I. The believer’s life.—1. Is originated by Christ. 2. Is sustained by Christ. 3. Is spent to the glory of Christ.
II. The believer’s end.—1. The gain of sorrows escaped. 2. The gain of joys secured.
Lessons.—1. Improve life. 2. Prepare for death.—C. Clayton, M.A.
Vers. 23, 24. Willing to wait, but ready to go.
I. The two desires.—1. To depart and be with Christ. (1) The exodus from this life by dissolution of the body—“to depart.” (2) Christ’s presence the immediate portion of His people, when their life on earth is done—“to be with Christ.”
2. To abide in the flesh.—It is a natural and lawful desire. The love of life—it is not necessary, it is not lawful to destroy it. Let it alone to the last. The way to deal with it is not to tear it violently out, so as to have, or say that you have, no desire to remain; but to get, through the grace of the Spirit, such a blessed hope of Christ’s presence as will gradually balance and at last overbalance the love of life, and make it at the appointed time come easily and gently away.
II. A Christian balanced evenly between these two desires.—“I am in a strait betwixt two.” The desire to be with Christ does not make life unhappy, because it is balanced by the pleasure of working for Christ in the world; the desire to work for Christ in the world does not make the approach of dissolution painful, because it is balanced by the expectation of being soon, of being ever with the Lord.
III. Practical Lessons.—1. This one text is sufficient to destroy the whole fabric of Romish prayer to departed saints. 2. The chief use of a Christian in the world is to do good. 3. You cannot be effectively useful to those who are in need on earth unless you hold by faith and hope to Christ on high. 4. Living hope of going to be with Christ is the only anodyne which has power to neutralise the pain of parting with those dear to us.—W. Arnot.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Verses 27–30.
Exhortation to Christian Bravery.