The dirty lane!
Thomas Brooks
“Words of Counsel to a Dear Dying Friend”
“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Look upon your dying day as a gainful day. There is no gain compared to that which comes in by death. A Christian gets more by death, than he does by life. To be in Christ is very good, but to be with Christ is best of all, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!”
Philippians 1:23. It was a mighty blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth, but it was the top of blessings for Paul to be with Christ in Heaven!
Seriously consider these things:
By death you shall gain incomparable crowns!
a crown of life, Revelation 2:10, James 1:12
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
James 1:12
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
a crown of righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
an incorruptible crown, 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
a crown of glory, 1 Peter 5:4
“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
There are no crowns compared to these crowns!
By death you shall gain a glorious kingdom! “It is your Father’s pleasure to give you a kingdom!” We must put off the rags of mortality, that we may put on our robes of glory! There is no entering into paradise, but under the flaming sword of this angel, death, which stands at the gate.
Death is the dirty lane through which the saint passes . . .
to a kingdom,
to a great kingdom,
to a glorious kingdom,
to a peaceful kingdom,
to an unshaken kingdom,
to a lasting kingdom, yes,
to an everlasting kingdom!
Death is the dark, short way, through which the saints pass to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
The dirty lane! Thomas Brooks