52. The Dying One meditates on Heaven

EXHORTATION.

"But Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." —Acts vii. 55, 56.

Nothing can be more sweet and pleasant to a believing soul, than to meditate upon heaven. In heaven is their residence, their country, their comfort, their heritage, their crown, their glory; their body is on the earth, their soul rests with God, their work upon earth, their thoughts in heaven. If it is thus with a believer, how much more should it be so with one who is dying! At the point of death many mournful things occur; separation from those we love, the tears of those around, and others. But all this will be sweetened, if the dying but sends his heart, whence he never would depart. 1. When separation pains him, he must recall the holy angels and the elect in heaven, with whom he shall dwell for evermore.

2. When he sees others weep, he must remember the eternal joys, the bliss and happiness, which await him in the life to come, where there shall be no tears nor groans, and no more weeping. MEDITATES ON HEAVEN.

O gracious God! how great is thy love and mercy to all mankind! Not only dost thou help us, hear our supplications, have mercy upon us, and pour down thy blessings upon us while we live, but thou hast also stored up glorious gifts for us in heaven, for in heaven we shall have, O Lord, the things of glory. Therefore in humble reliance I appear before thy great majesty and glory, before the splendor wherein thou dost dwell, where so many seraphim, with all the angels and all the elect, that is to say, all the pious who have ever lived upon earth, stand before thy throne, praise and extol thee, and sing the Holy, Holy, Holy, in thy honor. I call to mind that shortly I, too, shall stand among them, after my gentle and blissful death. I remember that I shall then wear a brilliant crown upon my head, and shall be arrayed in a white robe; yea, I shall shine as the sun. O glory, O bliss, which the Father of all mercies will confer upon me, for the sake of Jesus! Therefore I am not afraid of death, because it will open the door to all this glory. I gaze joyfully upon the heavens, for they are my eternal dwelling-place; here we have no lasting sojourn. This dwelling place, Jesus, my Saviour, has purchased for me by his sufferings and death; thither I shall THE DYING ONE come through faith in him. If I look upon the heavens, I recollect that there is my country, where all pious Christians and all the faithful are assembled. While I remain in the world, I am a pilgrim and a wanderer, but when, after a blissful death, I shall have arrived in heaven, then I shall come to rest, to peace, and to eternal welfare. I look upon the heavens with joy, and bethink me that they are my heritage; if my heritage on earth has been small, in heaven I shall enter upon an eternal and unspotted heritage. Heaven is the paradise wherein God will make the faithful glad, of which the earthly paradise was but the shadow. When I see thy glory in heaven, O my God, I shall say to thee as the queen of the east said unto Solomon, "O my God, O my Jesus, behold the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard; happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Amen. 1. "Happiness is here!" The chosen

This proclaim from where they roam,

Carrying palms, and crowned with glory,

Joyous in their blissful home.

MEDITATES ON HEAVEN.

O 'tis gladsome to be here:

We are filled with heavenly cheer,

Free from anguish and from terror,

Free from grief, and sin, and error.

2. Happiness is here in seeing

God Almighty face to face;

Happiness, to stand and revel

In the splendors of his grace;

We are glad for evermore,

We have rich delights in store;

Light surrounds us brightly shining,

Joys of heaven banish pining.

3. Happiness consists in tasting

Bliss, and peace, and comfort here.

Here the fountains of all pleasure

Flow forever bright and clear.

Here the voice of weeping ne'er

Beats upon the lambent air,

Here our faces beam in splendor,

Such as sunbeams cannot render.

4. Happiness is where ten thousand

Shining angels hover round,

In whose converse now we saunter,

Honored wheresoever found.

Here the praise of God is sung

Ever by the choral throng;

Here the church triumphant hails us,

And their comfort never fails us!"

THE DYING ONE RECALLS

6. Then in faith I will be stedfast

And in heavenly piety;

Nothing shall therefore deter me,

While the earth still fetters me.

I shall listen to the song

Of the heavenly choral throng;

And, when I have passed all sadness,

Enter on those realms of gladness.

The Dying One recalls the Promises of God.

EXHORTATION.

"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."—Matth. xxxv. 34.

In death there is need of refreshment, as well for the body as for the soul. But what can refresh the soul? Not gold and silver, honors or earthly splendor, but the word of God, of which David says, "Thy word is the comfort of my heart." Therefore we ought to collect comforting passages of the Bible in days of health, so as to have a store of them in the memory when distress assails us. 1. A dying Christian should particularly call to mind the glorious and divine promises found

THE PROMISES OF GOD.

in the Holy Scriptures, of the divine help, assistance, presence and favor.

2. He must appropriate these consoling passages to himself, as if God had addressed them to him, for in the Holy Scriptures, the Lord speaks with all men and with each in particular. 2. In view of these promises, he must rely on their fulfilment; though the Lord should defer his coming, he will gloriously redeem his word in his own good time. Thou gracious God! how sweet are those promises thou hast given me in thy words, in saying, "I am with him in distress, I will deliver him;" and again, "Fear not, I am with thee, be firm, I am thy God;" and yet again, when Jesus says, "Where I am, there shall my servant be also. In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare for your coming; I will come again and take you with me, so that ye may be where I am." Yea, I am assured that Jesus is my advocate and prays for me, and that the Holy Ghost will defend me with unutterable sighs. O gracious God fulfil these thy promises in me; O my troubles increase from day to day, be and remain with me in my last distress. O forsake me not, stand by me. O Jesus, let me attain to glory, and to the place which thou hast THE DYING ONE RECALLS prepared. O Jesus, be my Advocate; pray for me, a sinner, so that I may find grace and mercy. O most precious Holy Ghost! stand by me in my weakness, and give me strength and power. When my lips can no longer pray, bear up my feeble sighs to God. I cling to thy promises and believe that in thy great mercy thou wilt fulfil them. I believe in thy word, I trust to thy word, my heart reminds thee of thy word, bidding me to seek thy face, wherefore, Lord, I seek thy face. Throughout my life thy word has been my comfort and my joy, let it be my refreshment in death. Refresh me when the sweat of death breaks out, gladden me when my lips grow pale, comfort me when hearing and sight depart. O triune God, then let me hear joy and peace in my heart, as a foretaste of the glories of heaven. Amen. 1. I gladly die; why should the grave

Inspire my soul with terrors?

My faith delights to contemplate

The period of all errors.

I know that in a better world

Celestial bliss shall be unfurled,

Before my dazzled gazes.

THE PROMISES OF GOD.

2. I gladly die, for after death

My trouble, care, and sadness

Shall, by the Lord's surpassing grace,

Become unmingled gladness;

The cup in which my sorrows swim

Shall flow with joyance to the brim,

In those bright realms before me.

3. I gladly die, for well I know

I shall not die forever;

But from the dark and gloomy ground

The trumpet shall me sever.

Transfigured, I shall stand in light,

And my once blinded, dazzled sight

Shall look upon the Highest.

4. I gladly die, this is my word

Until my race is ended,

Until I reach the homes of peace

Where welcome is extended

By sainted lips and angel hands.

O when will the sublime expanse

Of heaven stretch out before me

THE DYING ONE ANTICIPATES