The Soul Longs for Some Great and Lasting Bliss. (Pasche)

"What Is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Matt. 16:26.

The soul said to the body, “We must surely part, and now let us reckon together.” “ Let us reckon, sister,” said the body. “ You,” said the soul, “have been active in labor and toil, early and late, and have gathered much gold. Will you keep it with you, or shall I take it with me?” “Alas!” said the body, “how can I take it and carry it with me in the darkness and dust and corruption of death? What will it profit me there?” “No,” said the soul, “but how can I carry it where earth and earthly things are not permitted to enter? And, after all, it is but yellow earth.” “And it will soon be neither mine nor thine,” said the body sorrowfully. “ Our reck­oning is not over,” said the soul. “How are we to meet again? Will it be in sorrow or in joy ? You have never allowed me to look heavenward, but robbed me of my freedom and used all my powers to help you to get gold; but I have a longing for something greater, for an everlasting bliss, for eternal joy. Gold cannot satisfy me.”

Yes, as the wanderer of the desert longeth for water to make him happy, so the soul of man longs for some great and lasting bliss. Where, then, is this bliss, this greatest of boons, to be found ? Scripture tells us that God is the Fountain of Life that alone can satisfy the thirsty soul. But most men despise this gracious Foun­tain of living water. Yea, thousands of people, many so-called Christians also, if they had to choose between God and gold, would unhesitatingly choose the latter. 

But what are all those things that money can do or procure? Do they really make a person happy and content? Can they bring peace to the sinful heart of man? Can they give to the soul that perfect satisfaction which it craves for? No, money and all that it can procure will vanish in the end. It vanishes from man when he is leaving this world. And then what ? A h ! the immortal soul longs for something more than gold; it longs for some great and lasting bliss. That man is still to be found whose soul has attained perfect happiness from earthly pos­ sessions. For what would a man profit though he were the richest heir on earth, but not an heir of the kingdom of God?

Prayer.

O Thou faithful God, my soul longeth for Thee and thirsteth for the Fountain of Life. I humbly beseech Thee in the name of Jesus Christ to turn to me in mercy all the days of my life, to par­ don mine iniquity, to comfort me by Thy grace, to strengthen me by Thy power, to guide me by Thy Holy Spirit, that I may live according to Thy will. I commend my body and soul into Thy hands. Amen.