The Daily Green Mountain Freeman

From the Christian Messenger
To Die Is Gain.

Our pilgrimage of life is shortened
no loves
spirit-animated
disrobed and
enjoys
than
dust
in
earthiness
another
returns
we
are
to
born
its
native
to
die
by
glimmering
ours
unseen
ray
by
sight
unknown
to
reasons
aspirations
is
Heaven
of
this
his
before
earthly
soon-to
with
and
death
all
be
hopes
its
realization
is
the
To
the
eternal
that
the
next
most
causes
Christian
is
of
eestatic
life
his
beyond
the
momen
mo
per back from the borders of the spirit-world; 'to die is gain.'

To whom, where and why is gain over death?

The gain obtained by death is in striking contrast with the gain which most men seek after in life, and the different nature of the seekers is as strongly contrasted. The one is the natural heart seeking for the profit of this world; the other is the grace-renewed nature seeking the imperishable gain of eternal life. For gain man will sell himself. His money, his happiness he barters away for worldly gain. He contracts and wields engagements with the world, receiving in return the gain of the world, extracted then from a corrupted happiness, as unsatisfactory as it is corrupted. No thought of soul rest, no thought of another life, no thought of God, but perversely rushing onward after the wealth, the honors of the world. How often have we seen death overtake such a one in his childhood and youth and manhood and count his body to dust and his poor soul to an eternity of woe. To such a one death is to gain only a loss, not because he has so coveted the joys and smiles of this world, but because he has lost as probationary grace the time to secure the heavenly life. Sad—I see on the tombstone. 'He died as he lived—without God.' In the wail of millions he thus perishes without a voice from the Christian tomb, 'to die is gain.' Why the difference? Not because God is a respecter of persons. Redemption is offered to all. If man is lost it is because he will be lost by refusing the Savior. To those it is gain to die who can say, 'for me to live is Christ.' Christ in the heart renewing the life; Christ the object of our affections, the Bethlehem-star of our lives; Christ, the sovereign of our hearts, to whom we render willing obedience; Christ, our adorable, ever-present Savior; Christ in us 'the hope of glory;' Christ, 'our all and in all.' Then the Christian seeks and wants nothing beside—

'Nothing but Christ to us be given,
Nothing but Christ, on earth—in Heaven.'

Then, if after death our powers and capacities for loving, obeying and enjoying Christ are increased and strengthened, to die is certainly gain. Men estimate their riches by the amount of enjoyment they have for in securing and retaining their wealth. The miser delights his eye and really enjoys a satisfaction over his gold-store—a kind of happiness (not true happiness) which no one but a miser feels and none but a miser would covet. The Christian estimates his spiritual wealth, and truly, by the amount of his religious enjoyment. Not, however, measuring his attainments at all times by his feelings, but by the pleasure and delight he takes in the service of God, and this to him is an infallible rule of his advance or retrograde movements. His enjoyment is the fruit of the greatest possible improvement of the means given him to improve by. On earth he is continually aspiring after holiness and God, enjoying by faith the presence of God, and a comparative degree of holiness which makes him worthy, when greeted by the summons to come up higher, to enter upon perfect holiness, and into the unveiled presence of God in Heaven.

When the sinner dies, say some, 'death comes to him too soon.' Alas! too soon, if longer life would produce a Christian's death. But to the Christian it is gain to die whenever God calls. Death cannot come too soon. At any stage of his life he is ready, is willing, yea glad to die. Death cannot find him unprepared, and whenever the silver cord of life is loosed, gently he wings his flight to the better land.

We have anticipated why it is gain to die. The Christian exchanges earth for Heaven. He lives in Heaven. Heaven is his home. Earth will never more greet his ear. Earth—what a bundle of sorrows and tears are in the little word! what trials and temptations and heart weariness is embraced in its meaning. But to the Christian escaped to Heaven, earth will be like a half-forgotten dream, so full and complete will be his enjoyments in the employ of a heavenly life.

Life's bitterness, to die would be gain. But how often do we feel and exclaim amid life's bitterness, 'how soon, how soon shall we realize the gain it will be to die.' Death is knocking for admittance at the door of your heart, and mine, nor do we care how soon 'if Christ be ours.' Death, if but the angel of God's presence we yield up our breath to the grizzly monster, the skies, come soon or late we will shout in the death conflict 'to die is gain.'

L