"Trust no future, howe'er pleasant,
Let the dead past bury its dead;
Act, act in the living present,
Heart within and God o'erhead."
III. Enthusiasm for Christ in Church-life.
"Come, labour on,
No time for rest till glows the western sky,
While the long shadows o'er our pathway lie,
And a glad sound comes with the setting sun,
Servants, well done!"
—J. M. Forson.
The Christian’s estimate of living and dying.
I. The Christian’s estimate of living should be a life in Christ.—1. A life of which Christ is the Source. 2. A life of which Christ is the Sustainer. 3. A life of which Christ is the Sphere.
II. The Christian’s estimate of living should be a life for Christ.—1. A life spent in labouring for Him alone. 2. A life of continued suffering for Him. 3. A life of daring everything for Him.
III. The Christian’s estimate of dying should be that it is gain.—1. Because death leads to closer and more uninterrupted union with Christ. 2. Because death lands the true believer in absolute security.
Lessons.—1. In some sense the utterance of the apostle is true of every Christian. 2. In its full sense it is only true of preeminent Christians. 3. The more it is true of any, the happier and more useful Christians they are.—Homiletic Quarterly.
The Believer’s Portion in both Worlds.