"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil. 1:21

Look upon your dying day as a gainful day. There is
no gain compared to that which comes in by death.
A Christian gets more by death, than he does by life.
To be in Christ is very good—but to be with Christ
is best of all, "I desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is better by far!" Phil. 1:23. It was a mighty
blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth—but it
was the top of blessings for Paul to be with Christ
in heaven! Seriously consider these things—

By death you shall gain incomparable crowns!
A crown of life, Rev. 2:10; James 1:12;
A crown of righteousness, 2 Tim. 4:8;
An incorruptible crown, 1 Cor. 9:24-25;
A crown of glory, 1 Pet. 5:4.
There are no crowns compared to these crowns!

By death you shall gain a glorious kingdom!
"It is your Father's pleasure to give you a kingdom!"
We must put off our rags of mortality—that we may
put on our robes of glory. There is no entering into
paradise—but under the flaming sword of this angel,
death—who stands at the gate. Death is the dirty
lane through which the saint passes . . .
to a kingdom,
to a great kingdom,
to a glorious kingdom,
to a peaceful kingdom,
to an unshaken kingdom,
to a durable kingdom,
to a lasting kingdom, yes,
to an everlasting kingdom!

Death is the dark, short way, through which the
saints pass to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!

Thomas Brooks

__________________
Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psa 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
James Farley
Husband of Melissa and father of Ann.
Members of Redeemer Church ARP, Blacksburg Va.
http://www.redeemerblacksburg.org/

Thanks, brother, for the blessing.

__________________
B.Howes
Framingham, MA

Meditate upon DEATH!

(William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles")

Meditate often on these four last things:
Death, which is most certain.
Judgment, which is most strict.
Hell, which is most doleful.
Heaven, which is most delightful.

Meditate upon DEATH, which is most certain.
"It is appointed unto men once to die." Hebrews 9:27

Out of the dust was man formed;
into the dust shall man be turned.

To think of death--is a death to some men!

Oh, sirs! Meditate upon death.

Meditation on death--will put sin to death!

Death to the wicked--is the end of all comfort, and the beginning of all misery!
Death to the godly--is the outlet to sin and sorrow, and the inlet to peace and happiness!

The saints' enjoyment shall be incomparable,
when the sinners' torments shall be intolerable!

When a believer's soul goes out of his own bosom--it goes into Abraham's bosom! When a saint dies--he leaves all his bad behind him, and carries his good with him! When a sinner dies--he carries his bad with him, and leaves his good behind him!

The godly man goes from evil--to all good.
The wicked man goes from good--to all evil.

When a saint leaves the world--his soul returns to happiness and rest!
When a sinner leaves this world--his body goes to worms to be consumed, and his soul goes to flames to be tormented!

The saint goes to Abraham's bosom;
the sinner goes to Beelzebub's bosom!

The wheat goes to the barn;
the chaff goes to the fire!

Oh, sirs! meditate upon death!