Evening, May 2
Go To Morning Reading
“These all died in faith.”
Hebrews 11:13
Behold the epitaph of all those blessed saints who fell asleep before
the coming of our Lord! It matters nothing how else they died, whether
of old age, or by violent means; this one point, in which they all
agree, is the most worthy of record, “they all died in faith.” In faith they lived—it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support;
and in the same spiritual grace they died, ending their life-song
in the sweet strain in which they had so long continued. They did
not die resting in the flesh or upon their own attainments; they made
no advance from their first way of acceptance with God, but held to
the way of faith to the end. Faith is as precious to die by as to
live by.
Dying in faith has distinct reference to the past . They believed the promises which had gone before, and were assured
that their sins were blotted out through the mercy of God. Dying in
faith has to do with the present . These saints were confident of their acceptance with God, they enjoyed
the beams of his love, and rested in his faithfulness. Dying in faith
looks into the future . They fell asleep, affirming that the Messiah would surely come,
and that when he would in the last days appear upon the earth, they
would rise from their graves to behold him. To them the pains of death
were but the birth-pangs of a better state. Take courage, my soul,
as thou readest this epitaph. Thy course, through grace, is one of
faith, and sight seldom cheers thee; this has also been the pathway
of the brightest and the best. Faith was the orbit in which these
stars of the first magnitude moved all the time of their shining here;
and happy art thou that it is thine. Look anew tonight to Jesus, the
author and finisher of thy faith, and thank Him for giving thee like
precious faith with souls now in glory.