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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

Shelf ...XI. t?UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

"BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS"
FROM

GEORGE MAC DONALD

ARRANGED BY

ELIZABETH W. DOUGALL

If I

can put one touch of rosy sunset, into the


I

life

of

any man or

woman,

shall feel that I

Imve worked with God.

Mac Donald.

NEW YORK

JAMES POTT
114

& CO. Fifth Avenue


1894

0Xf3yh^

Mi,

COPYEIGHT, BY

JAMES POTT &


1894.

CO.

2>

cbictttcb

TO THE MANY, WHOSE LIVES

UAVE BEEN MADE PUEER AND NOBLER,


BY THE HELPFUL THOUGHTS
SENT OVER THE SEA,

BY

GEORGE MAC DONALD.

JANUARY.

January

1st.

Does God care to paint the sky of an evening, that a few of His children might see it, and get just a hope, just an aspiration, out of its passing green and gold, and purple and red? And should I think my day's labor lost, if it Avork no visible salvation in
the earth?

January 2d.

He who
things
is

is

faithful

over

a
It

fcAV

a lord over

cities.

does

matter whether you preach in Westminster Abbey, or teacli a ragged class, so you be faithful.
not

The

faithfulness

is

all.

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
January 3d.
It
is

better

to

be trusted than to

be loved.

January

Jfi^i.

'Tis easy to destro3\

God, only, makes.

January

5th.

The

deepest,

purest

love
in

of

woman

has

its

well-spring

Our longing
haust the
of the

desires

Him. can no more exof

fullness

the

treasures

Godhead, than our imagination can touch their measure.

January

6th.
is

Love

wliich will jdeld to prayer

imperfect and poor.

Nor

is

it

then

the love that yields, but

its alloy.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


.

January

7th.

All

tridli is lovely.

January

8th.

Let us think and care ever so little about God, we do not therefore exist without Him.

January

9th.

God

has an especial
thee,

tenderness of
that thou
light.

love towards
in the dark

for

art

and hast no
January 10th.

I think,

my
it,

dear, death has

two

sides

to

One
Is

as this sunny and one dark round earth every day half sunny, and half
:

dark.

10

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
the dark side,
call

We, on
They,

the

mys-

tery death.

on

the

other

side,

looking

down
Wait
the

in light,
hirth^

glad

with other tears

than ours.

January
Fold
in

lltli.

the

arms

of

thy

faith,

and

wait in quietness, until light goes up, thy darkness.


faith,

Fold the arms of


but not of thy ac-

thy
tion:

say,

bethink thee of something that

thou oughtest to do, and go and do it, if it be but the sweeping of a


room.

Heed not thy


work.

feelings, but

do thy

January 12th.

God

can

fill

the emptiest heart.*

FR OM GEOBGE MA C BONA LB.


January 13 th.

Christianity does not mean what you think or what I think, concerning Christ, but, what is of Christ in us.

January

llftli.

Become
thou
alone
shalt
is

thou
see

pure

in

heart,

and

God,

whose

vision

life.

January 15th.

None

but

God

can
is.

read

in

woman what

she really

January 16th,

What we
best shape,
his

call

evil is the

only and
could
be

which

for the

person, and

condition at the

time,

assumed by the best good.

12

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
January 17 th.

If you Avoulcl only ask what God would have you to do, you w^ould

soon find your confidence growing.

January 18th.
Strive to be

what God would have


else, Avortli

you
thy

be,

nor hold anything

care.

January 19 th.

God
thee,

be

with

thee.

He
is

is

with
thou

only

my
it.

prayer

that

may'st

know

January 20th.
It
is

the

other,

and

the

human we love in each human is Christ.

FBOM GEORGE MAO DONALD,


.

13

January

lst.

Come

to me, sliine in me, Master,


I care

And

not for river or tree;

Care not for sorrow or crying, If only Thou shine in me.

January 22d.

The
needful

strengtli

of

woman

is

as

to

strength of
will be.

Avomanhood as the the man to his manhood,


her
is

and a woman

just as strong as she

January 23d.

No arguing will convince you of a God: but let Him once come in, and all argument will be tenfold useless to convince you that there is no
God.

14

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
January 2^th.

How
be

is

the
if

work

of

the

done,
are

we take
told
mii8t

no
not
take

world to thought?
to

We

nowhere

take

thought.

We

thought.

What
about?

then are we to take thought Why, about our work.


are

What
about? one is
God's.

we not to take thought Why, about our life. The


business
:

our

the

other

is

January 2oth.

God is in no haste and if I do what I may, in earnest, I need not mourn if I work no great work on
:

the earth.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


January 26th.
Lord, I have laid
altar,

15

my

heart

upon Thy
to

But cannot get the wood

burn

It hardly flares, ere it begins to falter,

And

to the dark returns.

'Tis all I have,

smoke,
doubt
I

failure, foiled

endeavor.

Coldness
lack

and
have

and

palsied

Such

as

send Thee, perfect

Giver,

Send Thou, Thy lightning back.


JoMuarij 27th.

To

trust

God changes

the atmos-

phere surrounding mystery, and seeming contradiction, from one of pain

and

fear, to

one of hope.

16

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
January 28th.
If a

man

desire God, he cannot help


of

knowing enough

Him,

to

be

ca-

pable of learning more.

January 29th.

To know God

is

life.

January 30th.

God does all that can be done, for even the Avorst of men, to help them
to believe in Christ.

January

31st.

Hurt as it may, love on, love forever Love for love's sake, like the Father
above.

But

for

whose brave-hearted Son, we had never


the sweet hurt
of

Known

the sor-

rowful love.

FEBRUARY.

February

1st.

Come
Come

to us

above the storm


!

Ever shines the blue to us beyond its form Ever lies the true.
:

February 2d.
Afflictions
Jire

but the shadows

of

God's wings.

February 3d.

Do
holds

not talk about the lantern that


:

the lamp but make haste to uncover the light, and let it shine.

February
I find

Iftli.

that the doing of the will of

God

leaves

me no

time to be

disput-

ing about His plans.

20

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
February Sth.

can never be at peace, till we performed the highest duty of have till we have risen and gone to all,

We

our Father.

February

6f7i.

God
see

sees

thee,

through

all

the

gloom, through which thou canst not

Him.
February
7th,

It

has been well said that no

man
the

ever sank
day.

under the

burden

of

It is when to-morrow's burden added to to-day's, that the weight more than a man can bear.

is

is

FBOM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


February
8th.

21

art

Not what I think, but what Thou makes sure.


February
9th.

man's labors must

pass like

the

sunrises

and

sunsets

of

the

Avorld.

The next
his care.

thing, not the last

must be

February 10th.
All the doors
doors
that

lead

inward to

the secret place of the most High, are

outward

smallness

out

out
of

of

self

out

of

wrong.

February 11th.

The lightning and thunder They go and they come But the stars and the stillness
Are
alwaj's at

home.

22

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
Fehriiary 12th.

What is my next duty ? No one can answer that question but yourself.
Is there

nothing you
it is

know you

neg'.'I

lect?

"Ah,
which
than

then," responded she,

suppose
place,

something very commonwill


ever.

dreary

make life more That cannot help


be as dreary
as

me."

"It will:

if it

reading the newspaper to an old deaf

Aunt.
thing
to
at

It will soon lead

you
but

to some-

more.

Your duty

will

begin
it Avill

comfort j^ou at once,


length
of
life

ains

open the unknown fountin your heart."

February 13th.

The performance
to

of

small

duties,

yes, even of the smallest, will do

more
act

give
as

temporary
healthful

repose,

will

more

anodynes

than the

FROM GEORGE
greatest
joys

3IAC DONALD.
can

23

that

come

to

us

from any other quarter.

February 14th.

Work

on.

One
joy
will
:

day
praise,

beyond

all

thought of

A
No

sunny
its

crown thee with


thy recom-

rays

other

than

thy need,

pense.

February loth.
Because
stain
:

our

God
:

is

so

free

from
:

so

loving

so

unselfish

so

good
to be

so altogether

so holy,

what He wants us therefore all His works


beauty: His
fingers
it

declare

Him

in

can

touch

nothing but to

mould

into loveliness.

24

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
February 16th.

Hark, hark, a voice


intense
It is
!

amid

tlie

quiet

thy duty waiting thee without.

February 17 th.

To do
God:
to

as

God

does

is

to

receive
of

do a service
is

to one

His

children

to receive the Father.

February 18th.

The man
In that

that feareth^ Lord, to doubt.

fear,

doubteth Thee.

February 19th.
Life and religion are one, or neither
is

anything.

