check his worldly wisdom, which might otherwise, like a high-mettled charger, toss him to the ground. It is better to have a son who is simple, good, and pious, than one self-willed, reckless, and sharp at all kinds of villany.

XLI.

The Sun-Dial.

XAMINING the sun-dial, to ascertain if the clocks were right, Gotthold said to himself: Dials are no doubt most ingenious contrivances; but, however ingenious, they are of no use when the sun does not shine. It is the same with us. Destitute of the grace of God, and of the quickening and enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit, we too, whatever be our natural gifts and talents, are good for nothing. The wise are not wise, and the most prudent counsellors go farthest wrong, when their understanding and judgment are not irradiated by the beams of grace from heaven. The acutest intellects fall into the most fatal errors, unless they humbly acknowledge their inability, and turn to the Sun of Righteousness, and seek to catch its rays. Nay, the most ingenious heads are like the finest watches, which, without constant inspection, are

often the first to stop. What, then, must be the consequence of imagining that we know much, when all our knowledge, however great, is not only useless, but even hurtful, both to ourselves and others, unless we also humbly and devoutly imbibe the light of grace from heaven!

My God! By Thy grace I am what I am. Let not Thy grace which has been given unto me, be given in vain. Cause the light of Thy countenance to shine. upon me, that I may be able and willing to serve many.

XLII.

The Deer.

OTTHOLD one day saw a number of deer which a prince had ordered to be caught and enclosed in wooden cages, as a present, to be

sent to a brother monarch across the seas.

It seemed very remarkable that, however wild and shy these animals had formerly been, they now fearlessly ate barley, hay, cabbage, and everything of a similar sort, from the hand. Gotthold observing this, said to himself: O my God, how blessed is the yoke of the Cross, and how useful in making us good and

meek! When man is exempt from affliction, when he is enjoying pleasure, health, and friends, then he stalks through the world, like the wild stag through the forest, feeling no want, and caring as little for Thee as the stag does for me. The stag, when at large, flies from the sight of a human being, and will take nothing, be it ever so good and precious, from his hand. In the season of prosperity, we do the same; when Thy voice calleth, Where art thou, my children? we hide ourselves. When Thou wouldest entice us, we flee away. When Thou offerest Thy grace in the Word, we have no taste for it. Our soul loatheth Thy light bread, and we avoid Thee as an enemy. But as the huntsman waylays the stag in its security, and prostrates it with an unsuspected bullet; so never is our soul in greater danger than when we deem ourselves exposed to none.

Thanks be to Thee my God, that we are not left exposed to peril like this. Thou lettest loose upon us the persecutor and the slanderer. Thou entanglest and takest us captive in the meshes of all sorts of trouble. Thou enclosest us within the bars of poverty, sickness, and affliction, both of mind and body. Then do we begin to think of Thee, become humble and devout, acknowledge Thee as our God and Father, and eagerly accept the consolations presented by Thy gracious hand.

C

XLIII.

Election.

AST down with melancholy, a person complained to Gotthold that he was often betrayed against his will into thinking of the decree of election, and that when he considered how great is the number of the reprobate, and how small that of the elect, he could not help doubting whether he belonged to that few, and had a right to believe himself ordained to life eternal. Gotthold said to him in reply: It happens to you as to foolish children, who, from curiosity, or want of sense, frequently mount upon a ladder or stair, far higher than their heads can bear, and when they are up, know not how to descend again. I remember an instance of a child venturing out from a high window upon some boards, placed as a stand for flowers, and, in extreme danger, proceeding to his father's apartment, and looking in upon him at his studies. You are guilty of the same folly; you venture into a dangerous place, climb too high, and wish to have a look into the council-chamber of the Most High. But, my friend, who bade you do this? Reckon it for certain that these thoughts are but phantoms conjured up by the devil, and intended to plunge you into misery, spiritual danger, and continual despondency. What the Scripture says of the

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THE TREES IN WINTER.

election of grace, it says not for the purpose of troubling and terrifying poor souls assailed by temptation, burdened with a sense of sin, and anxious to be delivered from it, but rather for the purpose of soothing their distress. The very reason why God's only Son came down to us here on earth was, to save us from the necessity of soaring on the wings of dangerous thought to heaven, in order to learn there how God is disposed towards us, and what he has decreed respecting our salvation.

XLIV.

The Trees in Winter.

RUE believers, said Gotthold, have seasons of unfruitfulness, in which they bring forth no good works, or devout thoughts and aspirations. They are like the trees in winter, which, although destitute of leaves, are not destitute of sap and life, and therefore, when spring returns, bud and blossom, and bear afresh. The ungodly, however, resemble withered trees, which at all seasons alike are without sap and life and fruit, and consequently are fit for nothing but the fire.