1559. Millions Now Living Who Must Surely Die–They Must Die Physically

Millions Now Living Who Must Surely Die–They Must Die Physically

"It is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb_9:27).

God had said unto Adam, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Gen_2:17). This curse brought death–the mark of decay, disease, and death, began at once to work in the body. From the day of Adam, mother earth has become one great graveyard.

When we read the 5th chapter of Genesis, we feel that we are reading the epitaphs upon the tombstones of a great and growing cemetery.

"Adam lived, * * and he died."

"Seth lived, * * and he died."

"Enos lived, * * and he died."

"Cainan lived, * * and he died."

"Mahalaleel lived, * * and he died."

"Jared lived, * * and he died."

Then comes a break,–

"Enoch lived, * * and he was not for God took him."

Then the story continues:

"Methuselah lived, * * and he died."

etc., etc., etc.

This is the story of the race–"he lived and he died," and this story will continue until, one day, a generation of saints will be caught up, raptured to meet Christ in the air. Then the tribulation, typed by the flood of Genesis 6, will come on, and, "he lived and he died will once more be the story.

On a tombstone in an old cemetery, we read these words:

"Remember this as you pass by,

As you are now so once was I;

As I am now, so you will be,

Prepare your steps to follow me."

The words of the epitaph are most gruesome, and yet every man out of Christ can read them and know they will be true of him.

Death has no favorites, there is no discharge in its law. Let every man face the issue, every man who knows not God. A few years hence and he must, say "farewell," and pass out into night.

The story of the death of the man who lived under the sun is told for us in Ecclesiastes 12. We see him first as age draws nigh; the time has come when the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened, and the cloud returns after the rain. The old man as he walks along realizes that the day has come, "When the keepers of the house shall tremble"–his limbs are shaky and unsteady.

"The strong men shall bow themselves"–the back is bent and the head is bowed.

"And the grinders cease because they are few"–the teeth which masticate the food are few and far apart.

"And those that look out of the windows be darkened"–the eyes are dimmed, the sight is waning.

"And the doors shall be shut in the street"–no more glib, boyish chatter.

"When the sound of the grinding is low"–the food is poorly masticated.

"And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird"–sleep refuses to keep him in bed.

"And all the daughters of musick shall be brought low"–he cares nothing for the follies of his youth.

"Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way"–the thoughtless audacity of youth, with its daring, has gone.

"And the almond tree shall flourish"–the hair is gray.

"And the grasshopper shall be a burden"–the sports and rompings of childhood no longer attract.

"And desire shall fail"–the love of the things down here and the cries of the flesh will cease.

Then, what a picture follows, because this man under the sun is going to his long home; the mourners are going about the streets, the silver cord is loosed, the golden bowl is broken; the pitcher is broken at the fountain, the wheel at the cistern; then, the dust returns to the earth as it was.

Let the man of the world as he reads this story of death remember that unless he comes to Christ, this story must be his story, one of these long days.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR