1 Chronicles 29:26-30

It is no small beauty in my apprehension of the history of David, by way of marking the greatness of the man, that the humbleness of his beginning is again noticed at the close of his life, that he was the son of Jesse. The sum total of every man's life is in this instance like David's, that he lived so long, and died so distinguished. But Reader! mark what the Holy Ghost saith on this point. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord! O! precious Jesus! be this my portion, and then all the appendages of death in earthly greatness, or all the wants of life in earthly poverty, will be nothing. To live will be Christ, and to die will be gain. Revelation 14:13; Philippians 1:21.