“A REMARKABLE dread of old age is revealed in the will, which has just been proved, of a wealthy socialist, who died aged sixty-six.” Such were the newspaper remarks upon the tragedy hidden in a will from which the following is extracted: ―
“I have not been ill, neither did I absent myself for even one day from my work, but was abstemious in all things, with one hour’s physical exercise every morning, a bachelor, but I reached the sixty-sixth year. But, alas! notwithstanding all the abstemiousness and physical culture, the accursed old age has arrived, all its bitterness following slowly, slowly. Hence to me is agreeable the abrupt end, the passing away, and thus I descend to the grave relieved from the awful struggle of life and odious old age and its awful consequences for me.”
Thus does youth and activity give place to age and feebleness. Who can stay the hand of time, which, as an ever-rolling stream bears all its sons away?
The world’s philosophy admits the case, but offers no solution.
“The moving finger writes, and haying
writ
Moves on; nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.”
The Word of God alone gives the truth, for Scripture says, “It is APPOINTED unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)), and mark the fact, all the power of the universe is behind the appointment to compel YOU to keep it, unless through simple faith in God’s Son and His atoning death, you obtain the forgiveness of sins, in which case your happy privilege will be to wait for “His Son from heaven” (1 Thess. 1:1010And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)).
But how different from the wealthy socialist’s end was the case of a dear Christian who, in the prime of life, was suddenly stricken down by a fatal illness. Standing at the open grave, attending the funeral of a friend, little did he realize that in just one week his loved ones would be standing round his grave. But so it proved. He was taken ill on returning home, and the alarming symptoms developed very rapidly; the doctor was called and declared that there was no hope.
With breaking heart his wife gave him the doctor’s report. “John,” she said, “do you know that in a few hours you will be with the Lord?” and the dying man replied, “That will be glorious.”
What could give such assurance in view of death! Ah! he knew the Saviour had died in his stead, and to fall asleep was but to pass into the presence of the Lord and to see His face. That made the prospect glorious, and before he passed a way he sang that hymn,
“Jesus hath done all things well.”
Dear reader, dare you sit down and think of death and the judgment that follows it? If you would have peace in view of that, think of the Saviour’s death, believe in His atoning work, accept Him as YOUR Saviour, and God’s Word says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
“Hark! the voice of Jesus calling―
‘Come, ye laden, come to Me;
I have rest and peace to offer,
Rest, thou laboring one, for thee;
Take salvation―
Take it NOW and happy be.’”
J. H. JACKSON.