addresses-第10章

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effects；　without　the　employment　of　appropriate　causes。　　The　Great

Teacher　dealt　what　ought　to　have　been　the　final　blow　to　this　infinite

irrelevancy　by　a　single　question；　〃Do　men　gather　grapes　of　thorns

or　figs　of　thistles？〃



Why；　then；　did　the　Great　Teacher　not　educate　His　followers　fully？

Why　did　He　not　tell　us；　for　example；　how　such　a　thing　as　Rest　might

be　obtained？　　The　answer　is　that　HE　DID。　　But　plainly；　explicitly；

in　so　many　words？　　Yes；　plainly；　explicitly；　in　so　many　words。

He　assigned　Rest　to　its　cause；　in　words　with　which　each　of　us　has

been　familiar　from　his　earliest　childhood。



He　begins；　you　rememberfor　you　at　once　know　the　passage　I　refer

toalmost　as　if　Rest　could　be　had　without　any　cause；　〃Come　unto

me；〃　He　says；　〃and　I　will　GIVE　you　Rest。〃



Rest；　apparently；　was　a　favor　to　be　bestowed；　men　had　but　to

come　to　Him；　He　would　give　it　to　every　applicant。　　But　the　next

sentence　takes　that　all　back。　　The　qualification；　indeed；　is　added

instantaneously。　　For　what　the　first　sentence　seemed　to　give　was

next　thing　to　an　impossibility。　　For　how；　in　a　literal　sense；　can

Rest　be　GIVEN？　　One　could　no　more　give　away　Rest　than　he　could

give　away　Laughter。　　We　speak　of　〃causing〃　laughter；　which　we　can

do；　but　we　can　not　give　it　away。　　When　we　speak　of　〃giving〃　pain；

we　know　perfectly　well　we　can　not　give　pain　away。　　And　when　we　aim

at　〃giving〃　pleasure；　all　that　we　can　do　is　to　arrange　a　set　of

circumstances　in　such　a　way　as　that　these　shall　cause　pleasure。

Of　course　there　is　a　sense；　and　a　very　wonderful　sense；　in　which　a

Great　Personality　breathes　upon　all　who　come　within　its　influence

an　abiding　peace　and　trust。　　Men　can　be　to　other　men　as　the　shadow

of　a　great　rock　in　a　weary　land；　much　more　Christ；　much　more　Christ

as　Perfect　Man；　much　more　still　as　Savior　of　the　world。　　But　it

is　not　this　of　which　I　speak。　　When　Christ　said　He　would　give　men

Rest；　He　meant　simply　that　he　would　put　them　in　the　way　of　it。　　By

no　act　of　conveyance　would　or　could　He　make　over　His　own　Rest　to

them。　　He　could　give　them



His　receipt



for　it。　　That　was　all。　　But　He　would　not　make　it　for　them。　　For

one　thing　it　was　not　in　His　plan　to　make　it　for　them；　for　another

thing；　men　were　not　so　planned　that　it　could　be　made　for　them；　and

for　yet　another　thing；　it　was　a　thousand　times　better　that　they

should　make　it　for　themselves。



That　this　is　the　meaning　becomes　obvious　from　the　wording　of　the

second　sentence：　　〃Learn　of　me；　and　ye　shall　FIND　Rest。〃　　Rest；

（that　is　to　say）；　is　not　a　thing　that　can　be　GIVEN；　but　a　thing　to

be　ACQUIRED。　　It　comes　not　by　an　act；　but　by　a　process。　　It　is　not

to　be　found　in　a　happy　hour；　as　one　finds　a　treasure；　but　slowly；　as

one　finds　knowledge。　　It　could　indeed　be　no　more　found　in　a　moment

than　could　knowledge。　　A　soil　has　to　be　prepared　for　it。　　Like

a　fine　fruit；　it　will　grow　in　one　climate；　and　not　in　another；　at

one　altitude；　and　not　at　another。　　Like　all　growth　it　will　have　an

orderly　development　and　mature　by　slow　degrees。



The　nature　of　this　slow　process　Christ　clearly　defines　when　He　says

we　are　to　achieve　Rest　by　LEARNING。　　〃Learn　of　me；〃　He　says；　〃and

ye　shall　find　rest　to　your　souls。〃



Now　consider　the　extraordinary



Originality　of　this　utterance。



how　novel　the　connection　between　these　two　words　〃Learn〃　and　〃Rest。〃

How　few　of　us　have　ever　associated　themever　thought　that　Rest　was

a　thing　to　be　learned；　ever　laid　ourselves　out　for　it　as　we　would

to　learn　a　language；　ever　practised　it　as　we　would　practice　the

violin？　　Does　it　not　show　how　entirely　new　Christ's　teaching　still

is　to　the　world；　that　so　old　and　threadbare　an　aphorism　should　still

be　so　little　known？　　The　last　thing　most　of　us　would　have　thought

of　would　have　been　to　associate　REST　with　WORK。



What　must　one　work　at？　　What　is　that　which　if　duly　learned　will

find　the　soul　of　man　in　Rest？　　Christ　answers　without　the　least

