i)ISC, Init.] FAITH IN ITS LOWEST DEGREES. 235 all his glories with a sacred pleasure ; and lift up our eyes towards him with humble confidence, in prayer or in praise; for we behold him as God reconciled, and a Father, since we have seen Jesus the Mediator and trusted in his name. 5. With what surprize and overwhelming fear did we once behold approaching afflictions, when we were with- out God, without Christ, and. without hope But now vve can look upon sufferings and sorrows without being overwhelmed by them ; we can look upon the huge swel- ling waves without painful apprehensions, and s e the' floods rise high without fear of being drowned ; for wo. have seen Jesus as it were walking on the water; and we have heard' him saying, It is. I, be not afraid. We can look to him when we are afar off from our friends, even in the ends of the earth, and find light in darkness, and ;relief in the midst of our distresses. 6. How formidable once was the face of death: No pencil can describe the monster so hideous to the sense, as he appeared constantly toour awakened souls, before we had seen Christ. What horror did our spirits feel, and our flesh shuddered at the thought of his approach ! How frightfully, and yet how justly, did our guilty fancy paint him, and all his attendants, in their terrible array ! But the saint looks on death now as a harmless thing, for , hehas seen Jesus disarm him ; "Christ has abolished sin, and taken away the sting from death. The lively chris- tian can look on it as a friend, or rather as a slave sub- dued to the service of his Lord, sent on a glorious mes- sage, to fetch him to dwell where his blessed Lord is. They shall " be where I am, to behold my glory ;" John xvii. 24. 7. The man who has seen Jesus with an eye of faith, can look to the last great tribunal without terror ; for he knows and is acquainted with Christ the judge : He has seen him, and trusted all the important concerns of that day into his hands. I kno-w, saith the christian, whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep all thatI have committed tohim unto that day ;" 2 Tiny. i. 12. Therefore he can see the judgement-seat; and the books opened, without dismay or fearful expectation ; for he has seen Jesus cross out all his sins with the blood of his sacrifice : Christ has cancelled them for ever from the great register of heaven, the book of divine remem-
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