58. "Because thou didst arise from death,"

thy word gives me the heavenly consolation that though I die, yet I shall rise again. Is not that great consolation for me? And it arises from the fact that my Jesus arose from the grave; he died for me on the tree of the cross, as the innocent Lamb of God, and was buried, but rose triumphant on the third day. Jesus arose, and I shall arise also. Jesus lives, so shall I live. Jesus did not remain in the grave, and

"The grave shall not contain me."

Jesus will restore me to life; body and soul, severed by death, shall be reunited in the bliss of eternity. As little as the grave has contained my Jesus, so little will it contain me when the last trump shall sound, which shall pierce the graves. Thus the grave is harmless to me, my body resting there from all care, toil, and pain, and my soul will be comforted and refreshed by God in the joys of heaven. Yes, my Saviour! not alone does thy triumphant resurrection make my heart rejoice, but "Thy ascension is my highest bliss."

When Jesus had risen from the dead, he ascended to heaven, and entered into his glory. Behold, Jesus has gone before, I follow him; I too shall have a glorious ascension. On quitting this present life my soul will come to God, and in the happy and blissful resurrection of the dead, we shall be carried towards the Lord in the clouds, when body and soul shall jointly enter into the gladness of their Lord. In death it shall be my highest and sweetest consolation that Jesus lives, and therefore I shall live also.

Jesus has gone to heaven, and I shall follow him. Jesus has entered into glory, and on my entrance into heaven, I too shall become a partaker of it. What can be sweeter or more delicious than the ascension of my Jesus, which has been, or than my own, which is to be?

"Death's terrors cannot chain me."

I know that I shall die, but I am not afraid, for my soul will go from its fragile earthly tabernacle to eternal glory. Does a child fear to go to its father, or a bride to come to the bridegroom? By death, I shall come to my heavenly

Father, to Jesus, the bridegroom of my soul;

shall I then be afraid? I do not die, but my wretchedness dies, my soul throws off its cross, and attains the heavenly goods, forsakes humanity, and comes to the holy angels and elect. And what still more dispels all fear of death, is the most holy communion with thee,

O Jesus.

"For where thou art, there I shall be."

O what comfort flows from that reflection!

After my happy departure from this life I am to go to heaven, and be with my Jesus in glory.

The sheep, with its shepherd, the disciple with

SIGNS AND PRAYERS his teacher, the servant with his Lord. Even thus has he promised, "Where I am, there shall my servant be also." O what joy, when Jesus shall take me into his arms, and introduce me to his glory! O I am happy, in knowing that I shall thus repose,

"And ever, ever dwell with thee."

He will take me to himself, that I may dwell with him in heavenly bliss. This union shall never be followed by a separation. I shall stand before the throne, and behold his face, which shall give me the most unspeakable joy; I shall live with him, and by him be eternally refreshed; because I am convinced of this,

"Therefore, I die rejoicing."

My sins are forgiven me, for the sake of the blood and death of Jesus. From the grave I shall be roused to eternal life; I shall have a blissful ascension, and shall come to my Jesus. Therefore, I joyfully depart to Christ, my brother, that I may come to him, and be forever with him. I gladly go to heaven, I leave this vale of tears for realms of joy, for out of tribulation, I shall come into the happiness which ear hath not heard, and eye not seen. 5.

"Thus do I go to Jesus Christ,"

Says my Saviour, "I go to my Father and to your Father; to my God and to your God." So do I say likewise in dying, I go upwards to my heavenly Father, to Jesus, to the Holy Ghost, to the triune God, to my Immanuel, to the friend of my soul, to my brother, to my redeemer. And O, how do I long to see Jesus in his glory, Jesus, whom I never saw, yet love to clasp; therefore, I

"Stretch out my arms in wonder"

towards my Jesus, to strain him to my heart, and never to let him go. I stretch out my arms, crying come, Lord Jesus. I remember how my Jesus stretched out both his arms on the cross, and died, as if he would embrace me. So will I now expire, to embrace Jesus with outstretched arms. O bridegroom of my soul, embrace me too, and present me, transfigured and glorified, to my heavenly Father. O what a happy entrance will it be, thus to enter into heaven, accompanied by Jesus! In such thoughts I will die, for then "I go to rest, and sweetly sleep"

in the arms of Jesus. Jesus in my heart, Jesus in my mind, in the name of God I yield my breath. Blessed rest, which no one can disturb! I rest from my cross, I rest from all sorrow, from mourning and sadness, from all pain. A blissful, heavenly rest! If a child sleeps gently in its mother's arms, why should not I rest gently in the arms of Jesus.

