TWO men were watching a costly funeral procession as it made its way through the streets of a busy city, and passing by I overheard one say to the other, “It’s all over with him—he’s out of his troubles now!”
All over with him! nay, thought I, rather the reality has only just begun with him, life’s dream has ended, and the waking is his. I went up to the speaker and said,
“My friend, you said just now, it was all over with him, has it not rather just begun with him?”
“What do you mean, sir? I don’t understand you.”
“You forgot when you passed your remark upon the funeral that there is something after death.”
“You are quite right,” he said, “I know there is after death.”
“Well, friend,” I asked, “and what will be yours after death? God tells us, ‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,’ and after the judgment there is hell fire for such as do not receive Christ in this life.”
The man was distressed and said, “What will it be with me? O! I am sure I don’t know. I hope and I try at times, but I cannot tell.”
“Then hear what God says, ‘Be it known unto you that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things;’ also, The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Believe in Jesus and eternal life shall be yours now, and after death eternal happiness.”
Dear children, the unsaved one begins his troubles after death—all he ever suffered here is nothing to what he will endure after death.
On the other hand, the true believer is indeed out of his troubles after death. No grief, no pain shall reach him when he is with Christ.
Let me ask you, as I asked the old man, “What will be your ‘after death’”?
“Flee from the wrath to come.”
ML 11/18/1917