u6 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. vi. 



the views of others as to his duty, provided his own 

 judgment was clear regarding it. He must even set aside 

 the feelings and apparent interest of those dearest to him, 

 because duty was above everything else. His faith in 

 God convinced him that, in the long-run, it could never 

 be the worse for him and his that he had firmly done 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 indica- 

 tions 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 