FROM GEORGE MAC BONALB,


February 20th.

25

Whosoever gives
water
to

a
one,

cup

of

cold
tlie

little

refreshes

heart of the Father.

February 21st.
It
is

because

God

is

perfect

that

we

are required to be perfect.

February 22d.

Nothing
not
first

is

required of

man

that

is

in

God.

February 2od.
I think that

nothing made

is

lost,

That not a moon That not a cloud


crossed

has ever shone.

my
gone
;

eyes

hath

But

to

my

soul

is

26

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT
all

t^

That
In

the lost years, garnered, lie

this.

Thy

casket,

my dim

soul:

And Thou wilt, And show the

once, the

key apply,

shining whole.

February 2^th.

To
Lord

understand
is

the

words
life.

of

our

the business of

February 25th.

What
vice.

is

the

kingdom
truth,
is

of Christ ? rule of

rule of love, of

A
ser-

The King

the

chief

servant

in

it.

February 26th.

As soon

as ever

service

is

done

for the honor,

and not
is

for the service-

sake, the doer


of the

that

moment

outside

kingdom.

FBOM GEORGE

31 AC

DONALD.

27

February
Lord,

27tli.

Thou
yet,

hast

much
still

to

make me

A
Thy

feeble infant

thoughts, Lord, in

my bosom

set.

Fulfill

me

of

Thy

will.

Feh'uary 28th.

Not every storm that climbeth heavenward, overwhelms the earth.

MARCH,

March

Int.

Of
Of

noise

alone

is

borne

the

inward
springs

sense
silence
:

and from

action

alone

The inward knowledge


and
faith.

of

true

love

March

2(1.

The

rejoicing, in heaven, is greatest

over the sheep that has wandered the


fai-thest

perhaps

was

born
in

on

the

wild hillside, and not


all.

the fold at

March
Jesus

Sd.
to
us.

gives Himself

Shall
Shall

we

not give ourselves to

Him?

32
^ye

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
not give ourselves to

each

other,

wliom

He

loves.

March

4th.

do not draw back, for that we we are unworthy, nor even for that we are hard-hearted, and care not for The perfection of His rethe good. lation to us swallows up all our imperfections.

We

March
Life
is

6th.

not a series of chances, with


belief,

a few
to

providences sprinkled between,

keep up a justly failing one providence of God.

but

March
I think

6th.
wilt, heal
:

Thou Lord,

me

too,

Whate'er the needful cure

The

great best, only

Thou

wilt do.

And

hoping, I endure.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


March
7th.

33

Our
truth

Lord's

arguments
of
its

are for

the the
to

presentation
carries
is

the

truth,

and
it.

own

conviction

him who

able to receive

March
Obedience
cause
is

8th.

as

divine

as

Will.
?

Service as divine as Rule.

How

Be:

they are

one in their nature

they are both a doing of the truth.

March

9th.

We

are

perfect

in faith,

when

w^e

can come to God, in the utter dearth of our feelings, and our desires, without a glow or an aspiration
:

with the

weight of
"

failures, neglects,

dei'ing forge tfulness,

and wanand say to Him,

Thou

art

my

refuge because

Thou

art

my

home."

34

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
March
10th.

Weep

if

thou

wilt,

but

weep not

all

too long.

Or weep and work,


lead to song.

for

work

will

March
Nothing
is

11th,

inexorable but lova.

March

12th.
to
it,

To
is
:

see

a truth

know what
and
to

it
it,

to

understand

love

are all one.

March

loth.

Let us have grace to serve our God with divine fear not with the fear that cringes and craves, but with the
:

bowing down
lights,
all

of all thoughts,

all deis

loves,

before

Him who

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


the
life

35
will

of

tliem
all

all,

and

who

have them

pure.

March 14th
It
is

not love that


still

grants
it

a boon
that

unwillingly;

less is

love

answers

a prayer to the

wrong and

hurt of him

who

prays.

March

15th.

God who
far

has

made us can never be


man, who draws tlie nay, must be in him
:

from

any
life

breat]i of

not

necessarily

in

his

heart,

as

we

say, but still in him.

March

16th.
da}^,

May
being
;

not then, one

some

terri-

ble convulsion

from the center of his some fearful earthquake from

36

BEAUTIFUL TnOUGTITS
nature, shake
all
tlie

the hidden gulfs of his

such a man, so that through


Spirit

deafness of his death, the voice of the

may

be faintly heard, the

still

small voice that comes after the


pest and the earthquake?

tem-

March 17 th.

God
do

requires

of us

that

we should

Him

no

injustice.

March

18th.
!

Dome

up,

O Heaven
:
!

yet higher o'er


Aviden

head Back, back horizon world


:

my

out
the

my
Un-

Rush in, O known:

infinite

sea of

For though He in God.

slay me,

I will trust

FEOM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


March
19th.

37

To men who
riddles.

are

not simple, sim-

ple words are the most inexplicable of

March

20th.

It is the nature of

God, so
all

terriblyis

pure, that
as

it

destroys
fire,

that

not
like

pure

as

which

demands
burn

purity, in our worship.


It is not that the fire will
if

us,

we do not worship
fire

thus, but until

that

the

will

burn

us,

we wor-

ship thus.

March

21st.

The
sire
its

true revelation arouses

the

de-

to

know

more, by the truth of

incompleteness.

38

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
March 22d.
Whatever belonging
to
is

the

region

of thought

and feeling
of

uttered in

words,
fectly.

is

necessity uttered imper-

March 2Sd,

Be bounteous
misspent,
Is confidence

in

thy

faith,

for

not

unto the Father


3Iarch 2^th.

lent.

Words

for

their

full

meaning
the

de-

pend upon

their

source,

person

who

speaks them.

So the words of God cannot mean just the same as tlie words of man.

March
Troubled Soul,
to feel, but thou

25th,

tliou art

not bound
to
arise.

art

bound

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


God
loves

39

thee whether

thou feelest

or not.

MarcJi 26th.

Try not
good.

to

feel

good, wlien

thou
is

art not good, but cry to

Him who

March
Every uplifting

27th.
of

the

heart

is

looking up to the Father.

March

28th.

Spiritual pride springs from posed success in the high aim:

sup-

with

attainment comes humility.

March
that praise

29th.
to

To be something
enough ?

God

is

not

40

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
March
30th.
cares
for,

To
cause
that

be a thing

God

and
not

would have complete


it

for Himself, befor,

life

is worth caring enough ?

is

3Iarch 31st.

The
Lord:'

true

self

is

that

which

can
"iHiy

look Jesus in the face, and say

APRIL.

April

1st.

Beauty doth not pass away Her form departs not, though body dies,
Secure beneath
the
earth,

her

the snow-

drop

lies.

Waiting the Spring's 3^oung resurrection day.

April

2cl,

God gives Himself we know it not.


April 3d.

to

us

though

Forgiveness can never


ence.

be indiffer-

44

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
April
If
4^.h,

we

are

what
speaks,
are

our
that

bound to search means, and Lord

after

we may understand

we

He

at least equally bound to refuse any interpretation which seems to us unlike Him unworthy of Him.

April 5tlu

God
forgive
sense,

loves

is,

where He cannot yet where forgiveness, in the full


as
yet,

simply
lies

impossible:

because that which


has not begun to

between us yield to the besom

of His holy destruction.

April 6th,

Whatever a good word


used by a good man,
infinitely
it

means as means just

more

as used

by God.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


April 7th.
If

45

ye forgive not
neither
will

men

their

tres-

passes,

Father, forgive you

your heavenly your trespasses.

These words are kindness indeed.


April 8th.

God holds the unforgiving man, with His hand, but turns His face away from him.
April 9th.
It

may
him.

be

infinitely

less

evil

to
for-

murder a man than


give
us.

to

refuse to

In as far as
relations

we can we
between

quench

the

of life

We

shut out God, the Life, the

One.
April 10th.

What man

can judge his neighbor

46
aright,

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
him whose love makes him? Therefore we are told to love, and
save
refuse to judge

him

not to judge.

April 11th.

lied.

To be content is not No one ought to

to

be

satis-

be satisfied

with the imperfect.

April 12tlu

The

way

to
is

worship
to

God
:

while

the service of God, the only " divine service " is

daylight lasts

work

the helping of our fellows.

April 13th.

We
ing

are

and we remain such creepbecause


at

Christians,

we

look

at

ourselves,

and not

Christ.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.

47

God
of

does not by
Spirit,

tlie

instant gift

His
;

make ns
;

always
;

feel
as-

right

desire

pire after

good love purity Him and His will.


April 15th.

