FAMILY ALTAR - F.W. Herzberger (1922(
"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father,
into Thy hands I commend My spirit ; and having said thus, He
gave up the ghost." Luke 23, Jjf.6.
With a loud voice our Savior bows His thorn-crowned head
and dies upon the cross. But dying for Him is not compulsory.
He does not die because He has to die, but because He wants
to die. His death is a free act of His great love, as He declares,
John 10, 18 : "No man taketh My life from Me, but I lay it down
of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father."
He does not think of His poor, wound-torn body. Of that He
knows what is written, Ps. 16, 9. 10 : "Therefore My heart is glad
and My glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall rest in hope. For
Thou wilt not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." But His
soul He commends for the time being into the hands of His heav-
enly Father, at whose omnipotent right hand He shall soon sit,
and live, and reign through all eternity. In His death He secures
for us the victory over death; for He goes into death to abolish
death and to bring life and immortality to light. Now we can
look up to Him in our last hour and pray with David: "Into
Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord
God of truth." Ps. 31, 5.) So John Hus prayed while being
burned at the stake, and Luther made it his dying prayer, and
countless believing souls of all ranks and conditions in life have
fallen peacefully asleep with these trustful words on their dying lips.
Let us give ourselves in grateful faith and love to our redeeming
Lord in life, then we can also make this victorious prayer ours
in death.
Thanks from my heart I offer
Thee, Jesus, dearest Friend,
For all that Thou didst suffer;
My good didst Thou intend.
Ah! grant that I may ever
To Thy truth faithful be;
When soul and body sever,
May I be found in Thee!
When hence I must betake me,
Lord, do not Thou depart
O nevermore forsake me
When death is at my heart!
When soul and body languish,
0 lefave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish,
By virtue of Thine own!
Be Thou my Consolation
And Shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy Passion,
W'hen my last hour draws nigh.
My eyes shall then behold Thee,
Upon Thy cross shall dwell,
\lv heart by faith enfold Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well!
