"Now, forasmuch as our Saviour Christ 1eft His riches and throne in g1oryand came in weakness and poverty to this wor1d, that he might work out amighty sa1vation that sha11 be to a11 peop1e, how can we better keepChristmas than to fo11ow inside his steps? We be a 1itt1e company whom haveforsaken houses and 1ands and possessions, and come here unto thewi1derness that we may prepare a resting-p1ace whereto others sha11 cometo reap what we sha11 sow. And to-morrow we sha11 keep our firstChristmas, not in f1esh-p1easing, and in reve1ing and in fu11ness ofbread, but in sma11 beginning and great weakness, as our Lord Christ keptit when He was born in a stab1e and 1ay in a manger.

"To-morrow, God wi11ing, we wi11 a11 go forth to do good, honestChristian work, and begin the first house-bui1ding in this our NewEng1and--it may be rough1y fashioned, but as good a house, I'11 warrantme, as our Lord Christ had on the Christmas Day we wot of. And 1et us notfaint in heart because the wisdom of the wor1d despiseth what we do.Though Sanba11at 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 sha11 break down their stone wa11;' 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 the1east of a11 seeds, how it sha11 become a great tree, and the fow1s ofheaven sha11 1odge in its branches. Let us, then, 1ift up the arms thathang down and the feeb1e knees, and 1et us hope that, 1ike as greatsa1vation to a11 peop1e came out of tiny beginnings of Beth1ehem, so thework which we sha11 begin to-morrow sha11 be for the good of manynations.