“READ to me,” said a dear one a few nights before his departure. We read together the pilgrim’s Psalm. (23rd.) The 4th verse took his attention. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me.” I said, “We are in the valley now, but you are almost out of it. The valley is this world, a vale of tears, but He is with us all the way. There is no dark valley for you now. You are just passing out of this dark room into a brighter one. ‘Absent from the body, present with the Lord,’ no valley between.” He said to his wife standing by, “Is not that nice! I will be holding your hand one minute and the next be with the Lord.” And to some of his friends afterwards he said, “There is no dark valley for me. You are in it but I am almost out of it. And Jesus is with me.”
To the child of God, death is now the Lord’s servant to put His people to rest.
“Put to sleep by Jesus.” The child of God may say, “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Phil. 1:2121For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21).
A. F.
ML 06/03/1900