St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-11-12
The Death-ShadoW.


What does Gods Word have to say |
about death What is the language
employed by inspired writers. when
they speak of this subject ! Let lis look |
first at the ott-quotcd language of tine
ruyal Psilmi>t in the Twenty Third
Psalm. YEA. though walk through the
valley of the shadow of death tor more /
literally. the Notwithstanding | will fear
no evil for Thou art with me: Thy
rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
This has been the very key -notc of the
Churches in all ages. But what is the /
imagery which he employs ill speaking
OF death \ shadow nothing hut il
shadow. And this j. all of death that !
tine child of God ever feels or knows. .
The t;lNoIitc idea of the New Testament
writer's. III speaking "t death. Is that "i
IL ..>lccp" Thus We read of the pr"to-
MARTYR stephen. that he fell asleep.
Paul speak, Of many ot the disciples
who had FALLEN asleep of those which
az, ul shall he 'nSlecp' AT the coming
of the Lord al sleeping i'll Jesus.
Indeed. this idea MAS NOT unfamiliar To
the old Testament writer's. tor Daniel
speaks of "'manl that sleep i'll the dust
OF the earth" and David speaks "t
'.slccping the sleep of death This
idea is 81 beautiful, 80 tender and touch
inn, and 50 idicatiVc of the triumph and
peace of the child of Cod, that it is
worthy of the divine religion which in
Spilrd it, No wonder that the early
Christians 50 almost universally adopted
it H. the tl>oritc cpitaph >culpturei on
the slab or stone. which marked the
spot where their bones or ashes were
dcpn>itrtl. whether III the Catccnmh>.
or i'll other places.
\ most remarkable uttcrancc WAS
made bv ON Lord while ON earth. in Il
conversation with the Phari~cc>. nanc
ly: ''vciilN, verify, | say unto y"u. ii a
man keep my say Ing he shall never see
death" OF couI>,'. We can have II" idea
that this WAS intended to teach that one
who believe, in and obcNs Christ will
never die. in II literal or phN steal >,IISr.
But. what does il mean The Lord
Jesus knew. when he said this. that he
would he the couqucror of death that
he would ''aholiSh DEATH, and take
from him all his terror. his sting. and
his power. This he has done tor all
who believe on hi". and keep his SAY
ing. They never ''>er death" in his
terror. his sting, his power. To them
lac i Il >tim"lr-~ uncnNrnomcd. terror
less presence, Il conquered foe. The Lord
Jesus has undratlIcd death and there Is
nothing lrft of him but Il shadow Il
shadow only OF the terrible thing which
sin biou"ht forth int" our world. Hence
it is III anticipation of the final triumph
of Gods saints that the victor song Is
now sun" 10y them, 80, death. where Is
thy sting ! q. grave. where L. thy vic
tory The sting of death is sin: tia,
strength of sin l. the law hut thank,
hc to cod which givcth lis the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ"
Such Views of death ~ these al,
worthy OF our holy Christianity. And
they are not mere >cntimcntaliSnS. I'll
pocticai concepts, or baSrlc>S theories
they have been realized 10y '.tcn thou
sand times ten Thousand. umd thohSInd,
of thousands" of the saints of the Mos
High moi only where surrounding
have been favorable and pleasant. whrr,
friends have been near to wipe the gath
ering damp of death from the brow. AN,
speak words at comfort and cheer t,
the suffering one. but in martyrs hun
grnm>. at flaming stakes. on CORY rack :
III Roman amphithcatrrS. in gairrt
and cellars. these sublime thoughts a
death. thc>, victories over death. HAY
been realized.
We have written these words in tn
hope of comforting and encouraging
some timid believer. who has bee
shrinking from the conception of dealt
as il has been presented under falls
images ahd figures /" his mind. Their
is nothing in the imagery employed i
the word of God to tcrIify or alarm tn
child of God. 1t is only Il shadow.
only Il sleep" and of neither of thc>
need We he afraid. Rcr l.. H. Oman.