When I was a young lad I went to a seaside town, about twelve miles from my home, to see a dying Christian. He had been very good to me, and when I heard he was near his end I wished to bid him good-bye.
When I came into his room, I was awed at his appearance. He lay upon his bed, with his hair as white as snow and his face blanched by disease. I took his hand and told him why 1 had come. He looked at me with eyes full of the-love of Christ and shining with the light of heaven, and thee he said quietly, “Kneel down, my boy.” I knelt by his bed side, he put his dying hand on my head, and said slowly and solemnly:—
“I the Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lilt up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.”
I rose from my knees—then after a few more parting words, I said “good-bye,” and went out from his presence to walk the seashore, with the, tears flowing down my cheeks. I have never forgotten that hallowed scene.
And I should like to be able to say to all who have helped us throughout the year that is passing from us—who have prayed with us for precious souls, and who have enabled us by their generosity to send so many thousand Testaments to the dear soldiers and sailors; I should like to say to them with all my heart, “The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
December 1917, As I watch the setting sun from my window disappearing behind the distant hills, I think of the words of a poet who wished to follow the sun on his glorious journey;
“To drink it’s everlasting light—
The day before him, and behind the night”
The Day is before us, as we watch the sunset of 1917. The light of other worlds awaits us if we are “Children of the day.” We journey on, “To where beyond these voices, there is peace.” Behind us, the memories of ten thousand sorrows, the sighs of breaking hearts, the groans of human agony almost too terrible to be borne. Behind us, the graves of buried hopes, empty rooms, closed rooms, sacred memories! Behind us, Rachel weeping for her children, and will not be comforted, because they are not.
Behind us also the eternal goodness of a faithful God. His blessing has been the silver lining of many a dark cloud. The night will soon be over. We follow the Sun—We shall not walk in darkness. As we go on “The Day is before us, and behind the night.” There is light on-the hills of faith, “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
A sailor lay dying, and a math asked hire one day “What cheer?” The answer was: “Heaven heaves in sight; I see the headland.” He saw the harbor lights, the Day was before him: Next day the question Was asked again, “What cheer?” “Rounding the, cape, almost in!” was the blissful answer the third day the question was repeated— “What cheer? “With soft voice he breathed, as he “drank in the everlasting light”— “In Port,” and then his quivering lips said, “Let go the anchor,” and so he passed away.
Two men were walking in a field, speaking together of the Lord Jesus, lamenting over the dishonor done to His Name on earth—when suddenly one looked up and said― with rapt gaze on the sky— “There Christ is all in all,” and then he lay back and passed away. The Day shone for him, and he went into the everlasting light.
And those of us who love the Lord Jesus, and I trust that many of my readers do, will soon see the city of God—and above the pearly gates that lead into the city—the banner waving, and upon its glorious folds’ the words, “Welcome Home.” The Crusaders wept when first they caught sight of Jerusalem; and, when we—the soldiers of Christ—see the gates of the New Jerusalem before us, and the lights shining-from afar, if we weep for joy and gladness, they will be the last tears we shall ever shed. We shall pass in to “the everlasting light,” with uplifted foreheads, to wear the crown; with eager feet to tread those golden streets; with longing eyes to gaze upon the face of Christ; with overflowing hearts to worship God and the Lamb.
We watch the sunset of 1917 going down in darkness and in storm; going down amid the wailing of a nation’s sorrow, and the rain of a nation’s tears; ‘mid the thunder of unceasing war and the lightings of the fury of the hate of man. We know the year has whitened our hair, and furrowed our cheek and brow, and has taken our dearly loved ones from u; but it has given us, I trust, a firmer faith in God, and a deeper desire in our hearts to do all we can to bring others to Him. And to say farewell to 1917, facing it’s fading light and knowing as its sun goes down behind the hills of time that the light of God’s own home is awaiting us, where “they need no candle, nor light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever” and “where God shall wipe all tears from their eyes.”