his duty. All
true faith has in it an element of venture, and in Livingstone's faith
this element was strong. Trusting God, he could expose to venture even
the health, comfort, and welfare of his wife and children. He was
convinced that it was his duty to go forth with them and seek a new
station for the Gospel in Sebituane's country. If this was true, God
would take care of them, and it was "better to trust in the Lord than to
put confidence in man." People thoughtlessly accused him of making light
of the interests of his family. No man suffered keener pangs from the
course he had to follow concerning them, and no man pondered more deeply
what duty to them required.

But to do all this, Livingstone must have had a very clear perception of
the course of duty. This is true. But how did he get this? First, his
singleness of heart, so to speak, attracted the light: "If thine eye be
single, thy whole body shall be full of light." Then, he was very clear
and very minute in his prayers. Further, he was most careful to scan all
the providential indications that might throw light on the Divine will.
And when he had been carried so far on in the line of duty, he had a
strong presumption that the line would be continued, and that he would
not be called to turn back. It was in front, not in rear, that he
expected to find the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. In course
of time, this hardened into a strong instinctive habit, which almost
dispensed with the process of reasoning.

In Dean Stanley's _Sinai and Palestine_ allusion is made to a kindred
experience,--that which bore Abraham from Chaldea, Moses from Egypt, and
the greater part of the tribes from the comfortable pastures of Gilead
and Bashan to the rugged hill-country of Judah and Ephraim.
Notwithstanding all the attractions of the richer countries, they were
borne onward and forward, not knowing whither they went; instinctively
feeling that they were fulfilling the high purposes to which they were
called. In the later part of Livingstone's life, the necessity of going
forward to the close of the career that had opened for him seemed to
settle the whole question of duty.

But at this earlier stage, he had been conscientiously scrutinizing all
that had any bearing on that question; and now that he finds himself
close to his home, and can thank God for the safe confinement of his
wife, and the health of the new-born child, he gathers together all the
providences that