nature, that it is disgraceful not to treat the hoary head with respect. This silvery crown cannot be won without a world of care, trouble, and sorrow; and therefore every white hair upon it should admonish the young to show it due honor, thankfully acknowledge its toils, and supplicate of God long to spare and preserve the heads whose silvery locks conceal much wise counsel, large experience, and lofty gifts.

My God! my time is in Thy hands. Should it please Thee to lengthen my life, and complete, as Thou hast begun, the work of blanching my locks, grant me grace to wear them as an unsullied crown of honor. Should this not be Thy pleasure, I shall be satisfied with knowing, as I do, that wisdom is gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life old age.

CXL.

The Coin.

EING present in a company where a new coin, bearing the likeness of a great potentate, was produced, Gotthold put the question: For what reason, think you, do monarchs cause their image to be stamped upon the coin of

the realm? To this one replied: No doubt, in order

thus, too, to set up a memorial of themselves to posterity; there being nothing which men store and preserve with so much pains as money. In my opinion, said another, a prince imprints his likeness upon the coin, as he does his seal upon a letter, in order to authenticate and give it currency as lawful and sterling. Said a third, It may probably be also done to remind the subjects heartily to love and pray for the authorities under whose shield and protection they are enabled, in freedom and safety, to sell and buy, carry on trade and commerce, travel, or stay at home. My explanation, subjoined Gotthold, would be, that a sovereign intends, by the exhibition of his image, to remind his subjects of his authority, power, and justice, that under this strong inducement, they may show the same integrity and uprightness in their dealings and transactions, as if the prince himself were agent, and ratified these by his presence. Let the occasion also remind us that our hearts ought to be a divine medal, stamped with the image of Christ, the Prince of heaven; and all that we say, or think, or do, should bear the impress of His love, gentleness, humility, kindness, temperance, charity, contentment, and truth.

Ah, Lord Jesus! do Thou Thyself stamp Thine image upon my heart, that it may be acknowledged as sterling in heaven. The dollars and ducats which we so highly value, receive the royal or princely image only by being subjected to the hammer and the stamp.

224

THE HEAVENLY BODIES.

Even so, no one can be renewed into the image of God, unless he submit with cheerfulness and patience to the blessed cross.

ence.

CXLI.

The Magnitude of the Heavenly Bodies.

ON a company of friends, the conversation happened to turn upon the magnitude of the sun, moon, and other stars, when one of them observed: It seems to me scarcely credible, that a body, apparently no bigger than a ball of fire or a glittering speck, should yet be many thousand miles in circumferGotthold heard the remark, and, in explanation of the matter, observed: Did you, when abroad at night, ever happen to see a fire kindled by herdsmen, or hunters in the forest, or, for the benefit of sailors, on the sea-shore. Beheld from a distance, it seems so small, that you would declare it was only a spark. The nearer you approach it, however, the juster the notion you obtain of its magnitude. It is the same with the balls on the top of lofty spires; many a one, when he sees them from the ground, fancies they are no larger than his hat; and yet, you are aware, they are several ells in circumference. It is also the same, he proceeded

THE HEAVENLY BODIES.

225

to say, with the heavenly bodies; and when I now inform you that astronomers have indisputably proved that these are many millions of miles remote from the earth, you may perhaps be mightily astonished at a distance so vast; but, admitting the fact, you can have no difficulty in conceiving that, in spite of their prodigious size, the stars should yet appear to us so small. In order, however, that we may reap some spiritual profit from this subject, let me take occasion, from your doubts, to remind you of the unbelief which we naturally inherit regarding divine and heavenly things. Earthly objects, which are before our eyes and lie at our feet, appear to us great and valuable, and worthy our utmost efforts; and so we strive laboriously after them, although they owe all their magnitude to our imagination; whereas, on the contrary, the heavenly things which God holds forth to our view in His promises, and intimates to us by many a foretaste of His benignity – all vast and glorious although in reality they be reckoned small and inconsiderable, and sought after with little diligence or pains. The reason is, that we are on the earth, and are earthly minded. They however, who, on the wings of faith and devout contemplation, soar somewhat nearer to heaven, imagine the earth to be a little ball, and the great and haughty among mankind, with all their mighty enterprises, to be mere ants or worms that crawl upon it. The same persons, on the other hand, see heavenly things as

are

226

THE CONTRACT.

great, glorious, and desirable-suitable to the greatness of Him who dwells in heaven. Learn, therefore, in future, to think little of what is thought great upon earth, and to aspire after that heaven in which alone are to be found great joy, great peace, great riches, great honor, great society, a great house, a great God, and a great and endless felicity.

My God! grant unto me what well beseems a soul which Thou lovest and choosest

a proper sense of pride, that I may look upon this poor and passing shadow of a world as nothing, seeing that it cannot satisfy the wants of a spirit so noble in its nature, and so precious in Thine eyes. Grant also that I may pant after Thee and Thy heavenly kingdom, where all will be greater than my puny mind can now conceive.

CXLII.

The Contract.

WO neighbors entered into a contract when Gotthold happened to be present. It was thought advisable that the terms should be drawn up in writing; but, as the party who gave the promise offered his right hand to the other, saying, There is my right hand — I will execute what I have undertaken like an honest man