life in them. The head, when touched with a straw, still retained the power of catching it with its teeth, and suspending itself from it; the breast with the wings fluttered continually round and round, without being able to rise; the stomach, when touched, was instantly ready with the sting. This reminded him that he had read of St. Augustine's having once witnessed a similar phenomenon, and of his being unable to understand how the several parts into which an insect was cut, could still crawl about like the whole of it. Gotthold was equally at a loss to explain how the soul, so to speak, could be dissected like the body. But he soon said to himself: This may at least help me to comprehend how it is possible for the damned to suffer everlasting death, and yet never cease to live. We cannot doubt that when delivered into the hands of devils, they will be treated with the utmost cruelty, and, as I suppose, sorely mutilated, not to terminate their existence, but only to augment their pain, as every limb apart will suffer as much as the whole body when entire. They will thus be always dying, and yet will never die, but live in everlasting death.

As this wasp's head, even after death, if one may so say, attempts to bite, and the tail to sting, so the damned will forever retain their hatred against God and man, and so their everlasting malice will justly entail upon them everlasting anguish. Ah me! eter nity! eternity! This is the worst of all the terrors of

hell. That which has an end, however dreadful otherwise, admits of hope and consolation; but where shall an end be found to an endless eternity! How blind, then, we are to forget hell as we do, especially as the best means to escape, is to meditate frequently upon it!

CLXXVI.

The Clock.

AVING taken a clock to pieces for the purpose of cleaning it, all manner of thoughts entered Gotthold's mind while afterwards engaged in again putting it together. He noticed as no inconsiderable, although an almost unnoticed blessing, that God has given to men an invention so ingenious and useful, enabling them as it does correctly to divide their time, and employ it in profitable labors, and especially reminding them, by every hour that strikes, of the vain and fleeting nature of life, and the rapid approach of death. At last, it seemed to him to present a beautiful emblem of Christianity. A clock, he said, when in good order, is always going, and one wheel propelling another; and even so must true Christianity be in continual exercise, and every act of

godliness make way for the next. for the next. As a clock, however, needs to be constantly inspected, and frequently set and cleaned, so God, in His faithfulness and long-suffering, has continual work to do, amending, purifying, and regulating our Christianity. Moreover, as a clock does not go without a proportional weight, so the practice of piety likewise comes to a stop unless the Most High append the cross to our heart. In doing this, however, He takes care to burden no one above his ability.

Thou faithful God! let my Christianity be always under Thy gracious inspection. Unless Thou set, purify, and regulate it, it will never go well. Append to it as much of the cross as Thou mayest judge right, or it may require. Thou art merciful, and wilt not impose a greater burden than I can bear.

CLXXVII.

Sweet Wine.

OTTHOLD had a bottle of sweet wine, and his child expressing, as children do, a wish to yo taste it, he poured a little into his cup, gave it him to drink, and inquired: How do you like it? To this the child replied: Sweet. He then

row,

asked, How sweet is it? and received again the same answer, Sweet, sweet; at which he smiled, and observed: And so all that you can say is, that it is sweet. Ah, my God! he proceeded, sweet also is Thy grace, and delectable the drops of Thy goodness! This I feel and taste in spirit and faith; but were I asked how sweet and delectable they are, I should be quite as unable as this child to say more than that Thy grace is sweet. Its sweetness, in fact, is better experienced than expressed. I feel in my heart, and taste something in my soul which penetrates the bones and marand is of all delights the most delightful, and of all sweetnesses the sweetest. So sweet is it that it kills all bitterness, and that I can neither conceive nor describe it. And yet, my God! they are but a few drops of Thy love and grace, which thus baffle my understanding and my tongue. How then will it be in heaven, when Thou shalt give me mighty floods! O infinite God! felicity are infinite like Thyself! lot to behold Thy face, and taste the full measure of Thy sweetness! Wert Thou to convert all seas and rivers, all lakes, ponds, and fountains, into wormwood and gall, and pour the whole upon my head, a drop or two of Thy love and goodness would be enough to sweeten and render it delightful. Vouchsafe to me in this present life as much of Thy sweetness as shall seem right to Thee, and be profitable to me. In the

to drink of them in Thy sweetness and When will it be my

276

THE GRUBS IN THE BEE-HIVE.

life to come, I shall be content to gather, beneath the table of the elect, the crumbs of Thy grace, and the drops of Thy goodness, and through all eternity never ask for more.

CLXXVIII.

The Grubs in the Bee-hive.

HEN inspecting a row of bee-hives, Gotthold discovered under one of them a number of ash-colored, red-headed grubs, scattered upon the ground, which the bees had killed and carried out. On asking an old bee-cultivator the explanation of this, he was told that the busy bees occasionally lighted upon a noxious plant, sucked from it an unwholesome juice, which they brought to the hive, and from which these grubs were produced. Gotthold mused, and said: If that be the case, it furnishes an excellent emblem of ill-gotten gain. Many a man, like a bee, labors hard to earn his livelihood. The desire of increasing his fortune, however, induces him to light indiscriminately and thoughtlessly upon every flower; - by which I mean, that he adopts all expedients, just and unjust, to en