The Folly of Anxiety About Death
H. W. Beecher. Genesis 48:21-22 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.… What if the leaves were to fall a-weeping, and say, "It will be so painful for us to be pulled from our stalks when autumn comes?" Foolish fear! summer goes, and autumn succeeds. The glory of death is upon the leaves; and the gentle breeze that blows takes them softly and silently from the bough, and they float slowly down like fiery sparks upon the moss. It is hard to die when the time is not ripe. When it is, it will be easy, we need not die while we are living. (H. W. Beecher.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. WEB: Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.