addresses-第12章

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

apologizing　for　it；　and　toning　it　down；　still　others　assuring　us

that；　although　it　be　very　bad；　it　is　not　to　be　compared　with　the

positive　blessings　of　Christianity。　　How　many；　especially　among

the　young；　has　this　one　mistaken　phrase　driven　forever　away　from

the　kingdom　of　God？　　Instead　of　making　Christ　attractive；　it　makes

Him　out　a　taskmaster；　narrowing　life　by　petty　restrictions；　calling

for　self…denial　where　none　is　necessary；　making　misery　a　virtue

under　the　plea　that　it　is　the　yoke　of　Christ；　and　happiness　criminal

because　it　now　and　then　evades　it。　　According　to　this　conception；

Christians　are　at　best　the　victims　of　a　depressing　fate；　their

life　is　a　penance；　and　their　hope　for　the　next　world　purchased　by

a　slow　martyrdom　in　this。



The　mistake　has　arisen　from　taking　the　word　〃yoke〃　here　in　the　same

sense　as　in　the　expression　〃under　the　yoke；〃　or　〃wear　he　yoke　in

his　youth。〃　　But　in　Christ's　illustration　it　is　not　the　〃jugum〃　of

the　Roman　soldier；　but　the　simple　〃harness〃　or　〃ox…collar〃　of　the

Eastern　peasant。　　It　is　the　literal　wooden　yoke　which　He；　with　His

own　hands　in　the　carpenter　shop；　had　probably　often　made。　　He　knew

the　difference　between　a　smooth　yoke　and　a　rough　one；　a　bad　fit

and　a　good　fit；　the　difference　also　it　made　to　the　patient　animal

which　had　to　wear　it。　　The　rough　yoke　galled；　and　the　burden　was

heavy；　the　smooth　yoke　caused　no　pain；　and　the　load　was　lightly

drawn。　　The　badly　fitted　harness　was　a　misery；　the　well…fitted

collar　was　〃easy。〃



And　what　was　the　〃burden〃？　　It　was　not　some　special　burden　laid　upon

the　Christian；　some　unique　infliction　that　they　alone　must　bear。

It　was　what　all　men　bear。　　It　was　simply　life；　human　life　itself；

the　general　burden　of　life　which　all　must　carry　with　them　from　the

cradle　to　the　grave。　　Christ　saw　that　men　took　life　painfully。　　To

some　it　was　a　weariness；　to　others　a　failure；　to　many　a　tragedy；

to　all　a　struggle　and　a　pain。　　How　to　carry　this　burden　of　life

had　been　the　whole　world's　problem。　　It　is　still　the　whole　world's

problem。　　And　here　is　Christ's　solution：　　〃Carry　it　as　I　do。　　Take

life　as　I　take　it。　　Look　at　it　from　My　point　of　view。　　Interpret

it　upon　My　principles。　　Take　My　yoke　and　learn　of　me；　and　you　will

find　it　easy。　　For　my　yoke　is　easy；　works　easily；　sits　right　upon

the　shoulders；　and　THEREFORE　My　burden　is　light。〃



There　is　no　suggestion　here　that　religion　will　absolve　any　man　from

bearing　burdens。　　That　would　be　to　absolve　him　from　living；　since

it　is　life　itself　that　is　the　burden。　　What　Christianity　does

propose　is　to　make　it　tolerable。



Christ's　yoke



is　simply　His　secret　for　the　alleviation　of　human　life；　His　prescription

for　the　best　and　happiest　method　of　living。　　Men　harness　themselves

to　the　work　and　stress　of　the　world　in　clumsy　and　unnatural　ways。

The　harness　they　put　on　is　antiquated。　　A　rough；　ill…fitted　collar

at　best；　they　make　its　strain　and　friction　past　enduring；　by

placing　it　where　the　neck　is　most　sensitive；　and　by　mere　continuous

irritation　this　sensitiveness　increases　until　the　whole　nature　is

quick　and　sore。



This　is　the　origin；　among　other　things；　of　a　disease　called

〃touchiness〃a　disease　which；　in　spite　of　its　innocent　name；　is　one

of　the　gravest　sources　of　restlessness　in　the　world。　　Touchiness；

when　it　becomes　chronic；　is　a　morbid　condition　of　the　inward

disposition。　　It　is　self…love　inflamed　to　the　acute　point；　conceit；

WITH　A　HAIR…TRIGGER。　　The　cure　is　to　shift　the　yoke　to　some　other

place；　to　let　men　and　things　touch　us　through　some　new　and　perhaps

as　yet　unused　part　of　our　nature；　to　become　meek　and　lowly　in　heart

while　the　old　sensitiveness　is　becoming　numb　from　want　of　use。



It　is　the　beautiful　work　of　Christianity　everywhere　to　adjust　the

burden　of　life　to　those　who　bear　it；　and　them　to　it。　　It　has　a

perfectly　miraculous　gift　of　healing。　　Without　doing　any　violence

