reformers-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



of　it　from　any　other；　I　know　that　the　whole　truth　is　here　for　me。

What　if　I　cannot　answer　your　questions？　　I　am　not　pained　that　I

cannot　frame　a　reply　to　the　question；　What　is　the　operation　we　call

Providence？　　There　lies　the　unspoken　thing；　present；　omnipresent。

Every　time　we　converse；　we　seek　to　translate　it　into　speech；　but

whether　we　hit；　or　whether　we　miss；　we　have　the　fact。　　Every

discourse　is　an　approximate　answer：　but　it　is　of　small　consequence；

that　we　do　not　get　it　into　verbs　and　nouns；　whilst　it　abides　for

contemplation　forever。　　If　the　auguries　of　the　prophesying　heart

shall　make　themselves　good　in　time；　the　man　who　shall　be　born；　whose

advent　men　and　events　prepare　and　foreshow；　is　one　who　shall　enjoy

his　connexion　with　a　higher　life；　with　the　man　within　man；　shall

destroy　distrust　by　his　trust；　shall　use　his　native　but　forgotten

methods；　shall　not　take　counsel　of　flesh　and　blood；　but　shall　rely　on

the　Law　alive　and　beautiful；　which　works　over　our　heads　and　under　our

feet。　　Pitiless；　it　avails　itself　of　our　success；　when　we　obey　it；

and　of　our　ruin；　when　we　contravene　it。　　Men　are　all　secret　believers

in　it；　else；　the　word　justice　would　have　no　meaning：　they　believe

that　the　best　is　the　true；　that　right　is　done　at　last；　or　chaos　would

come。　　It　rewards　actions　after　their　nature；　and　not　after　the

design　of　the　agent。　　‘Work；'　it　saith　to　man；　‘in　every　hour；　paid

or　unpaid；　see　only　that　thou　work；　and　thou　canst　not　escape　the

reward：　whether　thy　work　be　fine　or　coarse；　planting　corn；　or　writing

epics；　so　only　it　be　honest　work；　done　to　thine　own　approbation；　it

shall　earn　a　reward　to　the　senses　as　well　as　to　the　thought：　no

matter；　how　often　defeated；　you　are　born　to　victory。　　The　reward　of　a

thing　well　done；　is　to　have　done　it。'　As　soon　as　a　man　is　wonted　to

look　beyond　surfaces；　and　to　see　how　this　high　will　prevails　without

an　exception　or　an　interval；　he　settles　himself　into　serenity。　　He

can　already　rely　on　the　laws　of　gravity；　that　every　stone　will　fall

where　it　is　due；　the　good　globe　is　faithful；　and　carries　us　securely

through　the　celestial　spaces；　anxious　or　resigned：　we　need　not

interfere　to　help　it　on；　and　he　will　learn；　one　day；　the　mild　lesson

they　teach；　that　our　own　orbit　is　all　our　task；　and　we　need　not

assist　the　administration　of　the　universe。　　Do　not　be　so　impatient　to

set　the　town　right　concerning　the　unfounded　pretensions　and　the　false

reputation　of　certain　men　of　standing。　　They　are　laboring　harder　to

set　the　town　right　concerning　themselves；　and　will　certainly　succeed。

Suppress　for　a　few　days　your　criticism　on　the　insufficiency　of　this

or　that　teacher　or　experimenter；　and　he　will　have　demonstrated　his

insufficiency　to　all　men's　eyes。　　In　like　manner；　let　a　man　fall　into

the　divine　circuits；　and　he　is　enlarged。　　Obedience　to　his　genius　is

the　only　liberating　influence。　　We　wish　to　escape　from　subjection；

and　a　sense　of　inferiority；　　and　we　make　self…denying　ordinances；

we　drink　water；　we　eat　grass；　we　refuse　the　laws；　we　go　to　jail：　it

is　all　in　vain；　only　by　obedience　to　his　genius；　only　by　the　freest

activity　in　the　way　constitutional　to　him；　does　an　angel　seem　to

arise　before　a　man；　and　lead　him　by　the　hand　out　of　all　the　wards　of

the　prison。　　That　which　befits　us；　embosomed　in　beauty　and　wonder　as

we　are；　is　cheerfulness　and　courage；　and　the　endeavor　to　realize　our

aspirations。　　The　life　of　man　is　the　true　romance；　which；　when　it　is

valiantly　conducted；　will　yield　the　imagination　a　higher　joy　than　any

fiction。　　All　around　us；　what　powers　are　wrapped　up　under　the　coarse

mattings　of　custom；　and　all　wonder　prevented。　　It　is　so　wonderful　to

our　neurologists　that　a　man　can　see　without　his　eyes；　that　it　does

not　occur　to　them；　that　it　is　just　as　wonderful；　that　he　should　see

with　them；　and　that　is　ever　the　difference　between　the　wise　and　the

unwise：　the　latter　wonders　at　what　is　unusual；　the　wise　man　wonders

at　the　usual。　　Shall　not　the　heart　which　has　received　so　much；　trust

the　Power　by　which　it　lives？　　May　it　not　quit　other　leadings；　and

listen　to　the　Soul　that　has　guided　it　so　gently；　and　taught　it　so

much；　secure　that　the　future　will　be　worthy　of　the　past？