The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 51

and, as we pass into it., the old tent-body is taken down, folded up, and put away. Dr. A. Raleigh dwells very beautifully on one of the most familiar figures of the grave, "There the wicked cease from troubling, anrl there the weary are at rest." "This is man's long home. Other homes are but calling-places, in which a wayfaring man tarries for a few days and uights in pursuing a great journey; but in this long home 'man Heth down and riscth not, till the heavens be no more.' There is no earth quite so profound as that of a quiet country churchyard. The bills stand in silence wa.tching. The river, as it flows by, seems to hush its wa.ters in passing; a.nd the trees make soft and melancholy music with the evening wind, or stanrl in calm, voiceless grief, lest they should disturb the sleepers. Quiet fa the dust below-quiet the scarcely moving grass of the graves-quiet the shadows of the tombstones--qniet the overarching sky. It is, indeed, a quiet resting-place, where we may lie in stillness for a while, until Christ shall bring us to another home, the last, the best of all-in heaven, the quietest resting- place of all." And Jesus our Lord said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." 'l'hat is all. Death is only the sleep of God's beloved ones; over it he watches with more than motherly care, and, one wondrous day, the sweet mornin::: light of the great glory shall stream in at 1he winnows, and wake the sleeping children. After showing thus the mingling of sadness with hope in the Bible figures of hurrying life an,i masterfol death, illustrate the things which help to ma.ke dying and death seem to us a foe so greatly to be dreaded. It is a foe- I. BECAUSE OF THE BREAKING DOWN AND CORRUPTION OF THE BODY WHICH IT INVOLVES, There is something humiliating and revolting even in the change through whieh our bodies must pass. We turn awa.y from the sight of the dead, and cannot bear to think that we must be even as they. II. BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE ENDING OF ALL OUR EARTHLY PLEA.SURER. And there are pleasures and friendships and scenes which make life very rlear to us a.11-rightly dear. It is no way of honouring God to call I l<is earth and life that he ha.s given us a. "desert land, which yields us no supplies.'' But death takes the cup right awa.y from our lips, and bids us leave all the pla.ythings on the board, anrl come away. Ill. IlECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING IT. As Bacon long a.go reminded us, it is the suffering body, the darkened chamber, the weepi11g friends, the pangs of separation, the trappings of woe, that make so much of the bitterness of rleath. IV. BECAUSE OF THE UNTilllELINESS OF ITS COMING. And it is almo5t always untimely; often times painfully so. He plucks yonng buds. He takes opening flowers. He cuts down bcarcled grain. Ho delays until the grain is shed, and the stra.w is trembling to its winter fall. Always coming; almost never wanted. Yet, for trne and trustful hearts, changed into an angel of light, the Fa.ther's messenger calling his children home. They are quiet enn from the fear of death who can pray with McCheyne- "In whatsoever form dpath oomes to me- In midnight storm, whelming my bark, or in my nest Gently dismissiug mo to rest; Oh, give me in thy Word to see A risen Saviour beckoning me. My Lamp and Light In the dark night.'' R.T. Ver. 14.-Life a burden. "Jehovah, I am hard pressed; be Surety for me" (Cheyne). Life has its shudow ns well as its sunshine; and in our depressed times we fancy that the shadow almost blots out the shint1. There is a poem which, with the touch of genius, pictures the shadow that, since the failure of our race-parents in Eden, lies close against everything for man. qo where he_ m~y, do what _h~ will, man c~nnot get away from his shadow. It tracks his feet. This side or that 1t 1s found, whichever way he may stand to the light. It lies down with him; it rises with him; it goes forth with him• it comes back with him; until he even gets to fear it, and, seeing it flung every~ whe;e, says, "Life is dt~rk, an~, life is hard." . This sentence of tJ:te _text is _an utterance of genuine fcelin_g. _It 1~ Old 1 estament feeling rather t~an Chnstrnn feelmg; b~t ~he poetical form of 1t gives 1t largeness enough to cover and mclude the very best Chnstmn  64 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [cH, xxxvm.1-22,