of spiritual life in the congregations of which I
have been a very unwilling member (_i.e. pro tem., D. V._)--the latest
invention is a system of feeding souls on historical facts dressed up
in flowery English--perhaps this sounds harsh and resentful; perhaps
others have not found it such bad food after all.

9_th January_ 1879.

... I do not know that I can tell you anything more than is contained
in two sentences from the Chronicles of the Schoenberg-Cotta Family: "I
feel an atom--but an atom in a solid, God-governed world, where truth
is mightiest; insignificant in myself as the little mosses which
flutter on these ancient stones; but yet a little moss on a great rock
which cannot be shaken--the rock of God's providence and love." "God's
common gifts are His most precious; and His most precious gifts--even
life itself--have no root in _themselves_; not that they are _without_
root: they are _better_ rooted in the depths of His unchangeable love.
Henceforth let me be content with the only security Dr. Luther says God
will ever give us--the security of His presence and care." "I will
never leave thee." And yet one longs to be less than moss, to be a
part of the rock itself; that it may not be I that live, but Christ
that liveth in me--that death might be swallowed up of life.

7_th March_ 1879.

... It seems that I'm beginning to learn that it is little use
expecting to get messages for others, or be able to help them or speak
a word in season unless "we make mention of them _continually_ in our
prayers," and give up trying to monopolise the Holy Ghost for
particular times; _i.e._ the Holy Ghost objects to being a respecter of
persons at any time. It remains therefore to pray for you strongly
that you may be filled with a knowledge of His will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding quite up to the mark of "rejoicing alway," for
this is the will of God concerning us.... The verse that brings me
soonest to the self-despair point is this: "Herein is love with us made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, _because as
He is, so are we in this world_"; the standpoint of "workers together
with God" is a strong one--"it lifts, it bears my drooping soul." To
do the will of God, surely this is to abide for ever....

8_th February_ 1880.

He begins with two Scripture quotations: one from the Septuagint--"the
Lord preserveth the infants," in the English "the Lord preserveth the
simple";