THE SWARM OF BEES. 147 than sin makes its appearance, and we discover that we have much more of the world in our hearts than we had ever supposed. Alas! Thou righteous God, how abominable and defiled in Thy most holy sight are my garments and walk! No doubt, from day to day I brush the dust away; but ah, me! how little good it does! O my Father! forgive me, and do Thou Thyself cleanse and purge me, granting grace that my walk may be habitually circumspect, and that, at last, I may enter pure and unsullied into Thy city. LXXXVIII. The Swarm of Bees. SWARM of bees had flown from a neighbor's garden into that of Gotthold, and settled on young tree. From this he took occasion to observe: These visitors cannot have come over to us for nothing, and, if we please to reflect, they may give us a useful lesson, and thereby pay for their quarters. In my opinion, the device of a swarm of bees hanging upon a branch, and with the motto, "I will never forsake thee," would happily represent the Christian Church and their love to Jesus. The whole 148 THE SWARM OF BEES. swarm, as is well known, is governed by a monarch, exercising an authority, not of coercion, but love; and so strong is the reciprocal attachment of the little honey birds to their prince, that they quit the hive with him, and follow and never leave him. When he flies, they do the same; when he alights, they fasten to him; if he remove, they hasten after him; and if, by some accident, his wings be injured, and he fall to the ground, they fall upon and cover him, as I have seen with my own eyes. It is the same with the church of the saints: they have one only head, Jesus; and on Him their whole heart is set, and their whole soul depends. Willingly and cheerfully they follow whithersoever He leads. Their common motto is, "Jesus, I will never leave Thee." They are all animated by His Spirit, and governed by His love; their very essence is fellowship with their Lord and with each other. Let us therefore endeavor to be found in this society. The whole of Christianity is comprised in three things—to believe, to love, and to obey Jesus. These are things, however, which we must be learning all our life. Alas, Jesus! when shall my love to Thee equal that of the bees to their king! Ask of me the question once asked of Peter,' and I must needs answer Thee with sorrow and tears; for my heart bears witness that my love is still so weak as scarcely to deserve the name. 1 John xxi. 26. THE WITHERED FLOWERS. 149 I love Thee, it is true; but what am I to Thee, or what proportion does my love bear to Thy deserts? I have but one consolation, that the will is here. When I say, "I love Thee," I say it with sorrow and tears; but when I say, "I would that I loved Thee with all my heart, and soul, and strength," I say it with joy and confidence, for I say it with truth. Dearest Saviour! pierce my heart with the fiery darts of Thy love; force Thy way into its inmost chambers; sink into the depths of my soul, and let both heart and soul blaze and swell with love to Thee. LXXXIX. The Withered Flowers. OTTHOLD, seeing some withered flowers strewed upon the table, thought with himself: Like these are the pleasures and pomps of this world, which quickly pass away, and have no stability! On further reflection, it seemed to him that such a flower might also image forth a heart exhausted with sorrow and care, and he exclaimed: Alas! how many withered and aching hearts there are in these disastrous times! How many pious Chris 150 THE WITHERED FLOWERS. tians, who can scarcely stand erect for sorrow, but hang the head like drooping flowers! How many thousand thousand tears are daily shed over afflicted Christendom! How many anxious sighs are wafted to God in heaven! And yet the wicked world, secure and reckless, gives no heed to them, but wrongs the poor children of God, and laughs the while, yea crushes and vexes the hearts of Christians without remorse. But as the vapors which ascend from the earth, descend to it again in rain and wind, thunder and lightning, even so the mournful sighs and wailings of the godly will one day turn into fire and brimstone, and fall upon the heads of their enemies. Meanwhile, ye whose hearts are sad and heavy, moderate your grief, and be not too greatly troubled. God in heaven attends to your tears and lamentations. The whole creation sighs in concert with you. Methinks I see the holy angels weeping for all the grief and anguish, wrongs and miseries, with which your hearts are overwhelmed. But God will help. He will not leave the righteous to suffer for ever. Lift up your hanging head, and know that your salvation draweth nigh. Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.1 O, my God! comfort all sorrowful and troubled hearts, and then mine will not be forgotten. 1 Luke xvii 7, 8. THE BEE MADE A PREY. 151 X C. The Bee made a Prey. TANDING one day before a beehive, Gotthold observed with delight how the little honey birds departed and arrived, and from time to time returned home laden with the spoils of the flow ers. Meanwhile a great yellow hornet — that wolf among the bees-came buzzing up, in eager quest of a prey. As it was eveningtide, and the bees, after the heat of the day, had settled about the mouth of the hive to breathe the cool air, it was amusing to observe that their fierce adversary lacked courage to attack their combined host and serried ranks. True, he often advanced for the purpose; but, seeing how densely and compactly they were sitting, was forced to retreat empty-handed. At last, a bee, somewhat belated, arrived by itself, and on this straggler he instantly seized, fell with it to the earth, and dealt with it at his pleasure. Gotthold thought with himself: How excellent a thing is unity and concord! If this little bee, which had probably ventured further, and for that reason reached home later than the rest, had formed one of the united swarm, it would not have fallen into the enemy's hands. How comes it, then, that we men reflect so little upon the danger of discord? Never are the assaults of our spiritual foe so successful as when he |