On Friday, the 28th of March, our dear departed brother was well enough to attend the funeral of one who had long been in fellowship, and for whom he had much regard. He was a working man, very much respected, and C. S. remembered that he had been recommended to his employers by him thirty-five years ago. This was the last funeral that he attended, and it was in the same cemetery in which his own body was deposited only a few days after.
That day he was fresh and manifestly happy in the Lord, but it was observed by one present, that he appeared unusually impressed with the solemnity of the occasion. The service began by a brother giving out the hymn
“We have a home above,
From all defilement free;
A mansion which eternal love
Prepared our rest to be.
The Father’s gracious hand
Has built that blest abode;
From everlasting it was planned,
The dwelling place of God.
The Savior’s precious blood
Has made our title sure;
He passed through death’s dark raging flood
To make our rest secure.”
Then C. S. read the first few verses of 2 Cor. 12, and said, “I knew a man in Christ thirty-five years ago,” referring to the departed, whose body was then before them, and spoke of his godly deportment and Christian-like behavior toward those with whom he had been associated in his daily employment. He then, with great solemnity, referred to the many sudden deaths which had lately taken place in the neighborhood, and with what a loud voice they spoke to us of ETERNITY. “This is Friday,” said he, “perhaps, before another week is ended, some of us may be buried. If death come, are you ready?” (There was a solemn silence for several seconds.) He then went on to say, “Through mercy, infinite mercy, I can say, I am; are you? [A pause.] Perhaps all here could not truthfully sing the hymn we have just had, “We have a home above.” Are there any present who could not sincerely say, ‘We have a home above?’ [A pause.] If so, let us turn to the word of God, and see how you can be fitted to sing now, as under the all-searching eye of God, ‘We have a home above.’
Our beloved brother then read,
Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that, through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb. 2:14, 1514Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14‑15)).
He read also,
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me; in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me), to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin (Heb. 10:5-185Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:5‑18)).
Then he turned to the crowd of hearers, and preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection—His finished work upon the cross, His triumph over death and Satan, and His coming again to take His own to heavenly glory. Then he read,
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by sight): we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:1-81For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:1‑8)).
Some men tell us, said he, and they are learned men too, that we cannot know with certainty whether we are saved or not; and some even preach that we cannot be sure as to the forgiveness of sins till the judgment of the great white throne. But what does the word of God say? Then pointing to the first verse of the portion just read, he repeated, with solemn emphasis, “We know, (thus we have the assurance) that we have a building of God (yes, we have it), an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” “We have” then, this heavenly and eternal building of God, and “we know” we have it in the heavens if we die. Yes, “we have a building of God,” a house, “our house.” God hath “wrought us” for it, “an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” What divine certainty God’s word gives those who believe on His Son! “We have a building of God.” Having received the forgiveness of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to indwell us, “therefore,” it is added, “we are always confident.” Observe, not “always doubting,” as some say, but “always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. (For we walk by faith, not by sight.) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Does it say we are confident because of what we feel? Certainly not; but by knowing it on the authority of God’s word of eternal and unchanging truth, that because of the finished work of eternal redemption, and the gift of the eternal Spirit, we are always confident.”
He then prayed.
At the grave he again referred to 1 Thess. 4, when the Lord will raise the bodies of His saints to meet Him in the air, and the following hymn was sung:
“Christ the Lord will come again,
None shall wait for Him in vain;
We shall then His glory see;
He who died to set us free.
Then when the Archangel’s voice
Calls the sleeping saints to rise,
Rising millions shall proclaim
Blessings on the Savior’s name.
This is our redeeming God,
Ransom’d hosts shall shout aloud;
‘Praise, eternal praise be given
To the Lord of earth and heaven.”’
Earnest prayer was then offered by our brother Mr. C. for the salvation of the unconverted who were present, many of whom had been fellow-workmen of the deceased, and after committing the body to the Lord’s safe keeping till He come the people separated.
How remarkable that this honored servant of the Lord should have said at the last funeral he attended,
Perhaps, before another week is ended some of us may be buried. . . . If death come . . . through infinite mercy, I can say that I am ready.
In less than forty-eight hours after this he himself had departed to be with Christ, and in less than a week his body was laid in the same cemetery where he had so solemnly spoken. And yet it is not to be wondered at, if we only consider that those who live in prayerful dependence on the Lord, and in communion with Him, are led to speak sometimes beyond what could have been premeditated.
Nor can we forbear at this time kindly asking the reader of these lines the same question, If death come, are you ready? Do not say, Yes, unless your authority is founded wholly on the blood of Christ, and the word of God. Do not look at yourself, your feelings, your experience, good or bad, but look wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work in His death and blood-shedding on Calvary. Take your true place before God as a guilty, helpless sinner, justly exposed to His condemnation, and approach God by the blood of His Son, and you need not fear; for God delights to welcome, bless, save, and comfort those who thus honor the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. You cannot be saved by works, either wholly or in part, for Scripture says, “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Happy those, who simply resting before God on the blood of Jesus, can truly say,
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Christ my Lord and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name;
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”