" Those who had here below redemption through His blood, even the
forgiveness of their sins, according to the riches of His grace. These
are they who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus
Christ. Concerning such is this solemn affirmation made, corroborated
by the attestation of the Divine voice, that the dearly beloved John
heard, saying, "Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

You know that the original signification of the word "blessed" means
happy. In Christ's inimitable Sermon on the Mount He declares, "Happy
are the beggars in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." All
the uninterrupted felicities of the glory land are theirs at the hour
of dissolution. Their joy is augmented by the pure fellowship and
friendship of the Saviour and the saints before the throne of the
Eternal.

There is a broad avenue opened up to the saved of pleasing and familiar
intercourse with the general assembly, and the spirits of just men made
perfect. They share the attention and affection of the heavenly host,
and are gladdened by the presence of Him who is the King eternal,
immortal, but not now invisible, for they behold the King in his
beauty.

"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." Death to the Christian is
represented in the Scripture as a sleep. "Them that sleep in Jesus will
God bring with Him." He is redeemed from the power of death. "For
Christ came to deliver them, who, through fear of death were all their
life time subject to bondage." (Heb. ii. 15.) All believers, therefore,
need not dread death--he is a conquered enemy. And so every one of us
who are here to day in Christ can say humbly, but truly, "O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" No Christian,
however weak he may be, need fail to feel with Paul, and ask the same
question, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword?... Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord."

The last great conflict is inevitable, but the secret of a triumphant
departure from this life is found in the language of the "Faith Psalm,"
"Yea, t