"Men shall not wake me yonder."

To rouse the dead is a work of God, therefore no man has the power of waking the dead. But thy voice, O Jesus, shall pierce the earth into the graves, and the dead shall rise. O Jesus, rouse my body on the last day to eternal life. I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. What is beyond the power of man, my Saviour will do. "For Jesus Christ, thrice glorified,"

is the foundation of my trust. He is the Saviour and beatifier of men; he is Christ, the promised Messiah; nor is he very man alone, but the Son of God, yea, God himself. In this Jesus Christ

I will die happy; the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shall cleanse me of all sin. He

"The gates of heaven will open wide,"

when the door of my earthly life is closed. I have thought diligently of heaven during life; by faith I have striven for heaven in holiness of life, therefore, O Jesus, open the gates of heaven, O say, "Well done, thou good and faithful soul; enter into the glory of thy Lord. Come, thou blessed one, and inherit the kingdom prepared for thee from the beginning of the world." O how happy shall I be, when thou wilt speak those soothing words, "And usher me to glory."

As a bridegroom conducts his bride to the altar, so do thou conduct me, O Jesus, into eternal life. Now I am with Jesus, and he with me. Out of the earthly vale of tears, I have been transported to the happy mansions of heaven. From believing, I have passed to seeing.

The Bystanders cry to the Departing One.

Keep in mind Jesus Christ, think of his bitter sufferings and death. Be comforted by the love of the heavenly Father, who in holy baptism has adopted you as his child, and is now ready to receive you, as his child, into eternal glory. Be comforted by the bloody wounds of Jesus Christ, undergone for your sins; be comforted by his holy blood, shed for your sins. Be comforted by the assistance of the Holy Ghost, who has hallowed you, and in this triune God die happy. Amen.

Benediction over the Dying One.

Farewell, thou soul, dearly purchased by Jesus Christ. Pass away to thy beloved God and Father in Jesus Christ, who has created and loved thee, whom thou hast held in childlike reverence and trust. Pass to thy Lord Jesus, the most precious and faithful shepherd and redeemer, who has bought thee as his sheep with his holy blood, to whom thou hast clung in faith. Go to meet the comforter, the Holy Ghost, who hallowed thee, and chose thee for his temple and tabernacle. Depart from the body into joy. Depart from tribulation to the living God, may he bless thy going out and thy coming in, and by his power preserve thee for salvation. Depart and enter into the kingdom prepared for thee from the beginning of the world. The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, the Lord lift up his countenance over thee, and give thee peace. Amen.

Prayer of the Bystanders at the Bedside of One who has departed.

Holy and just God! It has pleased thee by temporal death to call away from this world the dead man who lies before us. Let us learn by this death that we too must come thus to die, and leave the world behind us, and to prepare for it in time by true penitence, a living faith, and avoidance of the vanities and sins of the world. Rejoice the soul which has now departed with heavenly comfort and gladness, and fulfil in him the gracious promises of thy holy Word to those who believe in thee; let the body have in earth a sweet and gentle rest to the last day, when thou wilt reunite soul and body and lead them to glory, so that the whole man, who has served thee here, may there be filled with heavenly joys. Comfort those bereaved by his departure; be the father, provider, guardian, friend, and comforter of those he has left behind; do not forsake them nor withdraw thy hand from them, but let them richly enjoy thy goodness, grace, love, comfort, and protection, until the time arrives when thou wilt permit them also to die a happy death. Hear us for the sake of thy great mercy. Amen. 35*

Festival Devotions.

At the time of holy Advent the devout Christian contemplates the coming of Christ into the flesh.

EXHORTATION.

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass."—Zech. ix. 9.

If there are times which souls devoted to God love to spend in contemplation, they are those festival days on which Christendom calls to mind the various benefits of God.

1. A devout child of God rejoices in the anticipation of these festival times, to make all things the subject of devotion which God's goodness has given him.

