The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Gold Thread, by Norman MacLeod

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Title: The Gold Thread
A Story for the Young

Author: Norman MacLeod

Release Date: July 12, 2008 [EBook #26039]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration]

THE GOLD THREAD

=A Story for the Young=

BY THE REV. NORMAN MACLEOD, D.D.
ONE OF HER MAJESTY'S CHAPLAINS

ALEXANDER STRAHAN, PUBLISHER
56 LUDGATE HILL, LONDON
1867

[_Eighth Edition_]

TO MY CHILDREN.

I dedicate this story to you, because it was for you I first wrote it,
and to you I first read it among the green hills of Moffat. It was
afterwards printed in _Good Words_, and now you see it again appears as
a little book for other children, who, I hope, will like it as much as
you do.

I wish to help and encourage you, and all who read this story, to learn
the great lesson which it is intended to teach; that lesson is, that we
should always trust God and do what is right, and thus hold fast our
gold thread in spite of every temptation and danger, being certain that
in this way only will God lead us in safety and peace to His home.

Now, God gives each of you this gold thread to hold fast in your own
house or in school, in the nursery or in the play-ground, on every day
and in every place. His voice in your heart, and in His Word, will also
tell you always what is right, if you only listen to it. You, too, will
be constantly tempted in some way or other to give up your gold thread,
and to be selfish, disobedient, lazy, or untruthful. Many things, in
short, will tempt you to do your own will rather than God's will.

You already know, and I hope you will always love and remember, those
true stories in the Bible about the good men of the olden time, whose
lives are there written. Now, what shewed that they were good? It was
this, that _they trusted God, and did what was right_. If they ever let
this their gold thread go, they lost their way and became unhappy; but
when they held it fast, i