addresses-第11章

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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

most　education；　this　is　almost　purely　personal；　it　is　not　to　be　had

from　books；　or　lectures　or　creeds　or　doctrines。　　It　is　a　study　from

the　life。　　Christ　never　said　much　in　mere　words　about　the　Christian

graces。　　He　lived　them；　He　was　them。　　Yet　we　do　not　merely　copy

Him。　　We　learn　His　art　by　living　with　Him；　like　the　old　apprentices

with　their　masters。



Now　we　understand　it　all？　　Christ's　invitation　to　the　weary

and　heavy…laden　is　a　call　to　begin　life　over　again　upon　a　new

principleupon　His　own　principle。　　〃Watch　my　way　of　doing　things；〃

He　says；　〃Follow　me。　　Take　life　as　I　take　it。　　Be　meek　and　lowly；

and　you　will　find　Rest。〃



I　do　not　say；　remember；　that　the　Christian　life　to　every　man；　or

to　any　man；　can　be　a　bed　of　roses。　　No　educational　process　can　be

this。　　And　perhaps　if　some　men　knew　how　much　was　involved　in　the

simple　〃learn〃　of　Christ；　they　would　not　enter　His　school　with　so

irresponsible　a　heart。　　For　there　is　not　only　much　to　learn；　but



Much　to　unlearn。



Many　men　never　go　to　this　school　at　all　till　their　disposition　is

already　half　ruined　and　character　has　taken　on　its　fatal　set。　　To

learn　arithmetic　is　difficult　at　fiftymuch　more　to　learn

Christianity。　　To　learn　simply　what　it　is　to　be　meek　and　lowly；　in

the　case　of　one　who　has　had　no　lessons　in　that　in　childhood；　may

cost　him　half　of　what　he　values　most　on　earth。　　Do　we　realize；

for　instance；　that　the　way　of　teaching　humility　is　generally　by

HUMILIATION？　　There　is　probably　no　other　school　for　it。　　When　a　man

enters　himself　as　a　pupil　in　such　a　school　it　means　a　very　great

thing。　　There　is　much　Rest　there；　but　there　is　also　much　Work。



I　should　be　wrong；　even　though　my　theme　is　the　brighter　side；　to

ignore　the　cross　and　minimize　the　cost。　　Only　it　gives　to　the　cross

a　more　definite　meaning；　and　a　rarer　value；　to　connect　it　thus

directly　and　casually　with　the　growth　of　the　inner　life。　　Our

platitudes　on　the　〃benefits　of　affliction〃　are　usually　about　as

vague　as　our　theories　of　Christian　Experience。　　〃Somehow〃　we　believe

affliction　does　us　good。　　But　it　is　not　a　question　of　〃Somehow。〃

The　result　is　definite；　calculable；　necessary。　　It　is　under　the

strictest　law　of　cause　and　effect。　　The　first　effect　of　losing

one's　fortune；　for　instance；　is　humiliation；　and　the　effect　of

humiliation；　as　we　have　just　seen；　is　to　make　one　humble；　and　the

effect　of　being　humble　is　to　produce　Rest。　　It　is　a　roundabout

way；　apparently；　of　producing　Rest；　but　Nature　generally　works　by

circular　processes；　and　it　is　not　certain　that　there　is　any　other

way　of　becoming　humble；　or　of　finding　Rest。　　IF　a　man　could　make

himself　humble　to　order；　it　might　simplify　matters；　but　we　do　not

find　that　this　happens。　　Hence　we　must　all　go　through　the　mill。

Hence　death；　death　to　the　lower　self；　is　the　nearest　gate　and　the

quickest　road　to　life。



Yet　this　is　only　half　the　truth。　　Christ's　life　outwardly　was　one

of　the　most　troubled　lives　that　was　ever　lived：　　tempest　and　tumult；

tumult　and　tempest；　the　waves　breaking　over　it　all　he　time　till　the

worn　body　was　laid　in　the　grave。　　But　the　inner　life　was　a　sea　of

glass。　　The　great　calm　was　always　there。　　At　any　moment　you　might

have　gone　to　Him　and　found　Rest。　　Even　when　the　blood…hounds　were

dogging　Him　in　the　streets　of　Jerusalem；　He　turned　to　His　disciples

and　offered　them；　as　a　last　legacy；　〃My　peace。〃　　Nothing　ever　for

a　moment　broke　the　serenity　of　Christ's　life　on　earth。　　Misfortune

could　not　reach　Him；　He　had　no　fortune。　　Food；　raiment；

moneyfountain…heads　of　half　the　world's　wearinessHe　simply　did

not　care　for；　they　played　no　part　in　His　life；　He　〃took　no　thought〃

for　them。　　It　was　impossible　to　affect　Him　by　lowering　His　reputation。

He　had　already　made　Himself　of　no　reputation。　　He　was　dumb　before

insult。　　When　he　was　reviled；　He　reviled　not　again。　　In　fact；　there

