Believe that those who are gone are nearer us than ever; and that if, as
I surely believe, they do sorrow over the mishaps and misdeeds of those
whom they leave behind, they do not sorrow in vain. Their sympathy is a
further education for them, and a pledge, too, of help, and, I believe,
of final deliverance for those on whom they look down in love.

_Letters and Memories_.

"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; for they rest from their
labours, and their works do follow them."

They rest from their labours. All their struggles, disappointments,
failures, backslidings, which made them unhappy here, because they could
not perfectly do the will of God, are past and over for ever. But their
works follow them. The good which they did on earth--that is not past
and over. It cannot die. It lives and grows for ever, following on in
their path long after they are dead, and bearing fruit unto everlasting
life, not only in them, but in men whom they never saw, and in
generations yet unborn.

_Good News of God_--_Sermons_.

"A little while and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye
shall see me, because I go to the Father," said our Lord when speaking of
His own death to His sorrowing disciples. And if it be so with Christ,
then is it so with those who are Christ's, with those whom we love. They
are the partakers of His death, therefore they are the partakers of His
resurrection. Let us believe that blessed news in all its fulness, and
be at peace. A little while and we see them, and again a little while
and we do not see them. But why? Because they are gone to the Father--to
the source and fount of all life and power, all light and love, that they
may gain life from His life, power from His power, light from His light,
love from His love--and surely not for nought. Surely not for nought.
For, if they were like Christ on earth, and did not use their powers for
themselves alone, if they are to be like Christ when they shall see Him
as He is, the more surely will they not use their powers for themselves,
but as Christ uses His, for those they love? Surely, like Christ they
may come and go even now unseen. Like Christ they may breathe upon our
restless hearts and say, "Peace be unto you." And not in vain--for what
they did for us when they were yet on earth they can do more fully now
that they are in heaven.

They may seem to have left us, and we may weep and lament. But the day
will come