Should

the

twilight

darken
anguish
nothing

into

night,

And
Thou

sorrow
art in

grow

to

be

thou strong

God, and

can

go wrong,

Which

fresh

life-pulse

cannot set

aright.

A2MI
Each
ing
of

IGtli,

us
the

has

within

him,
is

secret of the Divinity;

each
to

growthat
full

toward

revelation

of

secret to himself,

and so

the

48

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
according to
liis

reception,

measure,

of the Divine.

April

17tli.

We

do

not

half

appreciate

the

benefits to the race, that spring

from

honest dullness.

April

IStli,

not choose his neighhe must take the neighbor that God sends him. Your neighbor is just the man, who is next to you, at
bor;
the

man must

moment.
Ajjril 19th.

We

shall find one day, that beauty

and riches were the best things, for those to whom they were given; as deformity and poverty, were the best
for others.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


April 20th,

49

There are those who in their


seeking of
it,

first

are nearer to the kingfor years,

dom, than many, who have


believed themselves of
it.

April 21st.

The
terday?

Lord

says

"

Judge

not."
yes-

Didst thou judge

thy neighbor

Wilt thou judge him again

to-morrow ?
April 22d.
It
is

strange

to

see,

how

even

noble women, wdth the divine gift of


imagination,

may

be argued into un-

belief in their best instincts,

by some

small man, as commonplace as clever,

who

beside

them,

is

as

limestone to

marble. 4

50

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
April 23d.
Wliatever

God

does must be right,

but are we

sure that

we know what

He

does

That which men say He does maybe very wrong indeed.

April 34th.

So long as we hang back from doing w^hat conscience urges, there is no peace for us.

April 25th

The Lord
mies."
sible
!

says,

"Love
"It

your
is

ene-

Sayest
"

thou,
sayest

imposI

Thou

true,

doubt

not

who

but hast thou tried whether He made, will not increase the

strength put forth to obey

Him.

FROM GEOBGE MAC DONALD.


April 26th

51

Go
of

to

Him, who says


eternal

in the

His

tenderness,

might and His


all

human
will

pity.

"

Come unto me,

ye
I

that labor

and are heavy-laden, and give you rest."


April 27th.

"A
never

strange

longing
not, nor

after

some-

thing he

knew
;

could name,

awoke within him.


stilled

the

This feeling was desire never left


to

him

sometimes

growing even

passion that was relieved only by a


flood of tears."

April 28t}u
Little

did

Robert

think,

that his

soul was

searching after One, whose

form was constantly presented to him,

52

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS

unlovely

but as constantly, obscured and made by the words, without knowledge, spoken in the religious

assemblies of the land.

April 29th.

The

will

of

God can
;

other than good

but

never be doubt if any


is

man can
the will
its

ever be sure that a thing


of

God, save by seeing into nature and character, and beholdits

ing

goodness.

April 30th.
is one thing and a good thing, do for God's sake, that which is not His will; it is another thing, and

It

to

altogether a

better

thing,
is

to

do

for

God's sake, that which

His

will.

MAY.

May
Turn
thee

I'd,

and
for

to

thy

work;
o'er

let

God

alone;

And

wait

Him;

faint

the

waves will come

Far floating whLsjjers from the other


shore

To

thine

averted ears.
follow

Do
;

thou thy

work, And thou

slialt

follow

and

find thine own.

May
helps
of
to

2d,
evil,

Count not that labor an


bring out
nature.

which

the best elements

human

56

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS

May
Finding
best
of

3d,
unbelief of

liow the

the

the

poor
in

is

occasioned

by
the

hopelessness
sufferings
of

privation,

and

those

dear to them, he

was confident that only the personal

communion
it

of friendship, could
for

make
in

possible

them

to

believe

God.

May 4tL
sult

not imagine that the redepends on you, or that a single human soul can be lost, because you

You must

may

fail.

May
God
a
tool
of,
is

5th,
tools,

can use us as
not

but to be

to

be a fellow-

worker with.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


Mai/ 6th,

57

it

Repentance does not mean sorrow; means turning away from the sin.
Mai/
7th,

The mist was now


to

far

enough
about.

off

be

seen

and

thought

It

was clouds
rain.

now
I

no

longer mist and

thought how, at length, the world would float away, and we should see what it was that made it so hard for us to believe, and be at peace.
the evils
of

And

May 8th,
It
effort
is

true,

no
will

one
care

can
for

by an
this

of

the

or

where a man cares for nothing that is worth caring for, the fault must lie, not in the nature God
that;

but

58

BEAUTIFUL TnOUGHTS

himself has made, and

made, but in the character the is making.

man

Mai/ 9th.

When men
will that

face a duty, not merely

unpleasant
terest.

duty become, at once, less to them, but life itself will immediately begin to gather in-

Mai/ 10th.

Thousands
great sacrifices
the
little

that
ai-e

are

capable

of

yet not capable of


all

ones which are

that are

required of them.

May

nth.
successive,

multitude

of

small
in the

sacrifices,

world,

may work more good than many a large one.

FBOM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


Mai/

69

mh.
human
heart,
in

The
all

cry of

the

ages,

Where is find Him?"


"

and in every moment, is, God, and how shall I

May
poor,

13th.

Those who would do good to the must attempt it, in the way in which best they could do good to
people of their

own

standing.
14th,

May

Women
led by the

are

being

constantly misIt is natural to

fancy and hope of being

the saviours of men.

goodness and innocence, but not the


less is the error a disastrous one.

May
Christians

15th.

must be

in

the world as

60

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
in the

and in proportion as the truth radiated from them, the world would be able to believe in Him.
world
:

He was

May

16tL

Who
no more
to

shall

say

God

when God can do who takes no care of


laboriously

Himself, and

is

working

get His children home.

May
Our
is

17th,

fate is in

our

own
the

hands.

It

ours to determine
shall go.

direction

in

which we

May
The
be
the
foolish child

18th,

thinks

there

can

nothing, where

he sees
if,

nothing;

human

heart feels, as

cannot devise help, there

is

where it none pos-

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


sible

61

God. " But as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts."
to

May
If

19th.

God cannot
gifts
;

save a

man by
his

all

His good
of

not even by the gift


offered
to

woman,

higher

nature,

but

by

that
of

refused,
herself,

the
his

woman's

giving

to

lower nature, can only make him the

more unredeemable.

May

Wth.

Nothing worth calling good can or


ever will be started, full-grown.

May

31st.

There is no true power but that which has individual roots.

62

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS

May md.

We

are always disbelieving in

God,
in-

because things do not go as

we

tend and desire them to go.

May
Contempt
the
is

23d,

intellect,

as

murder committed by hatred is murder


heart.

committed by the

May
Would
it

24th.

be any kindness

not to
to

punish sin?

Not

to use all

means
us.

put aw^ay the

evil thing

from

May
God
is

25t1u
to

nearer

you

than

any

thought or feeling of yours.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


Mai/ 26th.
If I
;

63

felt
if

my

heart

as

hard
or

as

stone
or

did not love

God

woman,

or little child, I

say to God, in
see
art

my

lieart,

man, would yet " O God,

how

I trust Thee,

because
I

Thou
like

perfect,

and not changeable

not me. I do not love Thee. Thou seest how even sorry for it. much I need Thee to come close to me, to put Thy arm around me, to say to me My Child,' for the worse
^

am

my

state,

the greater

my

need."

May
Everything
able.
is

27th.

possible;

but without
is

labor and failure

nothing

achiev-

May
It
is

28th.

a happy thing for us that this

64
is

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
really all

we have

to concern our-

selves about

what

to do next.

May 29th.

We

are,

perhaps, too
of

much
death

in the as

habit of

thinking
of

the
re-

culmination

disease,
itself,
is

which,

garded only in
a terrible evil.

But
first

an evil, and think rather of


of

death as the
old,

pulse

the

new

strength, shaking itself free from the

mouldy
it

remnants

of

earth-gar-

ments, that
the
old.

may

begin, in freedom,

new

life

that grows

out of

the

May

30th.

Some natures will endure a great amount of misery before they feel
compelled
to

look

there,

for

help,

whence

all

help and liealing comes.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.

65

May
Never any one
self,

31st.

tried

to

be better,

without, for a time, seeming to him-

perhaps to others, to be worse.


5

JUNE.

June

1st.

Do

with

us
of

what

Thou
are

wilt,

all

glorious heart;

Thou God

them that

not

yet,

but grow

We
We,

trust

Thee
are

for the thing

we

shall

be yet;
too,
ill

content with what

we

are.

June 2d.

kingdom of heaven is not when God's will is our even come, when God's will is come law; it is our will.

The

70

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
June 3d.

