nd Thirst. December 14.

God grant us to be among "those who really hunger and thirst after
righteousness," and who therefore long to know what righteousness is,
that they may copy it--those who long to be freed not merely from the
punishment of sin after they die, but from sin itself while they live on
earth, and who therefore wish to know what sin is that they may avoid it.

_Preface to Tauler's Sermons_. 1854.

Religion or Godliness? December 15.

This is the especial curse of our day, that religion does not mean, as it
used, the service of God--the being like God and showing forth God's
glory. No, religion means nowadays the art of getting to heaven when we
die, and saving our own miserable souls, and getting God's wages without
doing God's work--as if that was godliness, as if that was anything but
selfishness, as if selfishness was any the better for being everlasting
selfishness!

_Village Sermons_. 1849.

Christ's Coming. December 16.

Christ may come to us when we are fierce and prejudiced, with that still
small voice--so sweet and yet so keen, "Understand those who
misunderstand thee. Be fair to those who are unfair to thee. Be just
and merciful to those whom thou wouldst like to hate. Forgive and thou
shalt be forgiven." He comes to us surely, when we are selfish and
luxurious, in every sufferer who needs our help, and says, "If you do
good to one of these, my brethren, you do it unto Me."

_Last Sermon_. _MS._ 1874.

God's Nature. December 17.

When will men open their eyes to the plain axiom that nothing is
impossible with God, save that He should transgress His own nature by
being unjust and unloving?

_Preface to Tauler_. 1854.

Educators of Men. December 18.

There are those who consider--and I agree with them--that the education
of boys under the age of twelve years ought to be entrusted, as much as
possible, to women. Let me ask--of what period of youth and manhood does
it not hold true? I pity the ignorance and conceit of the man who
fancies that he has nothing left to learn from cultivated women. I
should have thought that the very mission of woman was to be, in the
highest sense, the educator of man, from infancy to old age; that that
was the work towards which all the God-given capacities of women pointed.

_Lecture on Thrift_. 1869.

The Earthly Body. December 19.

Let us remember that if the body does feel a burden now (as it