WE have spoken of the grandeur of old age, and of its regrets, its joys, its perils, its limitations, its loneliness, and its opportunities. We are now to think, finally, of ITS ANTICIPATIONS.
Scripture is reticent regarding much that we would like to know about our heavenly Home; but enough is said to indicate that we shall find it to be a place of indescribable wonder, of unutterable blessedness, and of unspeakable peace.
Many think that the only way by which we can reach it is through the valley of the shadow, but that is not so. The New Testament uniformly teaches that, not death, but the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus is the event for which the Christian waits. In unforgettable words our Savior affirmed this (John 14:1-31Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1‑3)) heavenly messengers confirmed His words (Acts 1:9-119And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9‑11)); and the Epistles are full of teaching about this soul-enthralling hope. When it shall be fulfilled, the dead in Christ shall be raised; believers who are alive on the earth at the time shall be instantly changed, and, together with the dead in Christ, they shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall they ever be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13-1813But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑18)). Although those for whom I am now writing may be old, and in some cases, perhaps, well-stricken in years, it is possible that even they may not have to pass the vale of death, but that they shall meet Him in the air.
Whilst, however, death is not a certainty, it is a possibility; and that fact has occasioned a good deal of misgiving, even among true-hearted believers in Christ. But the valley of the shadow, equally with the coming of our Lord for His own, is an avenue to God; and, when it is realized that the words of farewell here are followed immediately by the words of welcome yonder—that, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:88We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)), there is not the slightest cause for uncertainty or anxiety. An old lady, who lived in the south-east of Scotland, wanted very much to see the city of Edinburgh, but she could never make up her mind to take the railway journey, on account of the long tunnel through which she knew she would require to pass to get there. One day, however, circumstances arose which simply compelled her to take the train to Scotland's capital. For a while on the journey her fears were great, and, as the train sped on, her agitation increased. But before the tunnel was actually reached the dear old soul, worn out with worry, fell fast asleep; and when she eventually awoke she found that she was actually in the city! It is even so with the dying saint. He closes his eyes on earth, passes into what he thinks of as the tunnel of death, and opens them immediately in the celestial land. Absent from the body, he is present with the Lord.
A very sick man asked his physician one day if he was likely to recover, and the doctor answered that, while it was quite possible, a second or a third attack, such as he had had, usually proved fatal. “Doctor," said the patient very earnestly, "I am afraid to die; tell me what lies on the other side." “I do not know," replied the medical man. “What," said the other, “you, a Christian man, and yet you do not know what is on the other side!"
The doctor at this point, was holding the handle of the door, from the other side of which came sounds of scratching and whining. Opening the door, his big, lovely dog immediately bounded into the room, showing great delight at being once again in the presence of his master for whom he had been waiting outside. Turning to the patient, the doctor said: “Do you see this dog? He has never been in this room before; he didn't know what it was like inside. But he knew his master was here; and when the door was opened he sprang in without fear." The speaker continued: “I know little of what lies on the other side of death; but I do know that my Master is there; and when He opens the door I shall pass in not only fearlessly but gladly."
Listen to this:
“I love to think of heaven; its cloudless light,
Its tearless joys, its recognitions and its fellowships
Of love and joy unending. But when my soul anticipates
The sight of God Incarnate, wearing on His hands,
And feet, and side, the marks of the wounds
Which He for us on Calvary endured,
All heaven beside is swallowed up in this—
And He, Who was my hope of Heaven below,
Becomes the glory of my Heaven above."
Sometimes, before the end approaches, there is experienced on the part of some a reluctance to go; but, as the hour draws very near, this unwillingness to depart is invariably replaced by an eagerness to get away. The biographers of Dr. Johnson tell us how, when at length the moment, dreaded through so many years, came close, the dark cloud passed away from his mind; his temper became unusually patient and gentle; he ceased to think with terror of death, and spoke much of the mercy of God and of the propitiation of Christ.
Quite recently a celebrated author was honored by English men of letters on his seventieth birthday. In the course of a speech which he made on that occasion, he recalled his feelings as a child, when his nurse would say to him: “Master Henry, it's your bedtime." A child usually protests when bedtime comes, but knows in his little head that sleep will sooner or later carry him off, and that what he very much needs is sleep. “Death," continued the speaker, “is a nurse, both affectionate and stern. When the time comes she says to us: 'Master Henry, it's your bedtime.' We protest a little; but we know quite well that the time for rest has come, and that, in our hearts, we are longing for it."
Aaron (Num. 33:3838And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month. (Numbers 33:38)) and Moses (Deut. 34:1-51And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, 2And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, 3And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. 4And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. 5So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 34:1‑5)) went up the hill, not down, at life's final close; and, with God beside them, dropped their earthly garments, and stepped into endless life and glory. And, at the end of the day, we, too, shall lay aside these travel-worn garments of ours, and put on the new robes of immortality, exchanging bodily weakness and human frailty for the power and strength of an endless life. Are the eyes growing dim? They shall see the King in His beauty. Are the ears becoming deaf? They shall hear the music of the Shepherd's voice. Has life's fair beauty gone? The beauty of the Lord our God shall be upon us. Has the voice lost its charm and sweetness? “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." While, therefore, the earthly house of this tabernacle may crumble, the vision of the spirit may remain undimmed; and my prayer for you, my comrades, as for myself, is that God in His kindness may:
“Grant to life's day a calm, unclouded ending,
An eve untouched by shadows of decay:
The brightness of a holy deathbed blending
With dawning glories of the eternal day."