The more we love God, we love each other.


June
Ifth,

the

more

God
wish
it

is

your

Father whether

you

or not.

June

5th.

God knows how


both far
look to
off

things look to us
near.

and

What
;

they

Him, is what they are we cannot see them so, but we see them as He meant us to see them, therefore
truly,

according to the measure

of the created.

Ju7ie 6tli.

No one God only

can

ever

save

his

soul.

can do that.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


June
7tli,

71

To have what we want


but
to

is

riches,
is

be

able

to

do

without

power.

June 8th.

who
he

That man has begun to be strong has begun to know that separated from life essential, that is God,
is

weakness

itself;
if

inexhaustible,
origin.

but of strength he be one with his

June 9th.

ing

Happy she, who as her sun down behind the western


ascending
the eastern old

is
is

goherre-

self

hill,

turning

through

age

to

the

second

and

better

childhood

which

shall not be taken

away.

72

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
June 10th.

On
earth

the

far
to

horizon

heaven
old

and

seemed

meet

as

friends,

who though never


friendship.

were yet in the continual act of renewing their


parted,

Ju7ie 11th.

The
joicing,

earth

like

the

angels was rethat that

if

not

over a sinner
over a
a

had repented, yet had passed from


higher
condition of
its

man
of

lower
life

into

a
its

out

earth into

air.

June

12th.
to
life.

To make

things real

us

is

the

end and battle-cause of


June
13th.

We

often

think

we

believe

what

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


we
are

73

only presenting to our imag-

inations.

The

least

thing can over-

throw that kind of

faith.

Ju7ie 14th.

You cannot leave thoughts as you do books. Those you love only come
nearer
to

you when

you

go away

from them.
June loth.
Faith in
iest
its
is

simplest, truest, mightto

form,

do His will in the


itself,

one thing revealing


ment, as duty.

at the

mo-

June 16th.

God
things,

lets

men
the

have
children
to

their
tliey

playare,

like

that

they

may

learn

distinguish

them from true

possessions.

74

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
June 17th.

Enduring evil, witliout returning was the Saviour's way. I fancy there would be more Christians, and
evil,

of

a better

stamp,

in

the

Avorld,

if

that

had been the mode of resistance

always adopted.

June 18th,

The man who

is

able to look

down
is

and see that part of him capable of


disappointment lying beneath him,
far

more

blessed

than

he

Avho

re-

joices in the fulfillment of his desires.

June 19th.

Only where God


ness.

is,

is

no

empti-

FllOM GEOBGE

MAC BONALB.

75

June Wtlu
Religion
the Father.
is

simply the

way home

to

June

31st.

Obedience
It
is

is

the road to all things.

the

only

way

to

grow

able

to

trust

Him.
Ju7ie 22d.

The gospel
our

is

not given to redeem

understandings, but

our hearts:

that done, and only then, our under-

standings will be free.

June 33d.

hover
trees

Poor unbelieving birds of God, we about a whole wood of the


of
life,

venturing a peck, here


if

and

there, as

their

fruit

might be

76

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
of

poison, and the design was our ruin.

our Creator

June

^4^71.

God
us,

finds

it

very

hard

to

teach

but

He

is

never tired of trying.

June 25th.

Love and
sides of the

faith and obedience same prism.

are

June 26th.

Nothing
3^our

but

Christ

very

own
not

teacher
all

Himself for and friend


doctrines
of

and
about

brother,

the

even if every one them were true, can save you.


Ju7ie 27th.
It
is

Him,

out of the storm alone that

true peace comes.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


Jime
C8tJi.

77

One
ten him

oue^ht

not
if

to

be

miserable
forgot-

about anotlier, as

God had

only

pray and be ready.

June

i^Oth.

Do you
liver

think

Jesus

came

to

de-

us from the punishment of our

sins?

The
all

terrible thing is to be bad,

and
liver

until

punishment is to help to deus from it, nor will it cease we have given up being bad.
June 30th.

To

the loving

soul

alone

does the

Father reveal Himself; for love alone

can understand Him.

JULY.

July

1st.

Come to me, come to me, O my God Come to me everywhere.


Let
the
trees

mean Thee, and


air.

the

grassy sod,

And

the water and the

For Thou art so far, that I often doubt, As on every side I stare.
Searching within, and looking without, If Thou art anywhere.

July 2d.
God's
doctrine

mercy
of

is

infinite
is

and

the

adoption

one

of the

falsest of all doctrines

so-called Church,
6"

invented by the and used by yet less

loving teachers, to oppress \(dthal, the

82

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
and scare

souls of God's true children,

them from

their Father's arms.

Juli/ 3d.

something better and and lovelier, that Christ Only you must leave will teach you. human teachers altogether, and give
It

will

be

better, lovelier

yourself to

Him

to be taught.

Jicli/

^th.

If we do not trust God, and will not work with Him; but are always thwarting Him, in His endeavors to make us there alive, then we must be miserable
:

is

no help

for

it.

July 5th.

The thing

that

lovely thing, and he

God loves is the who does it,

only
does

FE03f GEORGE
well
;

MAC DONALD.

83

and

is it

that he does

on the way to discover very badly.


July 6tlu

The doing

of things

from

dut}^,

is

but a stage on the road to the kingdom


of truth and love.

July

7th.

To hold
neighbor
true

fast

upon God, with one


is

hand, and open wide the other to your

that

religion

and the

way

to all better things that are

yet to come.

July 8th,
are unaware of their and never pray against them, that must be led into temptation,
It
is

those

who

proclivities,

lest

they

sliould

forever

continue

capable of evil.

84

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
July 9th,
I

cannot help thinking

if

I could

get

head and heart into the kingdom of Heaven, I should find that everything else would come right. I believe it is God Himself I want nothing will do but Himself in me.

my

July

lOtli.

you are good, then you will know why He did not make you good at first, and will be perfectly satisfied with the reason because you will find so good, it good and just and right that it was altogether beyond the un;

When

derstanding of one

who

is

not good.

July 11th.

Peace

is

for those

who do
it.

the truth,

not for those

who

opine

FROM GEORGE MAC BOXA LD.


Jidi/ 12th,

85

To know God

is

to be in the secret

place of all knowledge.

July 13th,

To
one
his

wait for God, believing


design to redeem

it His His creatures,

ready to put to the liand, the

moment

hour strikes, is faith worker with Him.

lit

for a fellow-

July

IJ^th.

When
sky,
it

I look like

this into the blue

seems so deep, so peaceful, so


mysterious tenderness, that
for centuries,
of
I
lie

full of a

could
the

and wait for

dawning

the face of

God

out

of the awful loving-kindness.

86

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
July 15 th.
It
is

for the

revelation
that

of

all

human

souls,

they
a

God may
so

to

be
beis

saved by knowing Him, and

coming
Gospels.

like

Him, that

child

chosen and set before

them, in

the

July 16th.
Reality,

however lapped

in

vanity,
lose its

or

even

in

falsehood, cannot

power.

July 17th.
Forgiveness
lovely.
is

love towards the un-

July 18th.

To
brush

help the growtli of a thought

that struggles

toward

the

light

to

with

gentle

hand, the

earth-

FR OM GEOB GE MA C D ONA LD.


stain

87

from

the

white

of

one

snow-

drop, such be

my

ambition.

Juli/ 19th.

People
dences.
I

talk

about

special

provi-

believe in the providences,

but

not in

the

specialty.
lets the

do not

think that
affairs

God

thread of

my

go for six

seventh

and on the evening, takes it up for a


days,

moment.

Jul?/ 20tli.

Until
to

we

love the Lord, so as to do


us,

what He
have
disciples

tells

we have no
all

right

an ojDinion
;

about what the


they wrote
is

meant for about things beyond

us.

88

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
July 2l8t.

My
I

God,

thank Tliee, Thou dost care

for me.

am

content, rejoicing to go on,


far

Even when my home seems very


away

For over grief and aching emptiness,

And

fading hopes, a higher joy arises.

July 22d,
is the most man, who in punishment to a dreadful the main is honest.

To

succeed in the wrong

July 23d,
I would never would spend my energy in setting forth what I believe, and so leave it to work its own way.

If

had

my

way,

argue

at

all.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


July 24th.
Surely
the
if

89

truth,

God has made us He has got some

to desire

truth to

cast into the gulf of tliat

desire.

July 25th.

Love

is

one and love

is

changeless.

July 26th,
I do not think that the road to contentment lies in despising what we have not got. Let us acknowledge all good, and be content without it.

July 27th.

The world will never be right till the mind of God is the measure of
things,

and the will

of

God

the law

of things.

