er His
command: This is the principle war in which God would have His people
to be engaged. He would have them strive to suppress every rebellious
thought and feeling which would turn them aside from the path to which
He points. And the consolations are so ample that it may well be said,
we are more than cowards if we give away!

In ancient times vast numbers of people, to obtain a simple crown of
leaves, refused no toil, no pain, no trouble; nay, it even cost them
nothing to die, and yet every one of them fought for a peradventure, not
knowing whether he was to gain or to lose the prize. God holds forth to
us the immortal crown by which we may become partakers of His glory: He
does not mean us to fight at haphazard, but all of us have a promise of
the prize for which we strive. Have we any cause then to decline the
struggle? Do we think it has been said in vain that if we die with Jesus
Christ we shall also live with Him? Our triumph is prepared, and yet we
do all we can to shun the combat.

But it is said that all we teach on this subject is repugnant to human
judgment. I confess it. And hence when our Savior declares, "Blest are
they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake" (Matt, v., 10), He
gives utterance to a sentiment which is not easily received in the
world. On the contrary, He wishes to account that as happiness which in
the judgment of sense is misery. We seem to ourselves miserable when
God leaves us to be trampled upon by the tyranny and cruelty of our
enemies; but the error is that we look not to the promises of God, which
assure us that all will turn to our good. We are cast down when we see
the wicked stronger than we, and planting their foot on our throat; but
such confusion should rather, as St. Paul says, cause us to lift up our
heads. Seeing we are too much disposed to amuse ourselves with present
objects, God in permitting the good to be maltreated, and the wicked to
have sway, shows by evident tokens that a day is coming on which all
that is now in confusion will be reduced to order. If the period seems
distant, let us run to the remedy, and not flatter ourselves in our sin;
for it is certain that we have no faith if we can not carry our views
forward to the coming of Jesus Christ.

To leave no means which may be fitted to stimulate us unemployed, God
sets before us promises on the one hand and threatenings on the other.
Do we feel that the promises have not sufficient influence, let us
st