THE THOUGHTS. 287 them; inasmuch as, whatever they are, though hidden from men, they cannot be concealed from God. Such as the thoughts are, the soul is. The cask, long after it has been emptied, retains the scent of the liquor with which it was formerly filled; and in the same way do the thoughts leave behind them the trace of their nature and quality in the heart. And as wine is never put into a foul or fetid cask, so never does God pour his grace into the heart which is voluntarily defiled with evil thoughts. The thoughts are the soul's pinions, with which it wings its way either to heaven or to hell. With these it may either, like Noah's dove, light upon an olive-tree, and pluck from it a twig; or, like the raven, settle upon a carcass, and defile itself. They are the possessions and wealth of the soul, as Job calls them. This treasure of the heart, however, derives all its value from the stamp it bears; for thoughts not impressed with the seal of God, the love of Jesus, or the marks of His Holy Spirit, must be reckoned false money, which will not pass. See, then, well to it, that you cherish and harbor no evil thoughts in your heart. I do not say that they must never enter, for this would be to require too much, and more than, since the fall, is possible. The heart is an inn, and, rightfully, no thoughts ought to be admitted into it but such as are on their way either from or to heaven; otherwise it becomes a licentious haunt, like that of which the Lord 1 Job xvii. 11, Hebr. 288 THE CHILD LEARNING TO WALK. says: O Jerusalem! how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? The first stage to actual sin is, to think evil thoughts; the second, to love and cherish them. A foreign teacher says that they are the firstborn children of original sin, and the parents of every other kind of it. CLXXXVI. The Child Learning to Walk. This at HEN just beginning to walk, a child was exercising its feeble steps, with the help of chairs and benches, while the mother sat at some distance, and, with endearing words and a sight of the breast, enticed it to quit hold, and advance to her alone and unsupported. last it did, cautiously setting one foot before another, till it came within her reach, and then, in an ecstasy of delight, fell into her arms. Gotthold watched the scene with peculiar pleasure, and thought with himself: Most beautifully is the divine training of my soul here shadowed forth! What else is my Christianity but the timid tottering of this little one? What all my perfec 1 Jeremiah iv. 14. THE NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES. 289 tion but imperfection felt and deplored? What my strength but weakness? The Saviour, however, acts towards me a mother's part, attracts me with the sweet words of His promises, uncovers the breasts of His grace and everlasting consolations, and opens and extends to me His arms. Well, then, Lord Jesus! I will creep if I cannot walk; I will take hold of Thy word. When I stumble, Thou wilt support me; when I fall, Thou wilt hold out Thy Cross, and help me with it to rise again, until at length I reach the place where Thou art, and with all my weaknesses, anxieties, and wants, cast myself into Thy bosom. CLXXXVII. The New Suit of Clothes. LITTLE boy had got a new suit of clothes, of which he was excessively proud. Gotthold saw him, and, with a smile, said to the family: Human nature is very fickle; it soon tires of old things, and is always eager for novelties. We relish what is new and strange much more than what is old and familiar. The prophet tells us, how 290 THE NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES. ever, that the Lord's compassions are new every morning; which means, as I understand it, that it is every morning as fresh and new to our most gracious God to do us good, in body and soul, as if He had never done it before. He never wearies, never loses the relish for it, feels constantly fresh delight in manifesting His goodness towards us. Oh, that it were equally fresh and new to us to be thankful to Him! and that, every morning, the first sighs and words which escaped from our lips were directed to His glory and praise! To this the royal prophet exhorts, saying, Sing unto the Lord a new song; as if he meant, Never let the Lord's praise seem to you an old and tiresome work, but think it always as fresh and new as if you were engaging in it for the first time. Observe, too, how cautiously this child now comports himself in his new dress; whereas he cared not how he soiled the old. Even so, never let the robe of righteousness, with which Christ has clothed us, appear old in our eyes. Rather let us feel as if we put it on new and fresh every morning; and let us walk cautiously and circumspectly, that we may not stain it with presumptuous sins. My God! Thou fountain of all goodness, the more we draw from Thy bounty, the larger and fresher is its stream. Thou art more willing to give than we are to receive. Oh! grant that my heart may be a fountain, from which Thy praise and glory may never cease to flow! THE WATER-DROP. 291 CLXXXVIII. The Water-Drop. HE spigot not being properly secured in a watercask, there was a constant dropping into a basin which stood upon the ground below. Gotthold saw it, and observed: This seems a very trivial circumstance, and yet it may suggest to us what ought never to be forgotten as long as we live. The rich man, when tormented in hell, implored a single drop of water to cool his burning tongue, but implored it in vain.' Ah me! how small a refreshment it would have been to one weltering in the fiery flames, to receive into his mouth the small quantity of water which adheres to the tip of the finger after being dipped into a fountain; and yet it was refused,-intimating that in hell no comfort or alleviation, however small, no intermission, however brief, can be hoped for. For this reason, when we hear the dropping of water, let us reflect on the fleetingness of life. As drop follows drop, until the cask is empty, so does hour follow hour, and one day or year another, until life is spent. What, then, would become of us, if all consolation terminated with our breath, and we were never, through all eternity, to taste the refreshment of a single drop of water? 1 Luke xvi. 23. |