90

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
Juhj
9.8tli.

Remember

the
it.

Truth

depends not

on your seeing

July 29th

Show me
from
an}^, let

the person
it

ready to step

be the narrowest sect

of Clnistian Pharisees, into a freer

and

holier air;

and

I will

look to find, in

that person, the one of tliat sect, who,


in the midst of its darkness

and
life

selfish

worldliness, has been living a

more

obedient than the

rest.

July 30th.
In giving,
to the

we

receive
is

more than
in

w^e

give; and the

more

proportion

worth of the thing given.

FR03f GEORGE MACBONALD.


July
31st.

91

Well do
being ought
to be

know

not

one
it
:

human

even

were

possible

enough

for himself

each of us
soul
;

needs God, and every


has made, before

human

He
but

He

has enough

we ought each
of

what

is

to be able, in the hope one day to come, to endure

for a time, not

having enough.

AUGUST.

August

1st.

We

believe

nay, Lord,
shall

we only

hope,

That one day we


fectly,

thank Thee perall

For pain and hope and


or drove

that

led

Us back

into the

bosom

of

Thy

love.

August 3d.

Our

strength ought to go into coninto talk

duct, not
talk about

least

of

all,

into

what they

call the doctrine

of the gospel.

August 3d.
If

the world

is

God's,

every true
in
it.

man ought

to feel at

home

96

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
August
^tli.

Something
the

is

wrong,

if

the cahii of

summer night

does not sink into

the heart, for the peace of

God

is

there

embodied.

August

5th.

As
fills

the light

fills

the earth, so

God

what we

call

life.

August

6th.

To do what we
gether
higher,

ought,

is

an

alto-

diviner,

more

potent,

more creative
tiful

thing, than to write the

grandest poem, paint the most beaupicture,

carve

the

mightiest

dream out the most enchanting commotion of melody and harmony.


statue, or

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


August
7th.

97

Christian

is

just

one that does

what the Lord Jesus tells him. Neither more nor less than that makes a
Christian.

Augmt
The
Lord
as
lias

8th.

not
old

forsaken ones

His

people because the young ones do not

think just

the

choose.
tell

The Lord
them, and

has something fresh to


is

getting them

ready to

receive His message.

August

9th.

On

the borders

of her playfulness,

there seemed ever to

hang a fringe
all
its

of

thoughtfulness, as
present

if

she felt that the


sparkle

moment owed

and

brilliance to the eternal sunlight.

98

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
to

God was good


her.

her,

and

to us, in

August 10th.
Everything God gives you
to

do,

you must do
that
for
is

as well

as

you

can,

and
do

the

best

possible

preparation

what He may want

you

to

next.

August 11th.
It

was one
life

of

the

lessons

of

our

Lord's

that knowledge and

power

are not on a level with goodness.

August

12th.

We
things,

cannot see the truth in

common
they be-

the will

of

God
is

in little every-

day

affairs,

and that

how

come

so irksome to us.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


August 13th.

99

The lowest work which God


a

gives

man

to

do must

be in

its

nature

nobie,
est.

as certainly noble

as the high-

August
Life
will
is

IJfth.

God's school, and they


to

who

listen

the

Master there, will

learn at God's speed.

-August

15tJi.

Something

is

wrong
is

in the

man

to

whom

the sunrise

not a divine glory,

for therein are

simplicity, the

embodied the truth, the might of the Maker.

August

16th.
anj^-

Let no one who wants to do


thing for the soul
of

man

lose

100

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
of

chance
body.

doing

something

for

his

August

17th.

God
souL

is

the only

home

of the

human

August

18tli.

real

duty

is

always
a

something

right in

itself.

The duty

man makes
it

his for the time,

by supposing

to be

a duty,

may

be something quite wrong

in itself.

August 19 th,
Believe in the Will that with a thought can turn the shadow of death into the morning give gladness for weeping, and the garment of praise for
;

the spirit of heaviness.

FROM GEORGE MAC BONALB.


August SOth,
It is a

101

good thing to desire


is

to share

good thing, Imt it unable alone to enjoy a good thing. It is our enjoyment that should make
us desire to share.
to be able to share.

not well to be

To

enjoy alone

is

August

21st,

Respect and graciousness from each to each, is the very essence of Christianity, independent of rank or possession or relation.

August 22d,

The man
suffering
is is

who
not wise.
it is

would

spare

due

unpleasant

Because a thing folly to conclude it

ought not

to be.

102

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS

sinners

There are creations to be perfected, to be redeemed, through the

ministry of pain.

August Q3d.

Mercy sometimes wished


good
;

slie were but there are thousands of wan-

dering ghosts

who would

be good,

if

they might

without
life

taking
to

trouble

the kind of goodness they desire

would

not be worth a

hold

it.

August

^Ifth.

Instead of God's truth they offer man's theory, and accuse of rebellion against God such as cannot live on the husks they call food.

August

25t7i.

He speaks against God Avho says He does things that are not good. It

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


does not good.

103
it

make

a thing good to call

August 26th.

The
what
right.
is

justice

of

God

is

the love of

right and the doing of

what

is

Eternal miser}^ in the

name

of justice

could satisfy none but a demon, whose

bad laws had been broken.

August 27th,

How

did they find Thee in days of


old
?

How

did they grow so sure


in Th}^

They fought

name, they were

glad and bold,

They

suffered

and kept themselves

pure.

104

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
August ^8th.

When
row
is

will Ave understand that

it is

neither thought nor talk,

neither sor-

for sin, nor love of holiness that

required of us, but obedience.

To

be and to obey are one.

Aufjust S9th.
I

know
life

that all the strangest things

in

and history must one day come

together, in a beautiful face of loving

purpose, one of the faces of the living

God.

August 30th.

Our dependence

We

is our eternity. cannot live on bread alone: we

need every word of God.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD,


August
31sf.

105

God cannot by
out, yet
is

searching be found

ever before us: the one

we

know, the one we cannot lielp knowing for His end in giving us being, is that His humblest creature shoukl at length possess Himself, and be possessed by Him.
can
best
;

SEPTEMBER.

September

1st.

Defeat thou

know'st

not,

canst

not

know
'Tis that thy aims so lofty go,

They need as long to root and grow, As infant hills to reacli the snow.

September 2d.

God

will

not take you away

if

it

be better for yow. to live here longer.

But you will have to go sometime and if you contrived to live after God wanted you to go, you would find 3^ourself much less ready when the time came that you must go.

110

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
September 3d.

God

is

the

one perfect individual,

and while this world is His and that world is His, there can be no inconsistency, no violent difference, between there and here.

Sejjtemher

Iftli.

All
God's.

is

man's,

only

because

it

is

Sepiemher 5th.

The only way


right, is to
if

to

get at

what

is

do what seems right. Even we mistake, there is no other way.


September 6th.

Evil that is not seen to be evil by one willing and trying to do right, is not counted evil to him. It is evil,

FR OM GEORGE MAC DONA LB.


only to the person
it

Ill

to

be evil or
it

who either knows who does not care

whether

be or not.

September

7tli.

The philosopher
the
is

is

he who lives in
;

thought of things

the

Christian

he who lives in the things them-

selves.

September 8th.
if I could get them and beautiful things in words, it would not only do them good, but would help them to see what is in the Bible and therefore love it more.

I thought that

to like poetry

Sei^tember 9th.
It is in

our

own

actions that

own thoughts, and our we have first to stand

112

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
for the

up
to

right

our business

is

not

from our neighbor's wrong, but our neighbor from our wrong. This is to slay evil, the
protect ourselves

other

is

to

make

it

multiply.

September 10th.

Things are ours, that we may use sometimes that we may for all sacrifice them. God had but one precious thing and He gave that.

them

September 11th.

There
self

is

no forgetting ourselves, but

in the finding of our deeper, our truer

the

Christ in us.

September 12th,
Religfion
is

neither the food nor the


It
is

medicine of being.
tial.

the

life essen-

FHOM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


September
13tli,

113

Depend upon
use of
its
life,

it,

we

get

our best

in learning,

ebb and flow, to


of

by the facts of understand tlie

Son

Man.
September
lJ{ih.

Praised be the grandeur of the

God
His

who can endure


children suffer.

to

make and

see

September 15th.

Thanks be to Him for His north winds and His poverty, and His bitterness
errs
!

that

falls

upon the

spirit

that

Let

those

Avho
for

know Him,

thus

praise the

Lord

His goodness.
16tli.

September
"

By
8

life,

mean

being.

If there

114

BEAUTIFUL THOUGUTS

be no God, I dare not kill m3^self,"


said

Malcolm, "

lest

worse should be
is

waiting
If there
all

me

in the awful voids beyond.

be a God, living or dying


it

one, so

be Avhat

He

pleases."

