and woe.

THE DIFFICULTY OF FAITH.

237

Wherefore, let us live good and Christian lives, that so, when it pleases our God, we may likewise die good and Christian deaths.

CXLIX.

The Difficulty of Faith.

OHO, said one of a company, would really refuse to trust the blessed God? None of us, certainly, said Gotthold, so long as he has also faith in his own hand or, purse; otherwise, to trust in God is a difficult, nay, an impossible task, for an earthly-minded, sinful, and timid heart. Such a heart cannot trust God without God's help, nor depend upon His grace without His grace's aid. Faith has many enemies and gainsayers; and therefore it is a fight, and only keeps its ground by fighting. It has to comprehend the great God and His whole heaven in a little heart; and that is no easy task. A mother takes and carries about her child in her arms; soothes, fondles, kisses it; gives it meat and drink, and is very patient with it. But how long is it ere the child, on its part, learns to know the mother, returns her embraces and smiles, and shows

1 Ezek. ii. 10.

her love and respect? For myself, I can say with thankfulness, that now, through many trials, conflicts, struggles, temptations, sighs, and prayers, I have come so far, that I am beginning to believe that God is my gracious Father, and that I have an interest in the crucified Jesus, and in His merits, blood, and death. This is a lesson which I learn from day to day. Like a tender infant at the mother's breast, I lie at the Saviour's wounds, and imbibe from them His blood and spirit, that I may grow in strength. Lord, I believe: help Thou my unbelief!

CL.

The Cipher.

OBSERVING a boy taking lessons in arithmetic, Gotthold said: There is here much to suggest good thoughts; for the present, however, I will select the cipher. I once heard of a sagacious man, who, being on his death-bed, was solicited to leave some memorial to his friends. Unable to articulate, he made signs to have pen and ink brought to him, and with these traced two great circles, or nothings, upon a sheet of paper. After his

decease, there was much speculation what these could mean. The common conjecture was, that he intended to signify that the body and the soul have their ap pointed circuits, and that, when these are finished, they return severally to their origin – -the body to the earth, and the spirit unto God. In my opinion, however, the two ciphers must have been intended to show the nullity of all terrestrial things, just as the wisest of monarchs could find nothing but vanity and vexation in the learning, pleasures, joys, honor, wealth, and glory of the world. In fact, these are like the rockets which at festivals are discharged to amuse the crowd, but whose bright shining, and towering flame, end only in ashes. All that the world contains may justly be likened to a note inscribed with a series of such ciphers, each of equal value with the other, but all of them worth nothing. Ye men of learning, what is all your erudition? A fragrant vapor, with which you entertain yourselves and others, but which speedily melts into the air. Ye great philosophers, what is your wisdom? A spider's web, woven with ingenuity and pains, but of no use save to catch moths. Ye men of rank, what is your dignity? An evening shadow, which, the longer it is, will the sooner disappear. Ye rich, what is your abundant wealth? A rose with many thorns; the flower soon withers, but the thorns remain. Voluptuaries, what is your pleasure? A sweet dream, which leaves

1 Eccles. xii. 7.

2 Eccles. ii. 3-11.

240

THE NUMBER BEFORE THE CIPHER.

you nothing when you awake but unsatisfied desire. It is a rule in Christian arithmetic, that, take nothing from nothing, and nothing remains. The world has nothing, gives nothing, and is nothing.

C

CLI.

The Number before the Cipher.

ONTINUING his remarks, Gotthold said: The children of God, however, are acquainted with an art by which they can make something out of nothing; for, if to several ciphers, otherwise of no value, I prefix a number, they then amount to several thousands. And, even so, the whole world, were I to possess it, would do me no good without the grace of God in Christ. If, however, I prefer Jesus to worldly things, that is, if I receive them humbly, as a loan, from the hand of my Redeemer, and use them, in faith and love, to His glory, they then acquire a high value, and may have the honor of being entered into the day-book and ledger of God.

Lord Jesus! out of Thee, all things are nothing; Riches are nothing,

and in Thee, nothing is all.

unless they minister to Thy poverty; the loftiest rank is nothing, if it seek not its honor in Thy

ignominy and thorny crown; knowledge is nothing, if it knows not Thee; and pleasure nothing, if it is not tempered and sanctified by Thy cross. In short, the world is the world, and nothing but Jesus is Jesus, and all.

CLII.

The Watch.

BSERVING that one of his friends always carried his watch about with him, looked at it while travelling or transacting other important business, nay, not unfrequently even took it out in

company, to ascertain how time was going, Gotthold thus mused with himself: If nothing be more precious than the fleeting time which the Most High has allotted to man for living and doing good, it is certainly a commendable practice to weigh it as if in scales, and portion it out with the utmost care and exactness, reflecting on the words of the apostle: As we have therefore opportunity (time), let us do good unto all men.1 The true watch, however, which, at little cost, though with great benefit, I shall carry about with me, is the

1 Galatians vi. 10.