To Die Fighting

Sometimes God letteth his people alone till their latter days, and their season of fighti7tg cometh not till they are ready to go out of the world, that they may die fighting and be crowjted in the field. But first or last the cross cometh, and there is a time to exercise our faith and patience before we inherit the promises.

It has been observed that many of those who begin their spiritual career with severe mental conflicts are afterwards filled with peace, and are left unmolested for years. Others have their battle in middle-Ufe, and find the heat of their noontide sun to be their severest trial; while a third class suffer, as our author tells us, at the very close of their pilgrimage. No rule can be laid down as to the varied experiences of the saints; but we suspect that few make the voyage to heaven over a perpetually glassy sea; the vast majority, at some time or other, are ‘’tossed with tempest and not comforted.”

What if we also must die fighting? We shall fall amid the shouts of victory. How surprising will heaven be to us! One moment almost wrecked, and the next in “the Fair Havens.” Wrestling one moment, and resting the next with the crown about our brows! “At eventide it shall be light.”