September 17th,

Some people are content not to do mean actions. I want to become incapable of a mean thought or feeling.
September ISth.

As we grow ready for true nobility, somewhere or other we will find Avhat
is

needful for us, in a book, or a friend,


all,

or best of

the

eternal

in our own thoughts thought speaking in our

thoughts.

September

lOtli.

There

is

no strength

in

unbelief.

FBOM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


Even
the unbelief of

115

what

is

false is

no source of might. It is the truth shining from behind, that gives the
strength to disbelieve.

September ^Oth.

God may

be good, although to you.

His government

may seem

to

deny

it.

September
It is

^2 1st.

the nobler thing to seek

God
up
to

in the days of gladness, to look

when the sun is shining. But if a man be miserable, if the storm is coming down on him,
Him,
in trustful bliss,

what

is

he to do?

There

is

nothing

mean in seeking God then, though it would have been nobler to seek Him
before.

116

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
September 22d.

If
if

you have ever


afar

seen the
if

Lord,

you have any vaguest suspicion that Jesus was a better man than other men, one of your first duties must be to open your ears to His words, and see whether they commend themselves to you as true; then, if they do, to obey them with your whole strength and might.
only from

September 23d,

When we
only do
ourselves.

understand

Him,
life

then

we understand our

and

September ^^th.

The only and


capable of
is

greatest thing

man

is

Trust in God.

FROM GEORGE MA C DONA LB.


Seftemher
25tli.

117

The
is

even the lowest kind, of the truth, and to be compelled to


true, in

feel that is to be driven a trifle nearer

to

the

truth of being, of creation, of

God.
September Q6th.

Every truth has


shadow.

its

own danger

or

September 27th.
I imagine that to

him that has over-

come the world,


victory,
it

in very viitue of his

show itself the lovely and pure thing it was created for
will
;

he will see through the cloudy envelope of his battle to the living kernel below.
September 28th.

What

a joy to

know

that,

of

all

lis
tilings

BEAVTIFVL THOUGHTS
and
us
of
all

thoughts

est to

so
far

Gcni
we

is

near-

near that
infinitely.

eajinot see

Him, but

beyond seeing Him, can

know

Him

Septemhrr i^k.

God
is

alone can

tell

what delights
tlie

it

possible for
heart,

Him

to give to

pure

in

who

shall

one

dav behold

Him.
Septemhtr
-JOth.
is

The
to see
it

true possession of anything

for

and feel in it, what God made and the uplifting of the soul
is

by that knowledge,
havins:.

the joy of true

OCTOBER.

October 1st,

Nor seek tlioii to revive The summer time, when


alive.

roses

were
to be

Do

thou thy work.


old;
is

be willing
for

Thy sorrow
enfold

the

husk that doth


Avhich

gorgeous

June,

thou

need'st not strive.

October 2d.

The world might be divided


those

into

and tlnDse who do not into the forces and facts, the slaves and fancies those who are
let

who

tilings

go,

122

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
doing

something on God's and those that are always grumbling and striving against them.
always
creative lines,

October 3d.

Real union must ever be in proportion to mutual truthfulness.


October
^tli.

To
ing.

miss

is

the preparation for receiv-

October 5th.

One

incapable

of

drudgery cannot

be capable of the finest work.


October 6th.

The
or
is

idea that our standing


of

is

deteris

mined by our knowledge


not the thing^
is

what

one of the degrad-

ing influences of modern times.

FROM GEOBGE MAC DONALD.


October 7th.

123

I thought within myself, that if there were a God, He certainly knew that I would give myself to Him, if I could: that if I knew Jesus to be really His son, however it might seem strange to believe in Him, and hard to obey liini, and then a verse I would try to do so about the smoking flax and the bruised reed came into my head, and a great hope arose in me.
;

October 8th.

good and the bad makes good good thoughts and good desires in us but we must yield we must turn to Him we must consent to be made good.
sliows us the

God

urges

us

to

be

October 9th.

The more anxious he was

to

come

124

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
tlie

near to God,

more he

felt

that

the high-road to

God

lay through the

forest of humanity.

October 10th.
It
is

in the individual soul that the

Spirit

works,

and out of which

He

sends forth fresh influences.

Oetoher 11th,

Good

women,

in

their

supposed

ignorance of men's wickedness, are not

unfrequently like the angels, in that they understand it perfectly, without


the knowledge soiling one feather of
their wings.

October imh.

Until Ave
onl}^

becjin

to

learn that

the
real

way

to

serve

God, in

any

FROM GEORGE
sense
of

3IAC DONALD.
is

125

the

word,

to

serve

our

we may have knocked at the wicket-gate, but I doubt if we liave


neighbor,

got one

foot

across

the

threshold of

the kingdom.

October 13th.

All the doors that lead inward to


the secret place of the

Most High
self

are
of

doors

outwards

smallness

out

out

of

out

of wrong.

October l^th.
It
is
is

not the high


God's.

summer
is

alone
His.

that

The

Avinter also

All man's winters are His,


of

our

poverty,

sorrow

even

the

the

winter
of

winter

our
dis-

the

winter of our

content.

126

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
October IStJi.

We cannot live on air alone, we need an atmosphere of living souls.


October 16th.

The
all

love

of of

Gocl
all

is

the

source of

joy,

and

good things, and

this love is present in the child, Jesus.

October 17tlu

fancy the most indispensable thing to a life is that it should be interesting


I

to those

who have

it

to live.

October 18th.

The wind-tossed anemone


of

is

a
the

word
un-

God

as

leal

and true

as
it

bending oak beneath wliich

grows.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


October 19t7i.

127

Perhaps the highest moral height which a man can reach, and at the same time the most difficult of attainment, is
the willingness to be notliing.

October 20tlu

We
in

can behold and understand God,


least degree, as well as in the

the

greatest,
us,

only by the Godlike Avithin and he that loves thus the good and great has no room, no thought, no necessity for comparison and difference.

October 2l8t.

Sunshine

is

not gladness,

because
are
far

you see

Him

not.
is

The

stars

away because He

not near.

128

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
October 22d.

The

heart within you


3'ou let

cries
it

out for
It is

something, and
crying for
its

cry.

Gocl

for its father

and

mother and home.


come, when
all

the day will world will look dull and gray, till your heart is satisfied and quieted with the presence of Him in whom we live, move, and have

And

the

our being.
October 23d.
I believe

that the grand, noble

way
must

of thinking of

God and His


it

will

be the true way, though


belief in beauty

never can
is

be grand or noble enough: and that

and

truth,

essential

to a right understanding of the world.

October

SJftli.

Sorrow herself will reveal, one day.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


that

129

she

was

only

the

beneficent

shadow

of joy.

October 25th.

When we

love truly, all oppression

of past sin will be

swept av/ay.

October 26th.

Love is the final atonement, oi which and for which the sacrifice of the atonement was made. And till this atonement is made in every man, sin holds its own, and God is not all in
all.

October 27th.

The
God.

goal of

all life is

the

face of

October 28th.

She had a strong instinctive feeling

130
that she
thing,
tried

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
was in the world to do someand she saw that if nohody to keep things right they would

go terribly wrong. If slie could do nothing with the big things, she must be the busier with tlie
little

things.

October 29th.

Perhaps
is

she
:

had

to

learn

yet

higher lesson
of
it

tliat our one free liome

the Heart, the eternal, lovely Will

God, than that which should

fail,

would be
in

better that

we should go
this

out

blackness.

But

Will

is

our Salvation.
shall live also.

Because

He

liveth,

we

October 30th.
Is
it

true

that

all

our experiences

will one

day revive

in entire clearness

FROM GEOBGE MAC DONALD,


of outline,

131

and

full brilliancy of color,

passing before
to the

the

horror-struck

soul
asserIf so,

denial

of time,

and the
for

tion

of

ever-present

eternity?
us,

then

God

be

with

we

shall

need Him.
October 31st.

The
the

Spirit

of

God

lies

all

about
sea,

spirit of

man,
in, at

like a

mighty

ready to rush
in the
his

the smallest chink

walls, tliat shut

him out from

own.

NOVEMBER.

November
Better a death

1st.

is done most favored birth Better a child in God's great house

when work

Than

earth's

Than

of all the earth. the kinof t>

November 2d,

That which
plentifully,
as

is is

best

He

gives most

reason
fulness

with
of

Him.

Hence the quiet


nature
;

ordinary

hence the Spirit to them that

ask

it.

November 3d.

