247 / 652
DISC.
IX.)1
.
FAITH
BUILT
ON
KNOWLEDGE.
237
for
the
sake
of
the
gospel.
He
had
death
in
a near
view,
and
was
preparing for the bloody stroke.
For
in
the
sixth verse
of
the
last
,chapter
he
says,
I
am
now
ready
to
be
.
ofered,
and,
the
time
of
my
departure
is
at
hand
;.
I
have
fought
the goodfight,
and
my
course
is
finished.
.,But
he seems to
assure himself upon the words
of
my
text, and grows
bold upon
this
foundation
of
solid
com
fort
:
As
though
he
should
say,
" None of
these
things
"
move
me,
nor
am
I
afraid
to die
;
for
I
shall
not
be
"
lost: I
suffer; but
am
not
ashamed
:
I
know
whoni
" I
have
trusted
to
take
care
of
me
in
death,
and
all
be-
"
yond
it;
even to
the
great
day
of retribution."
It
is
pleasing and glorious
to see
this
apostle, this
little
mean
figure
of
a
man, whose
presence
and
whose
speech
were
both
contemptible:
e
Cor.
x. 10.
to see how
he
builds upon this hope,
and
assumes divine
courage
in
the
midst of pain and
shame, in the very face
of scandal
and martyrdom.
"
Let
me
die
out of
this
world,
though
"
with infamy, violence, and
blood
;
but
I
have
been
"
told
of
life,
and
joys,
and
honours, in
the
world
to
"
come
:
and
that
with such evidence,
as
to
constrain
"
my
belief:
And
I
know whom
I
have believed.
Let
"
my
barbarous executioner
and the
sword
rob
me
of
"
the
short remains
of
this
'present
life
;
but-I
have
"
committed
my
soul,
and
all
my
infinite concerns,
for
"
a long hereafter, into the hands
of
an almighty
and
a
"
sure Friend,
and
I
am
persuaded
he
is
able
to
keep.
"
what
Ilrave
committed
to hint
against
that
day."
This
is
the
language
of
a lively
hope,
and
these
are
the
words
that
have
administered
constant support
to ,many
dying christians.
Now
that
such a hope may
appear
to
be rationally
built upon
this
text, and
that our
present
meditations
and discourse
may
proceed
with
more regu-
larity
and profit,
I
must
briefly
explain the words.
The chief
things
that
want
any explicatiop are these
four:
I. Who
is
this
great
Friend
of
St.
Paul's
whom he
has
known and believed.
II.
What
he means
by
believing.
III.
What it
is
he
has
committed into
the
hands
of
this friend.
IV. What
is
that
day,
or period
of
time,
when
he
expected
to find all safe which
the
had
thus
intrusted
him
with.