Life After Death

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twice; Christians, but once. Questioned the
psalmist, “What man can live and not see death?”
(Psalm 89:48). Said Job, “For I know that You will
bring me to death, and to the house appointed
for all living” (Job 30:23). The death rate in the
United States is more than a million a year; in
China, a million a month, it is said.
The “man with the sickle” gets around to all
of us, because “no one has power in the day of
death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8).
“Ten thousand human beings set forth together
on their journey. After ten years,
one third at least have disappeared. At the
middle point of the common measure of life
but half still upon the road. Fast and faster
the ranks grow thinner. They that remained
till now become weary and lie down to rise
no more. At threescore and ten a band of
four hundred struggles on. At ninety, these
have been reduced to a handful of trembling
patriarchs.… One lingers, perhaps, a lonely
marvel till the century is over. We look
again and the work of death is finished”
—Burgess
Life After Death Text.indd 2
5/26/11 1:26 PM