Death Culminates God's Designs for Saints

T. Spurgeon.

Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

The death of His saints is the climax and culmination of all God's works on their behalf; therefore does He rejoice in it. As fathers welcome home their boys and girls when holiday-time arrives — as the shepherd looks with joy upon the sheep gathered in the fold, and welcomes the late-comer with special gladness — as they who stand upon the pier look on with pleasure when the sails are furled and the anchor dropped and the voyage over — as the husbandman gazes with delight upon the sheaves ingathered, and hears with delight the cries of harvest home, — so does our Father stand with rapture at His gate to welcome home the children for their eternal holiday; so does our Shepherd gather to His side in heaven the sheep for whom He bled; so do the heavenly watchers on the quays in glory look with glistening eyes upon those who have an abundant entrance into the kingdom of His dear Son, like ships that have sailed from far, and weathered many a storm, arriving safely in the harbour with their precious freight; so does the Lord God, the Husbandman of our souls, look on with great delight when shocks of corn that are fully ripe fall beneath the sickle and are gathered into His garner. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints," for it is the fulfilment of all God's designs of life; and, when the topstones are brought on with shouting, they shall pass from sonnets of His grace to singing of His glory, which He has made to be theirs as well.

(T. Spurgeon.)