches us that this feeble vision is very hopeful. You shall
see better by-and-by. Oh, you know not how soon–it may be a day or two
hence–that we shall be in glory! God may so have ordained it, that
betwixt us and heaven there may be but a step.
Another lesson is that of forbearance one with another. Let the matters
we have spoken of soften the asperity of our debates; let us feel when
we are disputing about points of difficulty, that we need not get cross
about them, because after all there are limits to our present capacity
as well as to our actual knowledge. Our disputes are often childish. We
might as well leave some questions in abeyance for a little while. Two
persons in the dark have differed about a color, and they are wrangling
about it. If we brought candles in and held them to the color, the
candles would not show what it was; but if we look at it to-morrow
morning, when the sun shines, we shall be able to tell. How many
difficulties in the word of God are like this! Not yet can they be
justly discriminated; till the day dawn, the apocalyptic symbols will
not be all transparent to our own understanding. Besides, we have no
time to waste while there is so much work to do. Much time is already
spent. Sailing is dangerous; the winds are high; the sea is rough. Trim
the ship; keep the sails in good order; manage her and keep her off
quicksands. As to certain other matters, we must wait till we get into
the fair haven, and are able to talk with some of the bright spirits
now before the throne. When some of the things they know shall be
opened unto us, we shall confess the mistakes we made, and rejoice in
the light we shall receive.
Should not this happy prospect excite our aspiration and make us very
desirous to be there? It is natural for us to want to know, but we
shall not know as we are known till we are present with the Lord. We
are at school now–children at school. We shall go to the college
soon–the great University of Heaven–and take our degree there. Yet
some of us, instead of being anxious to go, are shuddering at the
thought of death–the gate of endless joy we dread to enter! There are
many persons who die suddenly; some die in their sleep, and many have
passed out of time into eternity when it has scarcely been known by
those who have been sitting at their bedsides. Depend upon it, there is
no pain in dying; the pain is in living. When they leave off living
here, they have done with pain. Do not blame death for what it does not
deserve; it is life that lingers on in pain: death is the end of it.
The man that is afraid of dying ought to be afraid of living. Be
content to die whenever the Master's will shall bid thee. Commit thy
spirit to his keeping. Who that hath seen but the glimpses of his
beaming countenance doth not long to see his face, that is as the sun
shining in his strength? O Lord! thy will be done. Let us speedily
behold thee, if so it may be–only this one word, if so it may be. Do
we now see, and do we expect to see better? Let us bless the name of
the Lord, who hath chosen us of his mercy and of his infinite
lovingkindness. On the other hand, let it cause us great anxiety if we
have not believed in Jesus, for he that hath not believed in him, dying
as he is, will never see the face of God with joy. Oh! unbeliever, be
concerned about your soul, and seek thou after him, repair thou to him.
Oh! that God would open thy eyes now in this very house of prayer.
Blessed for thee to know in part. Thrice blessed, I say; for as surely
as thou knowest in part now, thou shalt fully know hereafter. Be it
your happy lot to know him, whom to know is life eternal. God grant it,
for Jesus' sake. Amen.
PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–2 Corinthians 5.
SOME of the Sermon readers may not be aware that we issue a monthly
magazine, entitled The Sword and the Trowel, price 3d. In it will be
found interesting descriptions of holy works in all denominations,
theological articles, and periodical information as to the various
institutions connected with the Tabernacle. It is believed that The
Sword and the Trowel has the largest circulation of any magazine of its
class, with the exception of those which attract readers by religious
novels; such a mode of gaining popularity the Editor will never employ.
The volume entitled Feathers for Arrows was compiled by us with the
view of furnishing fresh illustrations to religious teachers. The first
edition of ten thousand was sold at once, and we went to press with a
second ten thousand. It is a beautifully bound volume, and a very cheap
half-crown's worth. Passmore & Alabaster are the publishers.