was



Nothing　that　the　world　could　do　to　him



that　could　ruffle　the　surface　of　His　spirit。



Such　living；　as　mere　living；　is　altogether　unique。　　It　is　only

when　we　see　what　it　was　in　Him　that　we　can　know　what　the　word　Rest

means。　　It　lies　not　in　emotions；　or　in　the　absence　of　emotions。

It　is　not　a　hallowed　feeling　that　comes　over　us　in　church。　　It　is

not　something　that　the　preacher　has　in　his　voice。　　It　is　not　in

nature；　or　in　poetry；　or　in　musicthough　in　all　these　there　is

soothing。　　It　is　the　mind　at　leisure　from　itself。　　It　is　the　perfect


poise　of　the　soul；　the　absolute　adjustment　of　the　inward　man　to

the　stress　of　all　outward　things；　the　preparedness　against　every

emergency；　the　stability　of　assured　convictions；　the　eternal　calm

of　an　invulnerable　faith；　the　repose　of　a　heart　set　deep　in　God。

It　is　the　mood　of　the　man　who　says；　with　Browning；　〃God's　in　His

Heaven；　all's　well　with　the　world。〃



Two　painters　each　painted　a　picture　to　illustrate　his　conception

of　rest。　　The　first　chose　for　his　scene　a　still　lone　lake　among

the　far…off　mountains。　　The　second　threw　on　his　canvas　a　thundering

waterfall；　with　a　fragile　birch…tree　bending　over　the　foam；　at　the

fork　of　a　branch；　almost　wet　with　the　cataract's　spray；　a　robin

sat　on　its　nest。　　The　first　was　only　STAGNATION；　the　last　was　REST。

For　in　Rest　there　are　always　two　elementstranquility　and　energy；

silence　and　turbulence；　creation　and　destruction；　fearlessness　and

fearfulness。　　This　it　was　in　Christ。



It　is　quite　plain　from　all　this　that　whatever　else　He　claimed　to

be　or　to　do；　He　at　least



Knew　how　to　live。



All　this　is　the　perfection　of　living；　of　living　in　the　mere　sense

of　passing　through　the　world　in　the　best　way。　　Hence　His　anxiety　to

communicate　His　idea　of　life　to　others。　　He　came；　He　said；　to　give

men　life；　true　life；　a　more　abundant　life　than　they　were　living；　〃the

life；〃　as　the　fine　phrase　in　the　Revised　Version　has　it；　〃that　is

life　indeed。〃　　This　is　what　He　Himself　possessed；　and　it　was　this

which　He　offers　to　mankind。　　And　hence　His　direct　appeal　for　all

to　come　to　Him　who　had　not　made　much　of　life；　who　were　weary　and

heavy…laden。　　These　He　would　teach　His　secret。　　They；　also；　should

know　〃the　life　that　is　life　indeed。〃



II。　　What　yokes　are　for。



There　is　still　one　doubt　to　clear　up。　　After　the　statement；　〃Learn

of　Me；〃　Christ　throws　in　the　disconcerting　qualification：



〃TAKE　MY　YOKE　upon　you；　and　learn　of　Me。〃



Why；　if　all　this　be　true；　does　He　call　it　a　YOKE？　　Why；　while

professing　to　give　Rest；　does　He　with　the　next　breath　whisper

〃BURDEN〃？　　Is　the　Christian　life；　after　all；　what　its　enemies　take

it　foran　additional　weight　to　the　already　great　woe　of　life；

some　extra　punctiliousness　about　duty；　some　painful　devotion　to

observances；　some　heavy　restriction　and　trammeling　of　all　that　is

joyous　and　free　in　the　world？　　Is　life　not　hard　and　sorrowful　enough

without　being　fettered　with　yet　another　yoke？



It　is　astounding　how　so　glaring　a　misunderstanding　of　this　plain

sentence　should　ever　have　passed　into　currency。　　Did　you　ever　stop

to　ask　what　a　yoke　is　really？　　Is　it　to　be　a　burden　to　the　animal

which　wears　it？　　It　is　just　the　opposite。　　It　is　to　make　its　burden

light。　　Attached　to　the　oxen　in　any　other　way　than　by　a　yoke；　the

plough　would　be　intolerable。　　Worked　by　means　of　a　yoke；　it　is

light。　　A　yoke　is　not　an　instrument　of　torture；　it　is



An　instrument　of　mercy。



It　is　not　a　malicious　contrivance　for　making　work　hard；　it　is　a

gentle　device　to　make　hard　labor　light。　　It　is　not　meant　to　give

pain；　but　to　save　pain。　　And　yet　men　speak　of　the　yoke　of　Christ

as　if　it　were　slavery；　and　look　upon　those　who　wear　it　as　objects

of　compassion。　　For　generations　we　have　had　homilies　on　〃The　Yoke

of　Christ〃some　delighting　in　portraying　its　narrow　exactions；

some　seeking　in　those　exactions　the　marks　of　its　divinity；　others

apologizing　for　it；　and　toning　it　down；　s