War > Traveller, or, Meditations on various subjects

THE TRAVELLER.
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New, faints and finners are like the inhabitants of the
world, fome dwelling in a mild, fome in a fcorching
climate. O miferable condition of the wicked, who change
from ill to worfe, till their mifery can admit almoft of
no increafe, but in the eternity of it! Here his anger
fcorches, and hereafter his wrath confumes them. O 1
who knows the power of his wrath ? Now they can put
up with their cafe through flupidity, though they know
no inward folid comfort; but how will they hand when
oceans of boiling vengeance will roll over them for ever ?
W’hen they fliall be fet under the burning beams of
inexorable juftice, and fiery indignation ? Our fun, even
at his furface or centre, is mild compared to his difplea-
fure who kindled that fun, and fet it in the firmament.
Juft now my head is pained with the beating of the
fun-beams, and all my members lifelefs; every pore pours
out myftrength, and every fibre of my tongue pants for the
cold fpring; but there a rock prefents itfelf, whofe friend¬
ly height takes off the fcorching beams, and hides me from
the heat.—Now that I am arrived, how refreftiful to
ftand in the fhadow here, while all’is parched and fcorched
around me. So, and vaftly more, defifable is Chrift to the
foul that is fcorched with Sinai’s fiery flames, and ftands
panting under the burning wrath of an offended God. The
God-man “ is an hiding-place from the wind, a covert from
the tempeft, as rivers of waters in a dry place, and the
(hadow of a great rock” which neither melts before the
heat, nor traiifmits it on the fainting pilgrim, “ in a weary
land.” My body is fenfible of this covert from the
heat; may my foul be as fenfible of thy diviner (hadow !
Some rocks are parched with drought, but the Hod of
ages has the fountain of falvation flowing from him. I
O 2 muff