“By death the true believer is brought to the possession of all those heavenly riches, honors, and glorious pleasures that were laid up by Christ for him. Being thus made gloriously beautiful, with perfect holiness, he is embraced in the arms of his glorified Redeemer and he is conducted to the infinite treasure that was laid up for him.
He has his crown of glory placed on his head and he is led to the rivers of pleasure that flow at God’s right hand. He is set down at the eternal banquet of heaven and he is eternally entertained in the heavenly music of God’s praises that are sung by choirs of angels above, resting forever in the arms of a glorious Christ, forever delighted in his sweet embraces.
‘Tis this, and no less than this, that death brings the true Christian to: this is the gain of dying, this is instead of those worthless, miserable, wretched, dull, earthly vanities which he left behind. No less than this is the gain of a Christian’s death.”
–Jonathan Edwards, “Dying to Gain” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 10: Sermons and Discourses, 1720-1723 (The Works of Jonathan Edwards Series) Ed. Wilson H. Kimnach (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992), 586-587. Edwards was 19 years old when he preached this sermon.
