Life is nothing but death’s hallway; and our pilgrimage on earth is but a journey to the grave. The pulse that preserves our being beats our death march, and the blood which circulates our life is floating it forward to the deeps of death. Today we see our friends in health, tomorrow we hear of their death. Only yesterday, we shook hands with the strong man, and today we close his eyes. We rode in a chariot of comfort only an hour ago, and in a few more hours the black hearse must carry us to the home of the living. Oh, how closely allied is death to life! The little lamb that plays in the field must soon feel the knife. The cow that lows in the pasture is fattening itself for the slaughter. Trees only grow to be cut down. Yes, and greater things than these feel death. Empires rise and flourish; they flourish only to fall into decay, they rise to fall. How often do we take up a history book, and read of the rise and fall of empires. We hear of the coronation and the death of kings. Death is the black servant who rides behind the chariot of life. See life and death is close behind it. Death reaches far throughout this world, and has stamped all terrestrial things with an arrow pointing to the grave. Stars die; it is said that large and destructive fires have been seen in outer space, and astronomers have marked the funerals of planets-the decay of those mighty spheres, that we had imagined set forever in sockets of silver, to glisten as the lamps of eternity.
But blessed be God, there is one place where death is not life’s brother-where life reigns alone; “to live” is not the first syllable which is to be followed by the next, “to die.” There is a land where the death bells are never tolled, where grave clothes are never put on, where graves are never dug. Blessed land beyond the skies! To reach it, we must die.
Do not be mistaken.God never gave us faith to play with.It is a sword, but it was not made for presentation on a gala day, nor to be worn on state occasions only, nor to be exhibited upon a parade ground.It is a sword that was meant to cut and wound and slay; and he that has it girt about him may expect, between here and heaven, that he shall know what battle means.Faith is a sound sea-going vessel, and was not meant to lie in dock and perish of dry rot.To whom God has given faith, it is as though one gave a lantern to his friend because he expected it to be dark on his way home.The very gift of faith is a hint to you that you will want it; that at certain points and places you will especially require it, and that, at all points, and in every place, you will really need it.You cannot live without faith: for, again and again we are told-”the just shall live by faith.”Believing is our living, and we, therefore, need it always.If God gives you great faith, you must expect great trials; for, in proportion as your faith shall grow, you will have to do more, and endure more.Little boats may keep close to shore, as becomes little boats; but if God makes you a great vessel, and loads you with a rich freight, he means that you should know what great billows are, and should feel their fury till you see “his wonders in the deep.”That God, who has made nothing in vain, especially makes nothing in the spiritual kingdom in vain; and if he makes faith, it is with the design that it should be used to the utmost and exercised to the full.
Expect trial, also, because trial is the very element of faith.Faith is a salamander that lives in the fire, a star which moves in a lofty sphere, a diamond which bores its way through the rock.Faith without trial is like a diamond uncut, the brilliance of which has never been seen.Untried faith is such little faith that some have thought it no faith at all.What a fish would be without water, or a bird without air, would be faith without trial.If you have faith, you may surely expect that your faith will be tested: the great Keeper of the treasures admits no coin to his coffers without testing.It is so in the nature of faith, and so in the order of its living: it thrives not, save in such weather as might seem to threaten its death.