Psalms 55:6
“And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.”
“A
believer’s dying day is his ascension day to glory.” ~Thomas Watson
"Death gives us infinitely more than he takes away!
To stand before that throne upon the sea of glass
mingled with fire, to bow within the presence chamber
of the King of kings, gazing into the glory that excels,
and to see the King in his beauty, the man that once
was slain, wearing many crowns and arrayed in the vesture
of his glory, his wounds like sparkling jewels still
visible above! Oh! to cast our crowns at his feet, to
lie there and shrink into nothing before the Eternal All,
to fly into Jesus' bosom, to behold the beauty of his love,
and to taste the kisses of his mouth, to be in Paradise,
swallowed up in unutterable joy because taken into the
closest, fullest, nearest communion with himself! Would
not your soul burst from the body even now to obtain this
rapture?" ~Charles Spurgeon
"There is always something solemn in death—and the circumstances
connected with death, are often very painful.
The sufferings of the body, the occasional loss of reason, the separation from
near relatives, and dear friends, are at times very distressing. But death itself, it is not to be
looked upon as an evil,
any more than sleep is. The true Christian lives in
union with Jesus, suffers in union with Jesus, and dies in union with Jesus. As
united to Jesus, to him there is no condemnation, for he is fully and forever
justified; therefore he is delivered from all the penal consequences of sin,
and the very nature of death is changed. 'He who lives, and believes in
me,' said Jesus, 'shall never
die!' And again, 'He who keeps my sayings, shall never see death.'" ~James Smith
“In heaven there is no solitude or loneliness, no chilled
affection or fickle friendships--no misunderstandings, woundings, or
separations. This long, dreary, troubled night is passed, and the sun of the
soul's affection and fellowship never sets. Oh! let the thought soothe your
loneliness, and the hope alleviate your solitude, that before long this dreary
night will be one perfect sunlight and eternal day of fellowship and love!”
~Octavius Winslow
"O happy termination of the
pilgrim's journey on earth! O blessed beginning of his felicity in
heaven!
'Tis past- the voyage of life is o'er,
The wanderer hails another clime;
On perils borne to yonder shore,
He views afar the waves of time.
The storm that muttered o'er his head,
The flame that quivered round his path,
Are sweetly hushed; the cloud has fled,
And gone the angry lightning's scath.
'Tis past; and grief is changed to songs
That angel-cordons love to hear;
The harp that to delight belongs,
In softest murmur soothes his ear.
For secret sighs that rent his breast
There's peace to seraphs only known-
The tear that told the heart, oppressed,
Is gemmed upon the eternal throne.
Blessed voyager! how happy thou,
Safe moored within the port of peace;
Once heir of death– immortal now,
Of pain– your toils forever cease.
O, may I, too, thus sweetly rise,
Thus tread yon bright empyrean free,
With joy regain those native skies,
Secure at last in love like thee."
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~David Harsha
"How sweet the hour of
closing day,
When all is peaceful and serene,
And when the sun, with cloudless ray,
Sheds mellow luster o'er the scene!
Such is the Christian's parting hour,
So peacefully he sinks to rest;
When faith, endowed from Heaven with power
Sustains and cheers his languid breast."
"How harpy is the dying
saint,
Whose sins are all forgiven;
With joy he passes Jordan's flood,
Upheld by hopes of heaven.
The Savior, whom he truly loved,
Now cheers him by his grace;
A glory gilds his dying bed,
And beams upon his face."
"Jesus, the vision of your
face
Has overpowering charms;
Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace,
If Christ be in my arms."
~David
Harsha
“Hope is a Christian's anchor, which he casts within the veil. 'Rejoicing in hope.' A Christian's hope is not in this life—but he 'has hope in his death.' The best of a saint's comfort, begins when
his life ends; but the wicked have all their heaven here. 'But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.' Luke 6:24. You may
make your acquitance, and write 'Received in full payment.' 'Son, remember that you in your
lifetime received your good
things.' But a saint's happiness is in the anticipation of heavenly glory. 'The righteous has hope in his death.' God keeps the best wine until
last. If Cato, the heathen, said, 'To me to die is gain,' as he saw
death to be a mercy; what, then, may a believer say! 'The day of death is better than the day of one's birth.' A queen of England
said she preferred her coffin before her cradle.” ~Thomas Watson
" 'Precious in the sight of
the Lord, is the death of his saints.' These words intimate that a dying
saint is an object of special notice unto the Lord, for mark the words 'in
the sight of.' It is true that the eyes of the Lord are ever upon us, for
He never slumbers nor sleeps. It is true that we may say at all times 'You
God see me.' But it appears from Scripture that there are occasions when
He notices and cares for us in a special manner. 'God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble' (Psalm 46:1). 'Fear not: for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior' (Isaiah
43:1-3).
'Precious in the sight of the
Lord, is the death of his saints.' This brings before us an aspect of
death which is rarely considered by believers. It gives us what may be termed the Godward side of the subject. Only too often, we
contemplate death, like most other things, from our side. The text tells us
that from the viewpoint of Heaven the death of a saint is neither hideous nor
horrible, tragic or terrible—but 'precious.'"~A.W. Pink
"What a
superlatively grand and consoling idea is that of death! Without this radiant
idea, this delightful morning-star, indicating that the luminary of eternity is
going to rise — life would, to my view, darken into midnight melancholy. Oh!
the expectation of living here on earth, and living thus always — would indeed
be a prospect of overwhelming despair. But thanks to that decree that dooms us
to die — thanks to that Gospel which opens the vision of an endless life — and
thanks above all, to that Savior-friend who has promised to conduct all the
faithful through the sacred
trance of death into scenes
of paradise and everlasting delight!" ~John Foster
"How happy is the dying
saint,
Whose sins are all forgiven;
With joy he passes Jordan's flood,
Upheld by hopes of heaven.
The Savior, whom he truly loved,
Now cheers him by his grace;
A glory gilds his dying bed,
And beams upon his face.
Ecstatic joy and heavenly bliss
Swell his enraptured heart;
He views the promised land of rest,
And pants for his depart.
Terror and dread are both unknown;
Sweet peace and hope appear,
To guide the blessed traveler home,
And all his footsteps cheer.
Angels of light attendant wait
His spirit to convey
Beyond this drear abode of night
To realms of endless day.
Oh! may I live the life of faith,
Abound in holy love,
Till death shall bear my joyful soul
To Zion's courts above."
~David Harsha
“For the darkness of mortality,
you shall obtain the bright glories of heaven. "Your eyes shall see the
King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off." You
will possess the promised land, the heavenly Canaan. Then shall the days of
your mourning be ended. Raised in the likeness of your blessed Redeemer, you
shall, finally, be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy! Entering the fair mansions of glory, you shall reign with your
glorified Redeemer, forever and ever! O! happy outcome to the Christian's short
pilgrimage on earth! “ ~David Harsha
“The translation of a Christian from earth to Heaven
is but like the removal of a tender plant from a frigid northern garden, where it
is stunted and dying – into a tropical field, where it puts out most luxurious
growth and covers itself with splendor.” ~J.R. Miller
Philippians 1:21
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
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