Chap: 11.1 LIFE UPON EARTIT. 177 beengrievous, and death more terrible. I may say, " I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Unless this promised rest " had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. One thing have I desired of the Lord ; that will I:seek after ; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in 'the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his taber- nacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy ; I will sing, year I will sing praises unto the Lord." All sufferings are nothing to us, so far as we have these supporting joys. When persecution and fear hath shut the doors, Christ can come in, and stand in the midst, and say to his disciples, " Peace be untoyou." Paul and Silas can be in heaven, even when they are thrust into the inner prison, their bodies scourgedwith " many stripes, and their feet fast in the stocks." The martyrs find more rest in their flames, than their persecutors in their pomp and tyranny ; because they foresee the flames they escape, and thé rest which their fiery chariot is conveying them to. If the Son of God will walk with us, we are safe in the midst of those flames, which shall devour them that cast us in. Abraham went out of his country, not knowing whither he went; because he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; be- cause he had respect unto the recompense of reward. He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; because he endured as seeing Himwho is invisible. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Even Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and isset down at the right hand of the throneof God. This is the noble advantage of faith; it can look on the means and end together. This is the great reason of our impatience, and censuring of God, because we gaze on the evil itself, but fix not our thoughts on what is beyond it. They that saw Christ only on the Bross, or in thegrave, do shake their heads, and think him 8*
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