2. In the time of holy Advent, he reflects upon the love of the heavenly Father, who did not spare his only begotten Son, but sent him into the world to obtain the salvation of mankind.

3. He regards the burning love of Jesus, who assumed our fallen flesh and blood to bring us to heaven and to eternal life.

THE COMING OF CHRIST INTO THE FLESH.

4. He extols the grace of the Holy Ghost, who so vividly and powerfully presents to the soul of the believer the divine benefits, as if they had but just taken place.

5. He applies these festival hours to devotion and prayer, begun and ended with hearing and reflecting on the word of God, with singing festive songs, and with a quiet and godly walk and conversation.

O gracious Jesus! thou who didst come to save the lost, I thank thee for having permitted me, under thy protection, once more to witness the return of this holy time. O give me the power of thy Holy Spirit, enabling me to spend it in the fear of thee, with holy contemplation, for the edification of my soul. Thou eternal Son of God, who wert before the foundations of the world were laid, who didst enter into the flesh and become a true man, for our salvation! Because of our heinous fall in Adam, we could not come to thee in heaven; therefore come to us upon earth, so that thou mayest introduce us all to bliss. By sin we had become enemies of God, but by thy most holy coming all shall be retrieved. O holy Advent! whereby we, who were condemned to death, shall attain life, and we, who had fallen from grace, shall be invested with decorations and honors. For this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Dearest Jesus, save me also, take me up into thy happy kingdom. Give me, at this holy time, an attentive and obedient heart, to hear thy holy word with diligence and devotion, to carry and cherish it in my heart, to grow in faith, in thy knowledge and love during these holy days, and to show, in my life, the fruits of faith, which are chastity, lowliness, meekness, obedience and piety, so that thy advent may be a happy and holy coming for me also. O preserve me, lest it be said of me, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not." Come into my heart, I will clasp thee as my only Saviour, Redeemer, and Sanctifier in the faith, and appropriate thy merits and thy righteousness. Come into my heart! For love of thee I will gladly renounce all worldly vanities, pleasures, aye, sins and wickednesses, so that thou alone mayest dwell in my soul, and rule in my heart. O dwell in me, sanctify me in thee, keep me in thy grace. I repent of my sins and seek mercy in thee; therefore they shall no longer condemn me, for if the Son makes me free, I am truly free. If God is for me, who can be against me? O Jesus, thou camest as a king; O rule in my heart, that sin may rule in me no longer. THE COMING OF CHRIST INTO THE FLESH.

Thou camest as a just one; make me just, and give me the robe of thy righteousness. Thou camest in poverty, to enrich my soul with faith and heavenly gifts. Thou camest lowly-minded, make me humble, let me learn humility and meekness from thee, and practise them on every occasion of my life. O thou king of honors! enter into the gates of my heart; open them widely by thy power, govern me with thy Holy Spirit, so that I may abide in thy dwelling and temple to the end of my days. My heart yearns for thee, thou Son of God, thou Star of David, thou true Seed of the woman, thou Siloh, Saviour, Shepherd and Salvation, my Brother, Throne of Grace, and Portion, come in the name of the Lord! Come, O King, Prince of Peace, Hero, Redeemer, Mediator, Ransom of my soul, Light and Comfort of the Gentiles! O Beatifier, Help, Protection, Atoner, Counsellor, Prophet, and Dependence, hold thy triumphant entry into my heart! Amen. 1. Here is Immanuel! be this our declaration;

It is the accepted time, the day of expectation.

Here is Immanuel! comfort and peace he brings,

For which all Christendom joyful hosannas sings.

2. Here is Immanuel! he comes by God's own presage,

God's holy heart itself the burden of his message;

Here is Immanuel! behold, what love is this!

God offers his own Son to bring us back to bliss.

3. Here is Immanuel! the curse is rest of terror;

The sacrificial blood has blotted every error;

Here is Immanuel! we are released from sin,

No fall shall e'er destroy the bliss we now begin.

4. Here is Immanuel! the stain of our transgression

Is utterly wiped out by Jesus' intercession;

Here is Immanuel! God does vouchsafe his grace,

And Jesus' precious blood does all our sins efface.

5. Here is Immanuel! from ill we are delivered,

The forces of the foe are overthrown and shivered;

Here is Immanuel! come all distress that can,

We have the help of him who was both God and man.