And

then I thought
it

of

the

that bloweth where

listeth,

wind which is

136

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
I thanked God for whose story and whose

everywhere, and
the Life of
life

words are in that best of books.

November
If

J^tli.

we do evil that good may come, we looked for will never come But once evil is done, we thereby. may humbly look to Him who bringeth
the good

good out

of evil

and wait.

November 5th.

Only as we do our duty will light go up in our hearts, making us wise to understand the precious words of
our Lord.

November

6th.

What we
little

all

need

is

just to
;

become

children like

Him

to cease to be

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


careful

137

about many things, and trust Him, seeking only that He slioulcl rule, and that we should be made good like Him.
in

November

7th.

We

profess

to

think

Jesus
of

the

grandest

and

most glorious

men,

and yet hardly care to be like Him and so when we are offered His Spirit
for the asking,

we

Avill

hardly take the

trouble to ask for

it.

JVovemher 8th.

The philosopher

occupies

himself

with what God ma}^ intend, the Christian with what God may want him to
do.

N'ovemher 9th.
It is a joy to

think that

He

will not

138

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
if you should and ask for it, as

give you a stone, even

take
such.

it

for

loaf,

N^overnher 10th.

When

people

do

not

understand

what the Lord says, when it seems to them that His advice is impracticable, instead of searching deeper for a meaning which will be evidently true and
wise, they comfort themselves by think-

ing

He

could not have meant


it.

it

al-

together, and so leave

November 11th.
Let us seek to find out what our Lord means that we may do it trying and failing, and trying again, verily what matter to be victorious at last, ivhen so long as we are trying, and so coming nearer to our end.
:

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


November 12th.

189

To

serve

is

the highest, noblest call-

ing in creation.

For even the Son of

Man came

not to be ministered unto

but to minister.

November 13th.
Father! we need
spring,

Thy winter

as

Thy

And Thy

poor children, knowing


to

Thy

great heart.

Will cease
Will
lift

vex Thee

Avith

our pee-

vish cries.

our eyes and smile, though


less

sorrowful.

Yet not the


Is overstrung.

pray for

Thy

help,

when pain

November l^th.
It has

been well said that no

man

140

BEAUTIFUL TUOUQHTS

ever sank under the burden of the day.


It is

to the
is

is added burden of to-day that the weight more than a man can bear.

when to-morrow's burden

November loth.

One

of the

highest benefits
that

reap from understanding the

we can way of

God with

ourselves

is,

we become

able thus to trust

whom we

with do not understand His ways.


for others,

Him,

November 16th,

The

poorest

success,

provided

the

attempt has been genuine, will enable one to enter into any art ten times
better than before.

November 17th.
I think the
rest, in

heaven, as here,

will be the presence of

God, and

if

we

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


have
will

141

Him

with us, the battlefield


stars.

itself

be, if

not quiet, yet as full of

peace as this night of

November 18th.

Humble
of

ministrations to your neigh-

bor will help you to that perfect love

God which

casteth out fear.

November 19 th.
Nothing but the love

God

revealed in Christ

of God that will make you

able to love your neighbor aright.

November 20th.

One
battles

of the great battles that

to fight in this world for

we have twenty great


all

have

and

in one

to be
is

fought,

at once

the battle with appear-

ances.

142

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
November
21st,
tlie

Contempt

is

one of

lowest
aii}^

spirit-

ual conditions in which


place himself.

being can

Our Lord

says,

"Take

heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for their angels do always behold the face of My Father, who is
in heaven."

November 22d.
In thinking
lovingly about others,

we think

healthily about ourselves.

November 23d.
There
is

One who bringeth

light out

of darkness, joy out of sorrow, humility

out of wrong.

November

2^111.

When

our duty looks like an enemy.

FROM GEOliGE MAC DONALD.

143

dragging us into the dark mountains, we have no less to go with it, than when, like a friend with loving face, it offers to lead him along green pastures, by the river-side.

November
It
is

25tli,

a fine thing in
to be silent.

friendship

to

know when

November
Action
is

26tli.

more

powerful

than

speech, in the inculcation of religion.

November 27th.

Some spirit must move in that wind that haunts us with a kind of

human

sorrow.

144

BEAUTIFUL TU0UGUT8
November 28th,

Thou,

too,

hast

such
waiting

chamber,
for
thee.

quietest place,

Where
That

God What is

is

it

will not let thee enter?

November 29th.
In the cold desolate garret he knelt

and cried out unto that which laybeyond the thought that cried, the unknowable infinite, after the God

who may
little

be

found,

as his

surely as

child

knows

mysterious

mother.

November 30th.

God cannot
than

be

more

your
be

Father

He

is.

You may

more His

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


child

145

you are, but not more than He meant you to be, nor more than He made you for.
than

10

DECEMBER.

December

1st.

But He said that they who did His work The truth of it should know:
do it if He be Lord, Perhaps the old spring will flow. old spirit wind will Perhaps the
I will try to

blow,

That He promised

to their prayer.

And

doing

Thy

will, I

yet shall

know

Thee Father, everywhere

December 2d.

The winter restrains that the summer may have the needful time to do

150
its

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
work well
:

for tlie winter

is

but

the sleep of summer.

December 3d.
Shall
life

itself
its

be

less

beautiful

than one of
lieve
it.

days?
call

Do
the

not be-

shadow upon the universe, Avhere their own dusky souls come between life; and then it and the eternal sun
thrown

Men

mourn

that

it

should be

less

bright

than the hopes of their childhood.

December
All good
is

4i^i.

God. If a man love his brother whom he hath seen, the love of God, whom he hath not seen,
of
is

not very far

off.

December 5th.

Unto

every one

whom God

hath

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


sent into the world,

151

work

to

He hath given a do in that world.

Decejnber 6th.

Whatever

may

be

meant

by
it,
:

the
it
is

place of misery, depend upon

love only another form of love shining through the fogs of ill, and so made to look something very different.

December

7th.
tries

The
to

simplest

woman who
neighbor,

not

judge

her
is

will

better

know what
best-read

best to

know, than the


that

bishop

without

one

simple outgoing of his highest nature,


in

the

effort

to

do the will of

Him

who

thus spoke.

152

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
December
8th.

is

The one grand thing in humanityfaith in God; the highest in God,


goodness.

His truth, His


eousness.

His

right-

Becemher

9th.

As
me,
is

far

as

my

experience

guides

am bound
for

to believe that there


suffi-

a spot of soil in every heart,

cient
seed.

the

growth

of

gospel

December 10th.
Aspiration

and

obedience

are

the

two mightiest

forces for development.

December 11th.

Of nothing can my heart be


Except the highest, best

sure

When God

I see

with vision pure,

That sight

will be

my

rest.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


December 12th,

153

The
because
there
is

true
of

way
our

is

difficult

unchildlikeness,
life

enough, but
gained,

a fresh
height,
for

with every sur-

mounted more life

a purer air

more climbing.

December ISth.

quiet heart, submissive, meek.


Father, do thou bestow.

Which more than granted will To have, or give, or know.

not seek

December

IJfth,

The winter
year.

is

the childhood of the

Into this childhood of the year


;

came the child Jesus


childhood
descend.
of

and into

this
all

the

year must

we

154

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
December 15th.

When

the

human

soul

is

not yet able

God-man, God, sometimes, might I not say always ? reveals Himself, or at least gives Himself, in some human being, whose face, whose hands are tlie ministering angels of His unacknowledged presence, to keep alive the fire of love on the altar of the heart, until God hath provided the sacrifice that is, until the soul is strong enough to draw
to receive the vision of the

it

from the concealing thicket.

December 16th.
not good that a man should day and night at the gate of heaven. Sometimes he can do nothing else, and then nothing else is worth doing but the very noise of the siege
It
is

batter

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


will

155

sometimes drown the

still

small

voice that calls from the open postern.

December

17tli.

No human
pure benefactor.

being

has

ever

been

allowed to occupy the position of a

The

receiver has his

turn and becomes the giver.

December 18 th.

Think not about thy sin, so


it

as to

either less or greater in thine

make own
it

eyes.
to

Him

Bring it to Jesus, and leave to judge thee.


December
19tli.

Our Lord taught us and not get tired of it.


poor creatures we

to pray always

God, however would have He can speak for then Him, to us talk

may

be,

156
to US

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS
better

than Avlien

we turn no

face to

Him.
December 20th.

God

gives us every sort of opportu-

nity for trusting

Him.

Decemher 21st.

Come home, hungry


is

soul

Thy God
the
all

not like the elder brother of

parable, but a

God high above

thy

longing, even as the heavens are above


the earth.

Decemher 22d.

