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SEAM. X.1
THE
BIDDEN LIFE
OF
A
CHRISTIAN.
Isg
caves
of
darkness, or
rather
in a
den of
savages.
They
must
fellow the
Captain of their salvation through a thou-
sand
dangers
and sufferings; and they shall receive
their
crown
too,
and
a glory like
that
which
arrays their divine
Leader.
O may
I
never
think
it
hard
to
trace
the footsteps
of
my Lord,
though
it
be in
a
miry,
or a thorny
way
!
May
I
never
repine
at
poverty and meanness
of circumstance
in
my
present
pilgrimage
!
nor think it strange
if
the
world
scorn and abuse
me,
or
if
Satan, the foul spirit,
should
assault and
buffet
me
sorely!
Dare
I
hope
to
appear
in
glory,
when
Christ,
who
is
my life,
appears;
and can
I
not bear
to
attend
him
in
his sufferings
and
shame
?
Am
I better than
my
blessed
Lord
?
-What
poor
attendants
had the
Son
of
God,
at
his
first
entrance into
our
world
.
How mean
was
every
thing
that
belonged
to
him on
earth
!
What
vile
and despicable raiment,
unworthy of
the
Prince of
glory
!
What
coarse provision,
and
sorry
furniture,
to
entertain incarnate godhead
!
And
how
impious
was
the
treatment
he
found
among
men,
and
impudent temptations
from the same foul
spi-
rit
!
He
had snares, sorrows,
and temptations, watch-
ing
all
around
him
:
The
sorrows
of death
compassed
him
about, and
the powers
of
darkness crouded
him with
their
envious
assaults; earth and
hell were
at
once
en-
gaged
against
him
;
they hung
him
bleeding
on a
cursed
and
infamous tree, lifted
on high to be
made á
more
public
gazing
stock,
and an object of
wider scorn
!
Blessed
Saviour
!
how
divine
was
thy
patience to
endure
all these indignities,
and not
call
for thy Father's
legions,
nor
thy
Own
thunder.
But,
this
was
the hour
of
thy
appointed
combat,
the
.place
of
thy
voluntary obscurity, and the
season
of
thy
bidden
life
;
and thy saints
must bear
thy
resemblance in
both
worlds.
How Unspeakable were thy
past
sorrows
i
änd
thy
present
glories all
unspeakable!
How infinitely
different
were these
dark and mournful
scenes,
from
the
joys
and honours thou
hast purchased
by
those very
suf-
ferings
!
Sacred
honours
and
joys without
alloy,
which
thou
art
now possessed
of
as
their great forerunner,
and.
hast made ready for thy subjects
in
thy
own
kingdom
!
What
robes
of
light shall
array
thy
followers in
that day:
What
bright planet, or
brighter,
star,
shall
be
the
place'