g at least I have learnt," he said, "in all my experiments on
poor humanity--never to see a man do a wrong thing without feeling I
could do the same in his place. I used to pride myself on that once,
fool that I was, and call it comprehensiveness. I used to make it an
excuse for sitting by and seeing the devil have it all his own way, and
call that toleration. I will see now whether I cannot turn the said
knowledge to a better account, as common sense, patience, and charity,
and yet do work of which neither I nor my country need be ashamed."

_Two Years Ago_, chap. xxiii. 1856.

Success and Defeat. December 10.

In many things success at first is dangerous, and _defeat_ an excellent
medicine for testing people's honesty--for setting them honestly to work
to see what they want, and what are the best modes of attaining it. Our
sound thrashing, as a nation, in the first French war was the making of
our armies; and it is good for an idea, as well as for a man, to bear the
yoke in his youth.

_Lectures on Ancien Regime_. 1867.

Passing Emotions. December 11.

Beware of depending on your own _emotions_, which are often but the
fallings and risings of the frail flesh, and mistaking them for spiritual
feelings and affections!

* * * * *

Think less of what you _feel_--even of trying _to be_ anything. Look out
of yourself at God. Pray and praise, and God will give you His Spirit
often when you feel most dull.

_MS. Letter_. 1842.

Christ's Church. December 12.

. . . What a thought it is that there is a God! a Father, a King! a
Husband not of individuals, that is a Popish fancy, which the Puritans
have adopted--but of the Church--of collective humanity. Let us be
content to be members; let us be, if we may, the feet, lowest, hardest
worked, trodden on, bleeding, brought into harshest contact with the evil
world! Still we are members of Christ's Church! . . .

_Letters and Memories_. 1843.

Confound me not. December 13.

Have charity, have patience, have mercy. Never bring a human being,
however silly, ignorant, or weak, above all, any little child, to shame
and confusion of face. Never by petulance, by suspicion, by ridicule,
even by selfish and silly haste, never, above all, by indulging in the
devilish pleasure of a sneer, crush what is finest, and rouse up what is
coarsest in the heart of any fellow-creature.

_Westminster Sermons_. 1872.

The Divine Hunger a