. I Am Dying, James Smith, Joseph's Dying Words, 1860. The words of the dying are often striking and impressive. We remember them and derive benefit from them. This has always been the case, especially with the saints of God. The words of the Patriarch Joseph to his brethren when he was dying are so peaceful, so prophetic, so encouraging, that I feel inclined to meditate on them a little.

His son was going down in a calm clear sky. All behind was mercy, all before was glory. His brethren are gathered around him to see him depart. And he said, I am dying, but God shall surely visit you and bring you out of this land unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Genesis 50, 24.

I am dying. Death is always solemn, it generally awakens painful reflections, it is often attended with the sweetest joys. I am dying, that is, I am about to leave the wilderness for the promised land, the strange country for my pleasant home, the field of conflict for the abode of peace. I am dying, that is, I will soon heave my last sigh, utter my last groan, feel my last pain, taste the cup of sorrow for the last time.

I am dying, that is, I am about to depart to be with Christ, to enjoy the glorious presence of God, and to be one with all the glorified for ever. I am dying, that is, I will soon bid an eternal farewell to all my doubts and fears, to all my sins and sorrows, to all my foes and follies, and enter into peace, safety, and perfect holiness.

To me, as a believer in Jesus, Death has no sting. The grave has no terrors. Eternity awakens no alarms. My sins are pardoned for His namesake. My soul is justified by His blood, and my person is in eternal union with His. To die is gain. To die is to be perfectly holy and happy. To die is simply to go home to my Father's house, to inherit and inhabit the place that Jesus has prepared for me.

I am dying. Shall I regret it? Shall I dread it? Oh no! May the Lord give me grace to hail my dying day with pleasure, and to rejoice in the thought of being absent from the body and present with the Lord.