lecture19-第5章

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is　followed　by　innumerable　other　Christians。　　Persistence　in



leaning　on　the　Almighty　for　support　and　guidance　will；　such



persons　say；　bring　with　it　proofs；　palpable　but　much　more　subtle；



of　his　presence　and　active　influence。　　The　following　description



of　a　〃led〃　life；　by　a　German　writer　whom　I　have　already　quoted；



would　no　doubt　appear　to　countless　Christians　in　every　country　as



if　transcribed　from　their　own　personal　experience。　　One　finds　in



this　guided　sort　of　life；　says　Dr。　Hilty







〃That　books　and　words　（and　sometimes　people）　come　to　one's



cognizance　just　at　the　very　moment　in　which　one　needs　them；　that



one　glides　over　great　dangers　as　if　with　shut　eyes；　remaining



ignorant　of　what　would　have　terrified　one　or　led　one　astray；



until　the　peril　is　pastthis　being　especially　the　case　with



temptations　to　vanity　and　sensuality；　that　paths　on　which　one



ought　not　to　wander　are；　as　it　were；　hedged　off　with　thorns；　but



that　on　the　other　side　great　obstacles　are　suddenly　removed；　that



when　the　time　has　come　for　something；　one　suddenly　receives　a



courage　that　formerly　failed；　or　perceives　the　root　of　a　matter



that　until　then　was　concealed；　or　discovers　thoughts；　talents；



yea；　even　pieces　of　knowledge　and　insight；　in　one's　self；　of



which　it　is　impossible　to　say　whence　they　come；　finally；　that



persons　help　us　or　decline　to　help　us；　favor　us　or　refuse　us；　as



if　they　had　to　do　so　against　their　will；　so　that　often　those



indifferent　or　even　unfriendly　to　us　yield　us　the　greatest



service　and　furtherance。　　（God　takes　often　their　worldly　goods；



from　those　whom　he　leads；　at　just　the　right　moment；　when　they



threaten　to　impede　the　effort　after　higher　interests。）







〃Besides　all　this；　other　noteworthy　things　come　to　pass；　of　which



it　is　not　easy　to　give　account。　　There　is　no　doubt　whatever　that



now　one　walks　continually　through　'open　doors'　and　on　the　easiest



roads；　with　as　little　care　and　trouble　as　it　is　possible　to



imagine。







〃Furthermore　one　finds　one's　self　settling　one's　affairs　neither



too　early　nor　too　late；　whereas　they　were　wont　to　be　spoiled　by



untimeliness；　even　when　the　preparations　had　been　well　laid。　In



addition　to　this；　one　does　them　with　perfect　tranquillity　of



mind；　almost　as　if　they　were　matters　of　no　consequence；　like



errands　done　by　us　for　another　person；　in　which　case　we　usually



act　more　calmly　than　when　we　act　in　our　own　concerns。　　Again；　one



finds　that　one　can　WAIT　for　everything　patiently；　and　that　is　one



of　life's　great　arts。　　One　finds　also　that　each　thing　comes　duly；



one　thing　after　the　other；　so　that　one　gains　time　to　make　one's



footing　sure　before　advancing　farther。　　And　then　every　thing



occurs　to　us　at　the　right　moment；　just　what　we　ought　to　do；　etc。；



and　often　in　a　very　striking　way；　just　as　if　a　third　person　were



keeping　watch　over　those　things　which　we　are　in　easy　danger　of



forgetting。







〃Often；　too；　persons　are　sent　to　us　at　the　right　time；　to　offer



or　ask　for　what　is　needed；　and　what　we　should　never　have　had　the



courage　or　resolution　to　undertake　of　our　own　accord。







〃Through　all　these　experiences　one　finds　that　one　is　kindly　and



tolerant　of　other　people；　even　of　such　as　are　repulsive；



negligent；　or　ill…willed；　for　they　also　are　instruments　of　good



in　God's　hand；　and　often　most　efficient　ones。　　Without　these



thoughts　it　would　be　hard　for　even　the　best　of　us　always　to　keep



our　equanimity。　　But　with　the　consciousness　of　divine　guidance；



one　sees　many　a　thing　in　life　quite　differently　from　what　would



otherwise　be　possible。







〃All　these　are　things　that　every　human　being　KNOWS；　who　has　had



experience　of　them；　and　of　which　the　most　speaking　examples　could



