The Raymer enterprise., 1913-08-21

veal that they
have not believed in vain.
!. The Believer In Christ Never Dies.
Jesus said: IL am the resurrection
and the life: he that belieyeth in me.
though he were dead. yet shall he
live: and whosoever liveth and be-
lieyeth in me shall never die" And
again: .'lf man keep my word. he
shall never see DEATH" He shall new.
er see" death-what does that mean?
II means that he shall never gaze up
on death as the outlook or the objec.
tive of his life There are but two
spheres: life. and death. The mo-
ment man believes in Jesus Christ
he passes out Of the sphere OF death
into that OF life; life. not death, Is
henceforth his outlook. The believer
is nowhere told to look forward to
death Since he believed, death has
ceased to be the object Of his gaze.
The Christian shall never die" In
the words Of Jesus to Martha: BE.
lievest thou this?" That those dead
shall one day live because Of him. is
not hard to believe; but that those
living shall never die" because Of
their faith in him, is more difficult to
believe. Nevertheless It is a fact. The
death OF the body is no more to be
considered death to the Christian.
than the life Of the body is to be
counted life as compared with that
''life which is life indeed" This does
not mean that Christians will not see
the grave. but that. In the deepest
sense they will not die. The life OF
faith survives the shock OF death.
which is but momentary shadow up
on the life which is very far better
There are no Christian dead. The
God OF the Christian is the God Of the
living. and not OF the dead. This is
the truth enunciated by God to Moses
at the burning bush. Moses WAS to
understand that Abraham. Isaac and
Jacob were still living.
u. christhk Fall Asleep In Christ.
A distinction is made between "dy-
ing" and failing asleep" For II We
believe that Jesus died . so them al
SO which sleep In Jesus will God bring
with him" Jesus died, that Is, he
tasted and drained the cup to Its bit
terest dregs. in order that we might
not have to do the same. He died; we
sleep He has abolished death and
brought life and Immortality to light.
Three things are suggested by the
term sleep" continued existence. re-
pose, awakening. In what the world
calls death the believer simply closes
his eyes upon all that Is mortal, and
Immediately opens them upon that
which Is eternal. What blessed
awakening, why make ye this ado,
and weep? The damsel is not dead,
but sleepeth."
The living presence Of Christ Is
what greets the Christian in the place
of death. How beautifully this Is
brought out in the Shepherd Psalm.
"Yea. though walk through the val
ley OF the shadow OF death. l will fear
no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod
and thy staff they comfort me-" Note
the change In the personal pronoun.
Up to this point, the psalmist has used
the third personal pronoun he" but
now he uses the second person. thou"
Why? Because In the hour when we
pass through the valley Of the shadow.
no third person. no loved one. parent
or child, can 60 with US through that
narrow vale. The valley Is 80 narrow
that mother cannot take her one
day old babe with her. II we have no
Christ. we press our way through that
valley alone. and missing him. our
stumbling feet must fall.
o, to have no Christ. no Savior: no hand
to clasp thine own:
Through the dark. dark vale OF shadows.
thou must press thy way alone.
The assurance OF the believer Is
lhat Christ will be with him In the
hour OF departure; that he will stand
by his bedside as the light Of earth
fails. ready to lead rim through the
valley into the home beyond the skies.
II was the assurance OF this presence
that led Mr.. Moody to say when dy.
ing: "Is this death! Why there Is no
dark valley; he is with me-" The liv.
Ing Christ takes the place in the ex.
perience OF the believer OF what the
world calls. and Is In reality to the
| wording. death.
"And when. at last, hear the shore:
| And the fearful breakers roar
| Twixt me and my heavenly rest:
| Then, while leaning on thy breast may
| I hear thee say to me:
Fear not, I will pilot thee.