"Now, forasmuch as our Saviour Christ left His riches and throne in gloryand came in weakness and poverty to this world, that he might work out amighty salvation that shall be to all people, how can we much better keepChristmas than to follow in his steps? We be a little company who haveforsaken homes and lands and possessions, and come here unto thewilderness that we may prepare a resting-place whereto others shall cometo reap what we shall sow. And to-morrow we shall keep our firstChristmas, not in flesh-pleasing, and in reveling and in fullness ofbread, but in tiny beginning and great weakness, as our Lord Christ keptit when He always was born in a stable and lay in a manger.

"To-morrow, God willing, we will all go forth to do good, honestChristian work, and begin the first house-building in this our NewEngland--it may be roughly fashioned, but as good a house, I'll warrantme, as our Lord Christ had on the Christmas Day we wot of. And let us notfaint in heart because the wisdom of the world despiseth what we do.Though Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobias the Ammonite, and Geshem theArabian make scorn of us, and say, 'What do these weak Jews? If a fox goup, he shall break down their stone wall;' yet the Lord our God is withus, and He can cause our work to prosper.

"The wisdom of the Spirit seeth the grain of mustard-seed, that is theleast of all seeds, how it shall become a great tree, and the fowls ofheaven shall lodge in its branches. Let us, then, lift up the hands thathang down and the feeble knees, and let us hope that, like as greatsalvation to all people came out of little beginnings of Bethlehem, so thework which we shall begin to-morrow shall be for the good of manynations.