Devour me, devour me! – Thomas Brooks

Assurance will sweeten the thoughts of death and all the aches, pains, weaknesses, sicknesses, and diseases which are the forerunners of death; yes, it will make a man look and long for death.

Nazianzen said to the king of terrors, “Devour me, devour me! Death cures all diseases, the aching head, and the unbelieving heart!”

Assurance makes a man smile upon the king of terrors. The assured soul knows that death shall be the funeral of . . .
all his sins,
all his sorrows,
all his afflictions,
all his temptations.

He knows that death shall be the resurrection of his joys. He knows that death is both an outlet and an inlet; an outlet to sin; and an inlet to the soul’s clear, full, and constant enjoyment of God! And this makes the assured soul to sing it sweetly out, “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!” “Make haste, my beloved.” “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!”

Now death is more desirable than life. Now says the soul, “let him fear death, who is averse to go to Christ.”

The Persians had a certain day in the year, in which they used to kill all serpents and venomous creatures. The assured Christian knows that the day of death will be such a day to him and that makes death lovely and desirable. He knows that sin was the midwife which brought death into the world; and that death shall be the grave to bury sin. And therefore death is not a terror but a delight unto him. He fears it not as an enemy but welcomes it as a friend.