hesitation。　　He　specifies　two　thingsMeekness　and　Lowliness。

〃Learn　of　me；〃　He　says；　〃for　I　am　MEEK　and　LOWLY　in　heart。〃



Now　these　two　things　are　not　chosen　at　random。　　To　these

accomplishments；　in　a　special　way；　Rest　is　attached。　　Learn　these；

in　short；　and　you　have　already　found　Rest。　　These　as　they　stand

direct　causes　of　Rest；　will　produce　it　at　once；　cannot　but　produce

it　at　once。　　And　if　you　think　for　a　single　moment；　you　will　see

how　this　is　necessarily　so；　for　causes　are　never　arbitrary；　and

the　connection　between　antecedent　and　consequent　her　and　everywhere

lies　deep　in　the　nature　of　things。



What　is　the　connection；　then？　　I　answer　by　a　further　question。



What　are　the　chief　causes　of　unrest？



If　you　know　yourself；　you　will　answerPride；　Selfishness；　Ambition。

As　you　look　back　upon　the　past　years　of　your　life；　is　it　not

true　that　its　unhappiness　has　chiefly　come　from　the　succession　of

personal　mortifications　and　almost　trivial　disappointments　which

the　intercourse　of　life　has　brought　you？　　Great　trials　come　at

lengthened　intervals；　and　we　rise　to　breast　them；　but　it　is　the

petty　friction　of　our　every…day　life　with　one　another；　the　jar

of　business　or　of　work；　the　discord　of　the　domestic　circle；　the

collapse　of　our　ambition；　the　crossing　of　our　will　or　the　taking

down　of　our　conceit；　which　make　inward　peace　impossible。　　Wounded

vanity；　then；　disappointed　hopes；　unsatisfied　selfishnessthese

are　the　old；　vulgar；　universal



Sources　of　man's　unrest。



Now　it　is　obvious　why　Christ　pointed　out　as　the　two　chief　objects

for　attainment　the　exact　opposites　of　these。　　To　meekness　and

lowliness　these　things　simply　do　not　exist。　　They　cure　unrest　by

making　it　impossible。　　These　remedies　do　not　trifle　with　surface

symptoms；　they　strike　at　once　at　removing　causes。　　The　ceaseless

chagrin　of　a　self…centered　life　can　be　removed　at　once　by　learning

meekness　and　lowliness　of　heart。　　He　who　learns　them　is　forever　proof

against　it。　　He　lives　henceforth　a　charmed　life。　　Christianity　is

a　fine　inoculation；　a　transfusion　of　healthy　blood　into　an　anaemic

or　poisoned　soul。　　No　fever　can　attack　a　perfectly　sound　body；　no

fever　of　unrest　can　disturb　a　soul　which　has　breathed　the　air　or

learned　the　ways　of　Christ。



Men　sigh　for　the　wings　of　a　dove　that　they　may　fly　away　and　be　at

Rest。　　But　flying　away　will　not　help　us。　　〃The　Kingdom　of　God　is

WITHIN　YOU。〃　　We　aspire　to　the　top　to　look　for　Rest；　it　lies　at　the

bottom。　　Water　rests　only　when　it　gets　to　the　lowest　place。　　So　do

men。　　Hence；　BE　LOWLY。　　The　man　who　has　no　opinion　of　himself　at

all　can　never　be　hurt　if　others　do　not　acknowledge　him。　　Hence；　BE

MEEK。　　He　who　is　without　expectation　cannot　fret　if　nothing　comes

to　him。　　It　is　self…evident　that　these　things　are　so。　　The　lowly

man　and　the　meek　man　are　really　above　all　other　men；　above　all　other

things。　　They　dominate　the　world　because　they　do　not　care　for　it。

The　miser　does　not　possess　gold；　gold　possesses　him。　　But　the　meek

possess　it。　　〃The　meek；〃　said　Christ；　〃inherit　the　earth。〃　　They

do　not　buy　it；　they　do　not　conquer　it；　but　they　inherit　it。



There　are　people　who　go　about　the　world　looking　out　for　slights；

and　they　are　necessarily　miserable；　for　they　find　them　at　every

turnespecially　the　imaginary　ones。　　One　has　the　same　pity　for

such　men　as　for　the　very　poor。　　They　are　the　morally　illiterate。

They　have　had　no　real　education；　for　they　have　never　learned



How　to　live。



Few　men　know　how　to　live。　　We　grow　up　at　random　carrying　into　mature

life　the　merely　animal　methods　and　motives　which　we　had　as　little

children。　　And　it　does　not　occur　to　us　that　all　this　must　be　changed

that　much　of　it　must　be　reversed；　that　life　is　the　finest　of　the

Fine　Arts；　that　it　has　to　be　learned　with　life…long　patience；　and

that　the　years　of　our　pilgrimage　are　all　too　short　to　master　it

triumphantly。



Yet　this　is　what　Christianity　is　forto　teach　men



The　art　of　life。



And　its　whole　curriculum　lies　in　one　word〃Learn　of　me。〃　　Unlike