I dwell a little longer on this, because Scripture, and the experiences of many saints, seem clearly to indicate that we may expect it. For example, our Father assures us, in His everlasting Word, that we shall have Light at Eventide.
“It shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light” (Zech. 14:77But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. (Zechariah 14:7)). That is to say light shall come at a time when it is not natural for it to come; when, in the common course of things, it should not be expected. It would be no surprise that light should come at noonday; but if, when the daisies have closed their eyes, and the little birds have gone to their nests; if, when the twilight deepens, and a deep hush has come over all Nature, a sudden burst of noonday splendor were to spread around-that would be a surprise. And that is precisely what has happened to multitudes of the redeemed down through the long years.
Beulah Land
In his inimitable way John Bunyan has described this land which was the last halting-place of the pilgrims on the hither side of the river. He speaks of it as a place where the sun shines by night and by day; where the air is very sweet; where the inhabitants continually hear the singing of birds, and see the flowers appear every day on the earth. Hear what that man of God, Dr. Payson, said before he passed to the Better Land: “Were I to adopt the figurative language of Bunyan, I might date this letter from the land of Beulah, of which, for some weeks, I have been a happy inhabitant. The Celestial City is full in my view. Its glories beam upon me, its breezes fan me, its odors are wafted to me, its sounds strike upon my ears, and its spirit is breathed into my heart. Nothing separates me from it but the river of death, which now appears but an insignificant rill that may be crossed at a single step whenever God shall give permission."
The Desired Haven
But what shall we say of the City itself? It is noticeable that, as it is impossible to describe the phenomena of one world in the phraseology of another, Heaven and our Inheritance are defined largely by negatives; by terms which are the antitheses of those things with which we are so tragically familiar here. We are acquainted with pain, sorrow, tears, darkness, and death. Well, none of these things will be there. In that glad Home to which we are hastening, God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes; "and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:44And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)). And so, also, with the Inheritance: it is incorruptible-as to its substance; undefiled-as to its purity; unfading-as to its permanence (1 Peter 1:3-53Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3‑5)).
1. There shall be no more curse: Perfect sinlessness.
2. The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: Perfect government.
3. His servants shall serve Him: Perfect service.
4. And they shall see His face: Perfect vision.
5. His name shall be in their foreheads: Perfect resemblance.
6. There shall be no night there: Perfect blessedness.
7. They shall reign forever and forever: Perfect glory.
Let me quote for you now the exquisitely beautiful lines which John Greenleaf Whittier wrote, as the earthly house of his tabernacle began to crumble. There is pathos added to the first line of the fourth verse, when we remember that Whittier was never married.
AT LAST
"When on my day of life the night is falling,
And, in the winds from unsunned spaces blown,
I hear far voices out of darkness calling
My feet to paths unknown;
"Thou Who hast made my house of life so pleasant—
Leave not its tenant when its walls decay;
O Love Divine, O Helper ever present,
Be Thou my strength and stay!
"Be near me when all else is from me drifting,
Earth, sky, home's pictures, days of shade and shine,
And kindly faces to my own uplifting
The love which answers mine.
"I have but Thee, my Father I let Thy Spirit
Be with me then to comfort and uphold;
No gate of pearl, no branch of palm I merit,
Nor street of shining gold.
“Suffice it if—my good and ill unreckoned,
And both forgiven through Thy abounding grace—
I find myself by hands familiar beckoned
Unto my fitting place—
"Some humble door among Thy many mansions,
Some sheltering shade where sin and striving cease,
And flows forever through Heaven's green expansions
The river of Thy peace.
"There, from the music round about me stealing,
I fain would learn the new and holy song,
And find at last, beneath Thy trees of healing,
The life for which I long."
It is difficult to tear oneself away from this entrancing theme; but I must not tax your eyes much longer.
I will, therefore, summarize a few of the other wonderful things which we may confidently anticipate.
When our glorious hopes are fulfilled, we shall have reached Home (John 14:22In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)); we shall uninterruptedly enjoy the companionship of our matchless Savior (John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)); we shall have perfect bodies (Phil. 3:20, 2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21), R.V.) which are variously described as incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:5252In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)); immortal (1 Cor. 15:5353For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53)); spiritual(1 Cor. 15:4444It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:44)); glorious (Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)). We shall have a perfect environment: no sin to allure us, no unbelief to assail us, no sorrows to distress us; for all that occasions these things shall have forever passed away (Rev. 22:33And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (Revelation 22:3)). And because we shall be like Him (1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)), we shall be fully and finally satisfied (Psa. 17:1515As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psalm 17:15)).
" Far out of sight, while yet the flesh enfolds us,
Lies the fair country where our hopes abide;
And of its bliss is naught more wondrous told us
Than these few words: ' I shall be satisfied '."
“Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they shall behold the far-stretching land."