Psalms 21:4

He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest him a long life, even forever and ever.

Religion a life

In Christ these words are true of all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, as they are supremely true of Him who is the fountain of life. “He asked life of Thee.” Is thin true of us? That depends upon what meaning we attach to the petition, “asking life.” What we should ask for is life given to God here, in the hope of life to be received from God hereafter. We may put out of all hope of this life eternal all who openly reject it. It is the heart given to God which God requires. Religion may only too easily be in any man like the clothes which he so regularly takes off at night and puts on in the morning. It must be the life, the heart, the will, the whole inner man given to God here, through faith and hope of that eternal life which He will bestow upon His true people in the world beyond the grave. Our life in this world must be, as far as we can make it, a resemblance of His pure and blessed life while He was on earth, the perfect example of what every man ought to be who is made in the image and likeness of God. What He was perfectly and altogether, that we must be in part. Then shall we have life from His life. Do not suppose that any Christian can obtain that life without communion with Christ. It is as we live in and for Christ in this world that we shall find life--life from Him here, life with Him hereafter. (W. J. Stracey, M. A.)

Life and life eternal

There is an evident distinction drawn here between what we may term natural life and eternal life; between that life which we are now living outwardly in the flesh, and that life which is of inward consciousness, of spiritual experience. No one would contend that by “life eternal” is meant the indefinite extension and prolonging of this present mode of existence. The very term or condition “eternal” precludes the idea of transitoriness and uncertainty. In what does the distinction between life and life eternal consist? The origin of life is, in a philosophic point of view, involved in inscrutable mystery. Life is that invisible, inscrutable, mysterious, subtle essence which not only animates solid matter, but from the moment of our birth to the day of our death is definitely apportioned us by God. We have each one of us a life rent of this world, and no more. And this life is very dear to us. It is very precious, because of its fond affections, close friendships, many interests, enjoyments, opportunities, and, to some minds, certainties. Say what men will of life in their more sad and desponding moods, we do cling tenaciously to life. The passion for life is the strongest of all our instincts. To ask to die is unnatural. Physical death is not the punishment of sin. The death to which Adam was sentenced was banishment from the presence of God. Viewing life as it really is, immortality here on earth, and an immortality of this life present, would be a curse and not a boon. What, then, is “life eternal,” and how is it to be obtained? It is that hidden, inward, spiritual reality which, as in the ease of natural life, finds its best definition in the language of Scripture--“This is life eternal, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” Eternal life is to believe in Jesus, and that eternal life is given us as soon as we do believe. Eternal life is the gift of God in Christ, given for the asking, as much, as truly, as consciously, as natural life is given or restored. It comes by faith, and that faith is a spiritual gift. I do not know that language can describe what eternal life is, any more than it can define natural life. In either case it is a matter of vivid consciousness, not of verbal definition or analysis. But eternal life is of present experience. “He that hath the Son hath life.” There is a present pardon of sin, a present sense of forgiveness, a present joy and peace in believing. Possessed of this eternal life, enjoyed as it may be together with your natural life, it will sweeten its bitter waters with its own healing. It will ennoble, it will sanctify. It will make a life consecrated to God. (Francis Pigou, M. A.)

The Gospel promise of long life

Though it be true that every man is fond of life, yet it is certain that very few appear much concerned about life eternal. The covetous man will not give, though it be but a small portion of what he has, to make his chance better of coaling to everlasting life. Persons thus fond of life would have their expectations raised very high by the beginning of the promise in the text. “Thou gavest him a long life.” But when these persons discovered that the promised life was eternal they would feel disappointed. This sort of message would, indeed, be disappointing to most people; and yet this would be only granting them what they asked, life, in much greater perfection and excellency than they asked for it. Men have got such a liking for the pleasures and profits of this bad world that, without them, the thought even of eternal happiness seems dull and tiresome. How many are there among ourselves who, if they should speak the truth, must needs confess that they care more for the shadows of enjoyment on earth than for the substance of it in heaven! No man in good earnest cares for heaven--has any taste or desire for it--except so far as he has a taste for devotion, and can delight in the thought that he is with God, and God with him. Now, this is what no one can do whose heart is set upon either such pleasure or such profit as are to be had on this side the grave. (Plain Sermons by Contributors to “Tracts for the Times. ”)

Future life.

When Carlyle and Tennyson were once together “the talk turned upon the immortality of the soul, and Carlyle said, ‘Eh, old Jewish rags; you must clear your mind of all that,’ and likened man’s sojourn on earth to a traveller’s rest at an inn; whereupon Tennyson rejoined that the traveller knew whither he was bound and where he would sleep on the night following.” The future life was a most interesting and most firmly held article of faith with Tennyson. (Christian Commonwealth.)