New England Religious Herald

HARTFORD:
SATURDAY, JUNE 30.

"The Victory of Faith."

John, the beloved disciple, says, "this is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith." And nowhere is the victory of faith more signal than in overcoming that last enemy death. It has fallen to the lot of some of us to see the triumphs of faith in this last encounter. The history of the church is full of instructive examples, of prophets, apostles, and martyrs; many of whom have died by a cruel hand, for the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus. But of those who have died in faith I shall mention but one; and he shall be to us, as the place where he died—far back, on the "cliffs of time." Moses is the man.

We all know that the love of life is a principle deep seated in our nature—the stoutest hearts faint in view of death—infidelity cannot stand before his approach—and the proud blasphemer cries to God for mercy. But the circumstances of Moses' death are such as furnish a more beautiful comment on the sentiment of the Apostle: That same day in which he had made an end of speaking all the words of God unto his people, and had exhorted them for the last time to set their hearts to the truths which he had testified, on that self-same day the Lord said to Moses, get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto Mount Nebo, and behold the land of Canaan which I give unto the children Israel for a possession, and die in the Mount whither thou goest up. Notice the trial of his faith. He had been expecting for a long time to enter with his people the promised land. For forty years had he been the leader of God's Israel with this hope in view. But this was forbidden him of God, for when God bade him speak unto the rock at Meribah, that it might send forth water for his thirsting people—he smote it with his rod, in his own anger. This it was which shut him from the land of Canaan. For how slight an offence is he debarred the long wished for privilege! Ah! it went ill with Moses at the waters of Meribah. He must die without the promise. And yet his faith in God is still unshaken.

He was now to separate from the people whom he loved. This was trying. But God had said, go up and die! What feelings must have filled his laboring mind at such an hour? 'Tis hard to leave my people! 'Tis hard to die; 'tis harder still to die alone! where no mortal eye can witness the dissolution of my frame—no one to whisper in my ear the consolations of the dying—no one to witness the triumphs of my dying hour! Why need I die? My eye is yet undimmed and my force yet unabated? O who shall wipe the death damp from my brow; and who will lay me in the grave? But God is there. Cheerfully and manfully he climbs the mount. His eye rests upon the goodly land of Canaan which reaches far and wide before him.— The hill of Calvary is in the distance. With the eye of faith he looks down the vista of years, and upon that mount he sees a victim bleeding there, more life giving far than the brazen serpent which his own hand had raised. It is enough. He looks and dies. He died in faith, and God and angels laid him in the grave. This is victory. This, O this it is, to overcome the world. Reader, may you have the faith of Moses, and your death shall be as glorious.

L.