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34
HOLY
FORTITUDE,
[sERn1.
xxxtt,
while you
stand approved of God. Infamy amongst
men
is
but
a trifling evil
if compared
with praise,
honour
and,
glory among the saints before the throne,
and
the
.ap-
plause of.Jesus
and
his
angels
at
the
last great
day.
You are
frighted
with the hideous
appearance
of
po-
verty, because
scorn,
attends
it
as well
as
want. But our
blessed
Lord
had
not
where
to lay his
head;
he was fed
by
the
bounty of kind
friends
and
pious: women, who
ministred
to
hirn
of their substance.
The great
and
the
wise,
the
rich
and
the learned of
that
day,
made
him
their
mockery
:
The
very finger
of
scorn pointed at
him
in the
streets:
And
why
should the disciple think it
ne-
cessary
that
he
should
be
above
his
Lord
?
You
may
be
"
poor
in this world,
and
at
the same time rich in faith,
and
heirs
of
the kingdom,"
James
ii.
5."
You are afraid of
sickness
and pains
of
the
flesh,
and
your
life
becomes a
burthen
to
you,
by
reason
of
your
constant
dread of
some
infectious distempers. You
shift
your
dwellings, you
hide yourself
at
home,
and yet
you
enjoy no peace. Suppose the distemper should
seize
you,
has
not
sickness often
brought your
soul
nearer
to
God
?
And
if
your outward
man
has
decayed,
your
in-
ward man and
your
best
interest
have
had
a
rich
advance-
ment
thereby.
You are terrified
at
the threatenings of bloody men.
It
must
be
granted,
that
flesh
has a
strong empire
over the
soul, where
dangers
of torment
and death appear.
But
suppose
men
of
violence kill the body, then you
will
be
dismissed
at
once from all
their
fury,
and
from
your
own
fears.
Their terror cannot
reach beyond
the
grave;
that
is
a
safe
and peaceful
hiding place.
But perhaps
you
are frighted
at
the thoughts
of
dying,
even in the common
way
of
nature:
It
may
be,
the
king
of
terrors
dresses
himself
in
formidable
airs,
and
shakes
your
very
frame:
But
would you
live
here
on
earth
for ever?
A
christian
who
has hopes
and
interests,
and
possessions
beyond the
regions of
time and
sense,
should not
be
afraid
to
enter upon
them. Remember
that
death. itself, even in its
most formidable
appearance,
is
ordained
of God
to open the
door of
heaven
for
you,
and let your
souls
into the
joy
of
eternal
life
:
The
grace
of
your Redeemer,
and the epistle
of
St.
Paul, join
to
teachyouthissòng,
"
O
death,
where
is
thy sting
?
And
O grave,
where
is
thy victory
?
"
1
Cor.
xv.
.55.