lions, and, above all, that " roaring lion, the devil, seeking to devour us," they are all either chained, that they cannot reach us, or restrained, that they cannot hurt usB. Though there- fore " the redeemed" appear an easy prey to their enemies, they walk at large without any anxious fear. By faith " they see horses of fire and chariots of fire round about themh;" and they know that " they could have legions of angels sent them1" at their request, if they stood in need of their protection. They are sensible indeed of the number, the power, and the malice of their enemies ; but as persons travelling through places infested by wild beasts make a fire round them and are se- cure, so they feel themselves secure, because " God himself is a wall of fire round about them, and their glory in the midst of them VI
Such is the way to Zion : and O that God by his Holy Spirit may draw us, whilst we declare,
II. The happiness of those who journey in it !
" Happy indeed art thou, O Israel, O people saved by the Lord1:" thrice happy they who walk in his ways! Inexpressibly happy are they,
1. Throughout all their journey —
[Did Israel, when redeemed from Egypt, sing praises to their Godm? Much more do they who are redeemed from death and hell : as soon as ever they are " brought out of the horrible pit, and have set their feet upon the King's highway, there is a new song put into their mouth, even praise unto our Godn." It is true they are represented by the prophet, even " the whole company of them, the blind and the lame, the women with child, and she that travaileth with child together, as coming with weeping and with supplication0;" but this is so far from destroying their joy, that it is the very root from which it springs, the seed from which the harvest of joy pro- ceedsp. There is in the weeping of a real penitent a holy tenderness, which is no less grateful to his soul than the livelier ebullitions of joy itself: yea, so deeply does he feel his own unworthiness, that he would not wish to " rejoice, but with trembling : nor, if he were transported to heaven itself, would he so exult, as to forget to cast his crown before the Saviour's feetq." Indeed this very mixture of ingenuous shame with triumphant exultation is intimated by the Prophet Jeremiah, who, immediately after representing the saints as " weeping,"
8 Dan. vi. 22. with Ps. lxxvi. 10. '> 2 Kings vi. 15 — 17.
1 Matt. xxvi. 53. k Zech. ii. 5. ] Deut. xxxiii. 29.
m Exod. xv. I. " Ps. xl. 2, 3. ° Jer. xxxi. 8, 9. p Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6. i Rev. iv. 10.