to　human　nature　it　sets　it　right　with　life；　harmonizing　it　with

all　surrounding　things；　and　restoring　those　who　are　jaded　with　the

fatigue　and　dust　of　the　world　to　a　new　grace　of　living。　　In　the

mere　matter　of　altering　the　perspective　of　life　and　changing　the

proportions　of　things；　its　function　in　lightening　the　care　of　man

is　altogether　its　own。



The　weight　of　a　load　depends　upon　the　attraction　of　the　earth。

Suppose　the　attraction　of　the　earth　were　removed？　　A　ton　on　some

other　planet；　where　the　attraction　of　gravity　is　less；　does　not

weigh　half　a　ton。　　Now　Christianity　removes　the　attraction　of　the

earth；　and　this　is　one　way　in　which　it　diminishes　man's　burden。

It　makes　them　citizens　of　another　world。　　What　was　a　ton　yesterday

is　not　half　a　ton　today。　　So　without　changing　one's　circumstances；

merely　by　offering　a　wider　horizon　and　a　different　standard；　it

alters　the　whole　aspect　of　the　world。



Christianity　as　Christ　taught　is　the　truest　philosophy　of　life　ever

spoken。　　but　let　us　be　quite　sure　when　we　speak　of　Christianity

that　we　mean　Christ's　Christianity。　　Other　versions　are　either

caricatures；　or　exaggerations；　or　misunderstandings；　or　shortsighted　and

surface　readings。　　For　the　most　part　their　attainment　is　hopeless

and　the　results　wretched。　　But　I　care　not　who　the　person　is；

or　through　what　vale　of　tears　he　has　passed；　or　is　about　to　pass；

there　is　a　new　life　for　him　along　this　path。



III。　　How　fruits　grow。



Were　Rest　my　subject；　there　are　other　things　I　should　wish　to　say

about　it；　and　other　kinds　of　Rest　of　which　I　should　like　to　speak。

But　that　is　not　my　subject。　　My　theme　is　that　the　Christian

experiences　are　not　the　work　of　magic；　but　come　under　the　law　of

Cause　and　Effect。　　I　have　chosen　Rest　only　as　a　single　illustration

of　the　working　of　that　principle。　　If　there　were　time　I　might　next

run　over　all　the　Christian　experiences　in　turn；　and　show　the　same

wide　law　applies　to　each；　but　I　think　it　may　serve　the　better

purpose　if　I　leave　this　further　exercise　to　yourselves。　　I　know　no

Bible　study　that　you　will　find　more　full　of　fruit；　of　which　will

take　you　nearer　to　the　ways　of　God；　or　make　the　Christian　life

itself　more　solid　or　more　sure。　　I　shall　add　only　a　single　other

illustration　of　what　I　mean；　before　I　close。



Where　does　Joy　come　from？　　I　knew　a　Sunday　scholar　whose　conception

of　Joy　was　that　it　was　a　thing　made　in　lumps　and　kept　somewhere

in　Heaven；　and　that　when　people　prayed　for　it；　pieces　were　somehow

let　down　and　fitted　into　their　souls。　　I　am　not　sure　that　views

as　gross　and　material　are　not　often　held　by　people　who　ought　to　be

wiser。　　In　reality；　Joy　is　as　much　a　matter　of　Cause　and　Effect　as

pain。　　No　one　can　get　Joy　by　merely　asking　for　it。　　It　is　one　of

the　ripest　fruits　of　the　Christian　life；　and；　like　all　fruits；　must

be　grown。　　There　is　a　very　clever　trick　in　India　called　the　mango

trick。　　A　seed　is　put　in　the　ground　and　covered　up；　and　after　diverse

incantations　a　full…blown　mango…bush　appears　within　five　minutes。

I　never　met　any　one　who　knew　how　the　thing　was　done；　but　I　never

met　any　one　who　believed　it　to　be　anything　else　than　a　conjuring

trick。　　The　world　is　pretty　unanimous　now　in　its　belief　in　the

orderliness　of　Nature。　　Men　may　not　know　how　fruits　grow；　but　they

do　know　that　they　cannot　grow　in　an　hour。　　Some　lives　have　not　even

a　stalk　on　which　fruits　could　hang；　even　if　they　did　grow　in　an

hour。　　Some　have　never　planted　one　seed　of　Joy　in　all　their　lives；

and　others　who　may　have　planted　a　germ　or　two　have　lived　so　little

in　sunshine　that　they　never　could　come　to　maturity。



Whence；　then；　is　joy？　　Christ　put　His　teaching　upon　this　subject

into　one　of　the　most　exquisite　of　His　parables。　　I　should　in　any

instance　have　appealed　to　His　teaching　here；　as　in　the　case　of　Rest；

for　I　do　not　wish　you　to　think　I　am　speaking　words　of　my　own。　　But

it　so　happens　that　He　has　dealt　with　it　in　words　of　unusual　fullness。



I　need　not　recall　the　whole　illustration。　　I