Who

dwelleth in that secret place,


enters not.

Where tumult
Is never cold

with terror base,


hot,

Never with anger

FB OM GEOBGE MA C DONALD.
For
if an evil host should dare His very heart invest, God is his deeper heart, and there

157

He

enters into rest.

December 23d.

Lord did Him, and only through sorrow came to see


of

The very mother

the

not, for a long time, understand

true glory.

December 2^th.

A
may

body cannot

rise to the

height of

grace all at once, nor yet in ten or twenty years. Maybe if I do right, I

be able to come to that ere

all

be

done.

December

25tli.

I call

In the name of the holy child, Jesus, upon you tliis Christmas Day to

158
cast

BEAUTIFUL mOUGHTS
care
:

to

the winds, and trust in


tliat

God
ask

to

remember

the

one gift
Spirit

promised Avithout reserve, to those that


it,

is

the gift of the

Holy

the spirit of the child Jesus,

take of the things of Jesus

who will and make

you understand them.


December 26th.
Tliere

can be no true labor done,

save in as far as

we

are fellow-laborers

with God.

We

must work with Him,

not against Him.

December 27th.
If

we could thoroughly understand


that

anvthing,

would

be

enough

to
is

prove

it

undivine, and that which

but one step beyond our understanding

must

be, in

some
if it

of

its

relations, as

mysterious as

were a hundred.

FROM GEORGE MAC DONALD.


December 8th.

159

"What
poor?

is

a
is

man
lie

to to

do

for

the

How

work

with

God?"
them

He must be a man amongst man breathing the air of a


life,

higher
natural

and
to

therefore,
his

in

all

ways,
relations

fulfilling

endless

human

them.

December 29th.

Of one The same


all

thing

am

pretty

sure.

recipe Goethe gave for the


life

enjoyment of
work.
"

applies

equally to
that
lies

Do

the
is

tiling
all

next you."

That

our business.

December 30th.

Whatever you do
let 3^our

for

the
is

needy,
you, in

own

being,

relation to them,

be

that

the background,

that so you

may

be

a link

between

IGO

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS.

say,

them and God, or rather, I should between them and a knowledge


God.

of

December 31st,

Thou

goest thine, and I go mine


;

Many ways Ave wend Many days and many ways,


Ending
in one end.

Many a wrong, and its curing song; Many a road, and many an inn Room to roam, but only one home
For
all

the world to win.

INDEX

INDEX.

Action,

143.

Affliction, 19.

Against God,

103.

Aid, an, 111. All at once, 157. All his Works declare Him, 23. All that can be done, 16.

An

opportunity, 99.
88.

Appearances, 141. Ai-gument, 13, 33,

Battle-cause of

life, 73.

Beautiful faces, 104. Become thou pure, 11.

Begin to be strong,
Being, 114.

71.

Belief in beauty, 128.

Be

satisfied, 84.

Best, 135.

164

INDEX,

Best things, 48. Best use of life, 113. Be willing to be old, 121. Burdens, 20, 140.

Business of

life, 26.

Calm

of the

summer

night, 96.

Care ye

little, 9.

Character, 58. Childhood, 153.


Christ alone, 76.
Christianity, 11, 46.

Christians in the world, 59.

Come to us, 19. Come unto Me,

51, 82.

Conduct, 95. Contempt, 142. Contentment, 46,

89.

Cry of Humanity,

59.

Cup

of cold water, 25.

Days

of gladness, 115.
9, 10, 64, 135.

Death,

Defeat, 109.

Doing, not disputing, Doors, 125.

19, 149.

INDEX,
Doubt, 24, Drudgery,
49, 63, 114,

165

144

122.

Dullness, 48.

Duty,

58, 83, 136, 142, 159.

Earnest work, 14. Enduring evil, 74.


Essence of Christianity, 101. Eternal Sunlight, 98.
Evil, 55, 110.

Failures,

15.

Faith, 33, 38, 47, 73, 139, 140. Faithfulness, 7.

Feeling, 39.

Forces and Facts, 122. Forest of Humanity, 124. Forgiveness, 43, 44, 45, 86.
Free-will, 123.

Friendship, 72, 143.

Gladness

for weeping, God, only, creates, 8.

100.

God

sees thee, 20.


9, 63.

God's especial tenderness,

166

INDEX.

Grod's greatness, 113.

God's patience, 76. God's school, 99, 115. God's will, 89.

God with thee, 12, 35, 62. Good to the poor, 59, 159. Good women, 124.
Gospel, 75.

Growth,

47, 61.

Happiness, 71. Hard-hearted, 32.

Here and there, 110. Higher joy, 88. Higher Life, 90. His end in giving, 105.
His north winds, His Spirit, 47. Hoping, 32.
113.

Human, we
Hurt
Husks,
102.

love, 12.

of love, 16.

If
If

Thou shine in me, 13. you would only ask, 12.

Individual soul, 124.

INDEX.
In God,
25.

167

Injustice, 36, 44.

Inward

sense, 31.

Jesus, 31, 158.


Joy, 129.

Judge

not, 46, 49, 151.

Justice of God, 103.

Kindness,

62.

Kingdom

of Christ, 26 49, 69.


16, 50, 85.

Knowledge,
Labor,

63, 158.

Less ready, 109.


Life, 40, 74, 96, 126, 136.

Life

and

religion, 24.
2, 14.

Light out of darkness,


Little affairs, 98, 130. Little child, 86, 136.

Longing, 51, 81, 84, 103, 128, Lost years, 26. Love, faith, obedience, 76. Lowest work, 98.

156.

Man's

labors, 21.

Mean

thoughts, 114.

168
Mercy,
81.

INDEX,

Ministry of pain, 102. Misery, 64, 65, 77, 82, 151. Mist and clouds, 57.

More

blessed, 74.
62.
87.

Murder,

My

ambition,

None but God,

11.

Not able to receive, 154. Not understanding, 138. Not having enough, 91.
Nothing, 127.

Not

love, 8.

Obedience,

32, 33, 75, 87, 104, 153.

One day, 95. One providence, 32. One of the lessons, 98. One of your first duties,
Only God, 10. Only lovely thing, Only way, 3.
Opportunity,
82.

116.

11, 156.

Our fate, 60. Our dependence, 104. Our business. 111.

INDEX,
Our truer
self, 112.

169

Outside the Kingdom,

26.

Parting,

160.

Peace, 20, 50, 76, 84.


Perfect, 25.

PMlosopher,

111.

Playthings, 130.

Power

of God, 60, 61, 70.

Praise enough, 39.

Prayer, 15, 137. Preparation, 98, 122.


Pride, 39.

Providences,

87.

Punishments,

77, 88.

Purest love of a
Purity, 37, 118.

woman,

8.

Quiet heart,

153.

Real Duty,

100.

Reahty, 86, 122. Receiver and Giver,


Rejoicing, 31, 72.
Religion, 75, 83, 112.

135.

Repentance, Repose, 22.

57.

170

INDEX.

Rest, 140, 155, 152, 157.


Results, 56.

Resurrection, 43. Revelation, 37, 77.


Richs, 71.

Sacrifice,

58, 112.

Salvation, 131.

Secret place, 21.


Service, 24, 34, 46, 124, 139.

Simple words,

37.

Smoking
Sorrow,
Still

flax, 123.

157.

Spirit of God, 131,

small voice, 154.

Stillness

and Thunder,

21.
13.

Strength of a
Success, 140.
Sunrise, 99.

woman,

Strive to be, 12.

Smishine, 127.

Take thought,
Temptation,
83.

14.

That which we

call evil, 11.

"The Thing,"

122.

iyi)EX.
Thoughts,
73.

171

Thy

Will, 27, 69.


96.

To do what we ought, To enjoy alone, 101.


Tools, 56.

To

trust God, 14, 15, 36, 116.


75.

Trees of Life,

Troubled Soul, 38. True nobility, 114, True power, CI. True self, 40.

115.

True way,
Trusted,
8.

153.

Truth,

9, 34, 117, 89, 90.

Unbelief of the Poor, Uncover the light, 19.

56.

Understanding, 116, 127, 158.

Victory, Voice, A,

117.
24.

Waiting,

85.

AVait in quietness, 10. What Thou Art, 21.

Who is a Christian,

97.

172
Will of God,
52.

INDEX,

Winter and Summer, 125, 149. Without taking trouble, 102.

Women's

mistake, 59,
7.

61.

Words, 38, 44. Work and Faith,

Work

on, 23, 34, 55.

Young and
Your Your Your Your

Old, 97.

enemies, 50. Father, 70. neighbor, 48. next duty, 22, 64.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

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