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Death!
Spurgeon, "Christ with the Keys of Death and
Hell"
"I have the keys of hell and of death." Rev.
1:18.
All the issues of death are at Christ's
disposal.
No man can die unless Jesus opens the mystic
door of death. It is our consolation that
our death
is entirely in his hands. In the midst of fever and
pestilence, we shall never die until he wills it.
In the times of the greatest healthiness, when all
the air is balmy, we shall not live a second longer
than Jesus has purposed; the place, the circumstance,
the exact second of our departure, have all been
appointed by him, and settled long ago in love and wisdom.
A thousand angels could not hurl us to the grave,
nor could a host of cherubim confine us there one
moment after Jesus says, "Arise."
This is our comfort. We are "immortal until our
work is done;" mortal still, but immortal also.
Let us never fear death, then, but rather
rejoice at the approach of it, since it comes
at our dear Bridegroom's bidding!
Christ has the key of death, and therefore
death to us is no longer a gate of terror.
"Fear not" may be specially applied to the matter
of the grave. We need not fear to die, because
Jesus has the key of the grave. We shall never
pass through that iron gate with an angel to be
our conductor, or some grim executioner to lead
us into a dreary place of hideous imprisonment.
No, Jesus shall come to our dying bed, in all the
glory of his supernal splendor, and shall say,
"Come with me my spouse, for the day
breaks, and the shadows flee away."
The sight of Jesus, as he thrusts in the key and
opens that gate of death, shall make you
forget
the supposed terrors of the grave, for they are
but suppositions, and you shall find it sweet to die.
Since Jesus has the sepulcher's key,
never fear it again, never fear it again.
Depend upon it, your dying hour will be the best
hour you have ever known! Your last moment
will be your richest moment, better than the day
of your birth will be the day of your death.
It shall be the beginning of heaven, the rising
of a sun that shall go no more down forever!
Let the fear of death be banished
from you by faith in a living Savior.
"I have the keys of hell and of death."
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