and my ill-temper?"

It would take the whole year through, my friend, to show you all that
it has to do with you and your unhappiness. All the Lessons,
Epistles, and Gospels of the year are set out to show you what it has
to do with you. But in the meanwhile, before Christmas-day comes,
consider this one thing: Why are you anxious? Because you do not
know what is to happen to you? Then Christmas-day is a witness to
you, that whatsoever happens to you, happens to you by the will and
rule of Jesus Christ, The perfect man; think of that. THE PERFECT
MAN--who understands men's hearts and wants, and all that is good for
them, and has all the wisdom and power to give us what is good, which
we want ourselves. And what makes you unhappy, my friends? Is it
not at heart just this one thing--you are unhappy because you are not
pleased with yourselves? And you are not pleased with yourselves
because you know you ought not to be pleased with yourselves; and you
know you ought not to be pleased with yourselves, because you know,
in the bottom of your hearts, that God is not pleased with you? What
cure, what comfort for such thoughts can we find?--This.

The child who was born in a manger on Christmas-day, and grew up in
poverty, and had not where to lay his head, went through all shame
and sorrow to which man is heir. He, Jesus, the poor child of
Bethlehem, is Lord and King of heaven and earth. He will feel for
us; He will understand our temptations; He has been poor himself,
that He might feel for the poor; He has been evil spoken of, that He
might feel for those whose tempers are sorely tried. He bore the
sins and felt the miseries of the whole world, that He might feel for
us when we are wearied with the burden of life, and confounded by the
remembrance of our own sins.