When Shall We Meet Them?
By Sarah J. Wakeling
Those dear ones, who have fallen asleep in death? Will it be when we lay off this mortal body, and our immortal spirits pass away to Heaven, or the land of spirits? If this is our hope it is a false one; for its foundation is faulty. But when shall we meet them if not at death? Let us listen for a moment to Paul as he is comforting his Thessalonian brethren. "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others, which have no hope." He would not have us ignorant concerning those dear ones, those whom we loved so tenderly who have been torn from our embrace by the cruel hand of death; and he would also comfort those who weep, by pointing them to a hope. Are our friends to lie forever in the deep, dark grave? Ah, no. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him." Are our friends now in Heaven? Shall we look forward to death as the time to meet them there? Again the answer is, No. "For the Lord himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds; to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Then it is to the coming of Jesus we are to look for the reunion of the saints. It is then we shall meet on the fair banks of the beautiful river of life. Then our earthly friendships will be made immortal, and our glad voices unite in singing the songs of Zion. Together we'll tune our golden harps, and cast our crowns at Jesus' feet. Then the glorious music shall resound through Heaven, and the golden arches echo back the mellow notes to ravish our delighted ears. With the Evangelist let us pray, "Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly." Yours, looking for Jesus.
SARAH J. WAKELING.
Merrillsville, St. Clair Co., Mich.