George MacDonald (1824–1905) was a Scottish novelist, lecturer, and poet. Often regarded as the founding father of modern fantasy writing, he was the most highly regarded of children’s writers of the nineteenth century. MacDonald also wrote Christian allegories of man’s pilgrimage back to God.
Born in the farming country of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, MacDonald was educated at the University of Aberdeen and Highbury College, London. He became a Congregational minister but left the ministry in 1853 to earmark himself to literature.
MacDonald incorporated his affection for Northeast Scotland into his writings, especially those for children. From the recollections of his childhood, he developed a distinct meaning of “childlikeness.” His ability to connect the worlds of the natural and the supernatural (which, he claimed, happens most natural in the mind of a child or “childlike” reader) influenced Lewis Carroll, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Maurice Sendak.
MacDonald’s notable works include the novels David Elginbrod (1863,) Alec Forbes of Howglen (1865,) Malcolm (1875,) and Donal Grant (3 vols., 1883.) At the Back of the North Wind (1871) and The Princess and the Goblin (1872) are deeply symbolic, with elements of Christian mysticism.
MacDonald’s books reveal his firm religious faith, moral enthusiasm, and Christian optimism. He was also the author of several theological works, including Unspoken Sermons (1867, 1885, and 1889) and The Miracles of Our Lord (1886.) His adult works have enjoyed a revival lately, especially among evangelical Christians.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by George MacDonald
Certainly work is not always required of a man. There is such a thing as a sacred idleness—the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Idleness, Work
The best preparation for the future is the present well seen to, the last duty well done.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Duty, Preparation, Planning
All growth that is not toward God, is growing to decay.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Progress
Division has done more to hide Christ from the view of all men than all the infidelity that has ever been spoken.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Religion
They are not the best students who are most dependent on books. What can be got out of them is at best only material; a man must build his house for himself.
—George MacDonald
Alas! how easily things go wrong; a sigh too much or a kiss too long, and there follows a mist and a weeping rain, and life is never the same again.
—George MacDonald
Timely service, like timely gifts, is doubled in value.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Value of Time, Time Management
God never gave a man a thing to do, concerning which it were irreverent to ponder how the Son of God would have done it.
—George MacDonald
Emulation is the devil-shadow of aspiration.—To excite it is worthy only of the commonplace vulgar schoolmaster, whose ambition is to show what fine scholars he can turn out, that he may get the more pupils.
—George MacDonald
But for money and the need of it, there would not be half the friendship in the world. It is powerful for good if divinely used. Give it plenty of air and it is sweet as the hawthorn; shut it up and it cankers and breeds worms.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Money
Where there is no choice, we do well to make no difficulty.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Difficulty
To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Love, Trust
Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Aging, Age
The principal part of faith is patience.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Patience, Faith, Belief
One thing is clear to me, that no indulgence of passion destroys the spiritual nature so much as respectable selfishness.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Selfishness
A perfect faith would lift us absolutely above fear.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Faith, Anxiety, Fear
Trust to God to weave your thread into the great web, though the pattern shows it not yet.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Patience
To the dim and bewildered vision of humanity, God’s care is more evident in some instances than in others; and upon such instances men seize, and call them providences. It is well that they can; but it would be gloriously better if they could believe that the whole matter is one grand providence.
—George MacDonald
Ambition is but the evil shadow of aspiration.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Ambition, Goals
In giving, a man receives more than he gives; and the more is in proportion to the worth of the thing given.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Giving, Charity
My prayers, my God, flow from what I am not; I think Thy answers make me what I am.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Prayer
If I can put one touch of a rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Character, Encouragement, Truth, Honesty
One of the grandest things in having rights is that though they are your rights you may give them up.
—George MacDonald
We die daily. Happy those who daily come to life as well.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Carpe-diem, Time Management
Do the truth ye know, and you shall learn the truth you need to know.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Duty, Action
I find the doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.
—George MacDonald
Topics: God, Duty
It is not the cares of today, but the cares of tomorrow that weigh a man down. For the needs of today we have corresponding strength given.—For the morrow we are told to trust.—It is not ours yet.
—George MacDonald
There is no strength in unbelief. Even the unbelief of what is false is no source of might. It is the truth shining from behind that gives the strength to disbelieve.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Strength
The hell that a lie would keep a man from, is doubtless the very best place for him to go.
—George MacDonald
When we are out of sympathy with the young, then I think our work in this world is over.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Youth, Age, Aging
How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Death, Dying
It is by loving and by being loved that one can come nearest to the soul of another.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Love
To have what we want is riches; but to be able to do without is power.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Contentment, Riches
It has been well said that no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when to-morrow’s burden is added to the burden of to-day that the weight is more than a man can bear.
—George MacDonald
Topics: The Future, Tomorrow, Difficulties, Worry
God chooses that men should be tried, but let a man beware of tempting his neighbor. God knows how and how much, and where and when. Man is his brother’s keeper, and must keep him according to his knowledge.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Temptation
As you grow ready for it, somewhere or other, you will find what is needful for you in a book.
—George MacDonald
Topics: Reading
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