Wesley Corpus

Nay, we may say more; they are the only happy men upon earth; and that though we should have no regard at all to the particular circumstances above mentioned; suppose there was no such thing as a comet in the universe, or none that would ever approach the solar system; suppose there had never been an earthquake in the world, or that we were assured there never would be another; yet what advantage has a Christian (I mean always a real, scriptural Christian) above all other men upon earth ! What advantage has he over you in particular, if you do not believe the Christian system | For suppose you have utterly driven away storms, lightnings, earthquakes, comets, yet there is another grim enemy at the door; and you cannot drive him away. It is death. “O that death,” (said a gentleman of large possessions, of good health, and a cheerful natural temper,) “I do not love to think of it! It comes in and spoils all !” So it does indeed. It comes with its “miscreated front,” and spoils all your mirth, diversions, pleasures ! It turns all into the silence of a tomb, into rottenness and dust; and many times it will not stay till the trembling hand of old age beckons to it; but it leaps upon you while you are in the dawn of life, in the bloom and strength of your years. * * * The morning flowers display their swects, And gay their silken leaves unfold, Unmindful of the noon-tide heats, And fearless of the evening cold. Nipp'd by the wind's unkindly blast, Parch'd by the sun's directer ray, The momentary glories waste, The short-lived beauties die away. And where are you then? Does your soul disperse and dissolve into common air Or does it share the fate of its former companion, and moulder into dust? Or does it remain conscious of its own existence, in somc distant, unknown world? It is all unknown A black, dreary, melancholy scene ! Clouds and darkness rest upon it. But the case is far otherwise with a Christian. To him life and immortality are brought to light. His eye pierces through the vale of the shadow of death, and sees into the glories of etermity.