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"I reckon" said the Apostle, and before we hear him belittle the things which he
endured for Christ's sake, let us extract but one passage out of many:
"In labours more abundant,
In stripes above measure.
In prisons more frequent.
In death oft.
Of the Jews five times received I
Forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods,
Once was I stoned,
Thrice I suffered shipwreck,
A night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeyings often,
In perils of waters,
In perils of robbers,
In perils by mine own countrymen,
In perils by the heathen,
In perils in the city,
In perils in the wilderness,
In perils in the sea,
In perils among false brethren,
In weariness and painfulness,
In watchings often,
In hunger and thirst,
In fastings often,
In cold and nakedness.
Beside those things that are without,
that which cometh upon me daily,
The care of all the churches" (II Cor. 11: 23-28).
Here Paul gives one side of his balance account. The other side was the glorious
liberty to which stood fast, and for which he counted all things but loss. His sufferings
were a light affliction, and but for a moment, but were completely eclipsed by the far
more exceeding weight of glory that is yet to be experienced in resurrection life.
STAND FAST TO THE LIBERTY.