be　brought　forward。　　The　highest　resources　of　worldly　wisdom　are



unable　to　attain　that　which；　under　divine　leading；　comes　to　us　of



its　own　accord。〃＇317＇







＇317＇　C。　Hilty：　　Gluck；　Dritter　Theil；　1900；　pp。　92　ff。















Such　accounts　as　this　shade　away　into　others　where　the　belief　is；



not　that　particular　events　are　tempered　more　towardly　to　us　by　a



superintending　providence；　as　a　reward　for　our　reliance；　but　that



by　cultivating　the　continuous　sense　of　our　connection　with　the



power　that　made　things　as　they　are；　we　are　tempered　more　towardly



for　their　reception。　　The　outward　face　of　nature　need　not　alter；



but　the　expressions　of　meaning　in　it　alter。　　It　was　dead　and　is



alive　again。　It　is　like　the　difference　between　looking　on　a



person　without　love；　or　upon　the　same　person　with　love。　　In　the



latter　case　intercourse　springs　into　new　vitality。　　So　when　one's



affections　keep　in　touch　with　the　divinity　of　the　world's



authorship；　fear　and　egotism　fall　away；　and　in　the　equanimity



that　follows；　one　finds　in　the　hours；　as　they　succeed　each　other；



a　series　of　purely　benignant　opportunities。　　It　is　as　if　all



doors　were　opened；　and　all　paths　freshly　smoothed。　　We　meet　a　new



world　when　we　meet　the　old　world　in　the　spirit　which　this　kind　of



prayer　infuses。







Such　a　spirit　was　that　of　Marcus　Aurelius　and　Epictetus。＇318＇　　It



is　that　of　mind…curers；　of　the　transcendentalists；　and　of　the



so…called　〃liberal〃　Christians。　　As　an　expression　of　it；　I　will



quote　a　page　from　one　of　Martineau's　sermons：







＇318＇　〃Good　Heaven！〃　says　Epictetus；　〃any　one　thing　in　the



creation　is　sufficient　to　demonstrate　a　Providence；　to　a　humble



and　grateful　mind。　　The　mere　possibility　of　producing　milk　from



grass；　cheese　from　milk；　and　wool　from　skins；　who　formed　and



planned　it？　　Ought　we　not；　whether　we　dig　or　plough　or　eat；　to



sing　this　hymn　to　God？　　Great　is　God；　who　has　supplied　us　with



these　instruments　to　till　the　ground；　great　is　God；　who　has　given



us　hands　and　instruments　of　digestion；　who　has　given　us　to　grow



insensibly　and　to　breathe　in　sleep。　　These　things　we　ought



forever　to　celebrate。　。　。　。　But　because　the　most　of　you　are



blind　and　insensible；　there　must　be　some　one　to　fill　this



station；　and　lead；　in　behalf　of　all　men；　the　hymn　to　God；　for



what　else　can　I　do；　a　lame　old　man；　but　sing　hymns　to　God？　　Were



I　a　nightingale；　I　would　act　the　part　of　a　nightingale；　were　I　a



swan；　the　part　of　a　swan。　　But　since　I　am　a　reasonable　creature；



it　is　my　duty　to　praise　God　。　。　。　and　I　call　on　you　to　join　the



same　song。〃　Works；　book　i。　ch。　xvi。；　Carter…Higginson



（translation）　abridged。















〃The　universe；　open　to　the　eye　to…day；　looks　as　it　did　a　thousand



years　ago：　　and　the　morning　hymn　of　Milton　does　but　tell　the



beauty　with　which　our　own　familiar　sun　dressed　the　earliest



fields　and　gardens　of　the　world。　　We　see　what　all　our　fathers



saw。　　And　if　we　cannot　find　God　in　your　house　or　in　mine；　upon



the　roadside　or　the　margin　of　the　sea；　in　the　bursting　seed　or



opening　flower；　in　the　day　duty　or　the　night　musing；　in　the



general　laugh　and　the　secret　grief；　in　the　procession　of　life；



ever　entering　afresh；　and　solemnly　passing　by　and　dropping　off；　I



do　not　think　we　should　discern　him　any　more　on　the　grass　of　Eden；



or　beneath　the　moonlight　of　Gethsemane。　　Depend　upon　it；　it　is



not　the　want　of　greater　miracles；　but　of　the　soul　to　perceive



such　as　are　allowed　us　still；　that　makes　us　push　all　the



sanctities　into　the　far　spaces　we　cannot　reach。　　The　devout　feel



that　wherever　God's　hand　is；　THERE　is　miracle：　　and　it　is　simply



an　indevoutness　which　imagines　that　only　where　miracle　is；　can



there　be　the　real　hand　of　God。　　The　customs　of　Heaven　ought



surely　to　be　more　sacred　in　our　eyes　than　its　anomalies；　the　dear



old　way