“But there has been just one man who has acted thus.  And it is His Spirit in our hearts that makes us desire to know or to be another such—­who would do the will of God for God, and let God do God’s will for Him.  For His will is all.  And this man is the baby whose birth we celebrate this day.  Was this a condition to choose—­that of a baby—­by one who thought it part of a man’s high calling to take care of the morrow?  Did He not thus cast the whole matter at once upor the hands and heart of His Father?  Sufficient unto the baby’s day is the need thereof; he toils not, neither does he spin, and yet he if fed and clothed, and loved, and rejoiced in.  Do you remind me that sometimes even his mother forgets him—­a mother, most likely, to whose self-indulgence or weakness the child owes his birth as hers?  Ah! but he is not therefore forgotten, however like things it may look to our half-seeing eyes, by his Father in heaven.  One of the highest benefits we can reap from understanding the way of God with ourselves is, that we become able thus to trust Him for others with whom we do not understand His ways.

“But let us look at what will be more easily shown—­how, namely, He did the will of His Father, and took no thought for the morrow after He became a man.  Remember how He forsook His trade when the time came for Him to preach.  Preaching was not a profession then.  There were no monasteries, or vicarages, or stipends, then.  Yet witness for the Father the garment woven throughout; the ministering of women; the purse in common!  Hard-working men and rich ladies were ready to help Him, and did help Him with all that He needed.—­Did He then never want?  Yes; once at least—­for a little while only.

“He was a-hungered in the wilderness.  ‘Make bread,’ said Satan.  ‘No,’ said our Lord.—­He could starve; but He could not eat bread that His Father did not give Him, even though He could make it Himself.  He had come hither to be tried.  But when the victory was secure, lo! the angels brought Him food from His Father.—­Which was better?  To feed Himself, or be fed by His Father?  Judg? yourselves, jinxious people, He sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the bread was added unto Him.

“And this gives me occasion to remark that the same truth holds with regard to any portion of the future as well as the morrow.  It is a principle, not a command, or an encouragement, or a promise merely.  In respect of it there is no difference between next day and next year, next hour and next century.  You will see at once the absurdity of taking no thought for the morrow, and taking thought for next year.  But do you see likewise that it is equally reasonable to trust God for the next moment, and equally unreasonable not to trust Him?  The Lord was hungry and needed food now, though He could still go without for a while.  He left it to His Father.  And so He told His disciples to do when they were called to answer before