Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-08-10

4 - 80 e."t 1~AAt1us ~ y az NN~~f-
Of death.
| It is to be feared that many Of the
Lords people have not read the words
Of this text, or. II they have done so.
yet do not believe the precious truth
they proclaim. One who has looked
INTO the empty tomb Of Christ and
then away to that place where He sits
In glory. can look into his own tomb
without fear. No Christian that knows
his personal interest In Chrlsts ex-
altation Is afraid to die.
Read egaln those words md be as
sured Of the great delivernnce He has
wrought for you: eThat He might
deliver all them who through fear OF
death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage Appalled, in the presence Of
death is the soul Of the sinner unsaved.
he trembIes at the very thought Of
It Well he mayi For death is sins
wages, and to meet 1t without Christ
Is to be lost forever In utter darkness.
But not 50 the believing sinner who by
faith has laid hold upon Chrlsts fin
lshed work in his behalf. He cannot
fear II for he knows that ito Gle Is
gain" for II is to depart and be with
Christ which is far better; to be abb
sent from the body and to be present
with the Lord. For him death has
no terrors. He regards h as a dark
servant, retained by the Lord Of life
and glory throughout this night OF dis
absence, to lay some Of His own to
sleep until the morning OF His return.
That which is dreaded enemy to the
sinner has become through the cross
the friend Of the saint and is reckoned
In the inventory Of his possessions:
"All things are yours whether
life or DEATH" Hear this from the lips
Of our lovely Lord: verify. verify,
say unto you. II man keep my say
ing, he shall never see DEATH Then
said the Jews unto him. Now we know
that thou hast demon. Abraham Is
dead, and the prophets; and thou say
est, If man keep my saying, he shall
never taste of DEATH" 'sTaste" Is the
force of the word used by the Lord.
and thus they use II in their angry re-
ply. Blessed world may die. and II
the Lord does not return beforehand.
shall. But taste death. neverl For
'He tasted death for every man." with
bitterness in the awful cup that can
not be told
A lady while working among her
flowers was stung by a bee. Her child
playing nearby screamed with fright
when he heard his mothers cry of pain.
To reassure him she drew him to her
side and pointing to tiny spech in
her hand said: "see. that bee left
It's sting In mammals hand. It cannot
hurt you" o soul, the sting Of death.
which is sin. hath forever sheathed
Itself in the broken heart of the Son
Of God it cannot hurt you. II is writ
ten: 1.-THE sting OF death Is SIM" but
It is written again: He hath made
him to be sin for us" We're you to
die at this moment, It would not be
deaths triumph: It would be your
ownl
Through death" He did It. By 60
ing into death He oyercame Its power.
Entering the strong mans house BE
bound the strong man and spoiled his
goods. From Satan's grasp he
wrenched the power Of death and now
in His own hand He holds II for an
the subjects Of His grace. When
John, on Patmos. fell at His feet. as
dead, he would have remained there
but for what followed: HE laid his
right hand upon me. saying unto me.
Fear not; | am he that lIyeth, and
was dead; and. behold. I am alive for
evermore. Amen; and have the keys
Of hell and of death" The keys Of
that which. until the cross. held the
sonl. and Of that which sfill holds the
body. are now In the hands that were
stretched upon the cross for our sins.
And from that place in glory where
now He sits as one who finished His
work. Pc bangles those keys before
our wondering eyes to relieve our fear
and FIJI our hearts with glad confidence.
O soul In the bondage Of fear. from
that high place He Is stilI speaking
to thee, pleading with thee to accept
His finished work and be freel