If Christ had not suffered, and died, and been buried for us, we should have no comfort when we come to die. The thought of having to lie down in the grave would have been terrible to us. But Jesus died and laid in the grave for us, on purpose that we might not be afraid to die. It is true as the hymn says, that: “The graves of all his saints he blest When in the grave he lay.” David had learned this lesson, by faith in the promised Saviour, long before he came to earth, and it was this that enabled him to say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Ps. 23:4. And the apostle Paul had learned the same lesson, when he exclaimed so joyfully, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I. Cor. xv: 55, 57. Good Dr. Muhlenberg put this lesson very sweetly into a single verse of his beautiful hymn, when he said: “I would not live alway; no; welcome the tomb, Since Jesus hath lain there I dread not its gloom. There sweet be my rest, till he bid me arise, To hail him in triumph descending the skies.” The sweet Scottish poet Bonar had learned this lesson well, and was feeling the comfort which the thought of Christ’s burial gives when he could think of dying and lying in the grave, and speak about it in these words: “I go to life and not to death; From darkness to life’s native sky; I go from sickness and from pain To health and immortality. “Let our farewell, then, be tearless, Since I bid farewell to tears; Write this day of my departure Festive in your coming years. “I go from poverty to wealth, From rags to raiment angel-fair, From the pale leanness of this flesh To beauty such as saints shall wear. “I go from chains to liberty, These fetters will be broken soon; Forth over Eden’s fragrant fields I’ll walk beneath a glorious noon. “For toil there comes the crowned rest; Instead of burdens, eagles’ wings; And I, even I, this life-long thirst Shall quench at everlasting springs.” We see the true effect of Christ’s burial in the feeling of comfort which those who believe in him experience when they come to die. Here are some examples of what I mean. When Dr. Watts was on his death-bed, he said, “I bless God that I can lie down at night without the slightest fear whether I wake in this world or another.” Another good minister, when asked how he felt at the approach of death, said,—“I am just going into eternity; but I bless God, I am neither ashamed to live, nor afraid to die.”