It promises peace
from God, and I am sure I am not at peace: I am always fretting and
quarrelling; I quarrel with my wife, my children, and my neighbours,
and they quarrel with me; and worst of all," says the poor man, "I
quarrel with myself. I am full of discontented, angry, sulky,
anxious, unhappy thoughts; my heart is dark and sad and restless
within me--would God I were peaceful, but I am not: look in my face
and see!"
True, my friend, but on Christmas-day the Son of God was born into
the world, a man like you.
"Well," says the poor man, "but what has that to do with my anxiety
and my ill-temper?"
It would take the whole year through, my friend, to show you all that
it has to do with you and your unhappiness. All the Lessons,
Epistles, and Gospels of the year are set out to show you what it has
to do with you. But in the meanwhile, before Christmas-day comes,
consider this one thing: Why are you anxious? Because you do not
know what is to happen to you? Then Christmas-day is a witness to
you, that whatsoever happens to you, happens to you by the will and
rule of Jesus Christ, The perfect man; think of that. THE PERFECT
MAN--who understands men's hearts and wants, and all that is good for
them, and has all the wisdom and power to give us what is good, which
we want ourselves.
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