addresses-第13章

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I　need　not　recall　the　whole　illustration。　　It　is　the　parable　of

the　Vine。　　Did　you　ever　think　why　Christ　spoke　that　parable？　　He

did　not　merely　throw　it　into　space　as　a　find　illustration　of　general

truths。　　It　was　not　simply　a　statement　of　the　mystical　union；　and

the　doctrine　of　an　indwelling　Christ。　　It　was　that；　but　it　was

more。　　After　He　had　said　it；　He　did　what　was　not　an　unusual　thing

when　He　was　teaching　His　greatest　lessonsHe　turned　to　the　disciples

and　said　He　would　tell　them　why　He　had　spoken　it。　　It　was　to　tell

them



How　to　get　joy。



〃These　things　I　have　spoken　unto　you；〃　He　said；　〃that　My　Joy　might

remain　in　you；　and　that　your　Joy　might　be　full。〃　　It　was　a　purposed

and　deliberate　communication　of　His



Secret　of　Happiness。



Go　back　over　these　verses；　then；　and　you　will　find　the　Causes　of

this　Effect；　the　spring；　and　the　only　spring；　out　of　which　true

Happiness　comes。　　I　am　not　going　to　analyze　them　in　detail。　　I　ask

you　to　enter　into　the　words　for　yourselves。



Remember；　in　the　first　place；　that　the　Vine　was　the　Eastern　symbol

of　Joy。　　It　was　its　fruit　that　made　glad　the　heart　of　man。　　Yet；

however　innocent　that　gladnessfor　the　expressed　juice　of　the

grape　was　the　common　drink　at　every　peasant's　boardthe　gladness

was　only　a　gross　and　passing　thing。　　This　was　not　true　happiness；

and　the　vine　of　the　Palestine　vineyards　was　not　the　true　vine。

〃CHRIST　was　the　TRUE　Vine。〃　　Here；　then；　is　the　ultimate　source

of　Joy。　　Through　whatever　media　it　reaches　us；　all　true　Joy　and

Gladness　find　their　source　in　Christ。



By　this；　of　course；　is　not　meant　that　the　actual　Joy　experienced

is　transferred　from　Christ's　nature；　or　is　something　passed　on　from

Him　to　us。　　What　is　passed　on　is　His　method　of　getting　it。　　There

is；　indeed；　a　sense　in　which　we　can　share　another's　joy　or　another's

sorrow。　　But　that　is　another　matter。　　Christ　is　the　source　of　Joy

to　men　in　the　sense　in　which　He　is　the　source　of　Rest。　　His　people

share　His　life；　and　therefore　share　its　consequences；　and　one　of

these　is　Joy。　　His　method　of　living　is　one　that　in　the　nature　of

things　produces　Joy。　　When　He　spoke　of　His　Joy　remaining　with　us

He　meant　in　part　that　the　causes　which　produced　it　should　continue

to　act。　　His　followers；　（that　is　to　say）；　by　REPEATING　His　life

would　experience　its　accompaniments。　　His　Joy；　His　kind　of　Joy；

would　remain　with　them。



The　medium　through　which　this　Joy　comes　is　next　explained：　　〃He　that

abideth　in　Me；　the　same　bringeth　forth　much　fruit。〃　　Fruit　first；

Joy　next；　the　one　the　cause　or　medium　of　the　other。　　Fruit…bearing

is　the　necessary　antecedent；　Joy　both　the　necessary　consequent　and

the　necessary　accompaniment。　　It　lay　partly　in　the　bearing　fruit；

partly　in　the　fellowship　which　made　that　possible。　　Partly；　that

is　to　say；　Joy　lay　in　mere　constant　living　in　Christ's　presence；

with　all　that　that　implied　of　peace；　of　shelter；　and　of　love；

partly　in　the　influence　of　that　Life　upon　mind　and　character　and

will；　and　partly　in　the　inspiration　to　live　and　work　for　others；

with　all　that　that　brought　of　self…riddance　and　joy　in　others'

gain。　　All　these；　in　different　ways　and　at　different　times；　are



Sources　of　pure　happiness。



Even　the　simplest　of　themto　do　good　to　other　peopleis　an　instant

and　infallible　specific。　　There　is　no　mystery　about　Happiness

whatever。　　Put　in　the　right　ingredients　and　it　must　come　out。　　He

that　abideth　in　Him　will　bring　forth　much　fruit；　and　bringing　forth

much　fruit　is　Happiness。　　The　infallible　receipt　for　Happiness；

then；　is　to　do　good；　and　the　infallible　receipt　for　doing　good

is　to　abide　in　Christ。　　The　surest　proof　that　all　this　is　a　plain

matter　of　Cause　and　Effect　is　that　men　may　try　every　other　conceivable

way　of　finding　happiness；　and　they　will　fail。　　Only　the　right　cause

in　each　case　can　produce　the　right　effect。



Then　the　Christian　experiences　are　our　own　making？　　In　the　same

sense　in　which　grapes　are　our　own　making　and　no　more。　　All　fruits

GROWwhether　they　grow　in　the　soil　or　in　the　soul；　whether　they

are　the　fruits　of　the　wild　grape　or　of　the　True　Vine。　　No　man　can

MAKE　things　grow。　　He　can　GET　THEM　TO　GROW　by　arranging　all　the

circumstances　and　fulfilling　all　the　conditions。　　But　the　growing

is　done　by　God。　　Causes　and　effects　are　eternal　arrangements；　set

in　the　constitution　of　the　world；　fixed　beyond　man's　ordering。

What　man　can　do　is　to　place　himself　in　the　midst　of　a　chain　of

sequences。　　Thus　he　can　get　things　to　grow。　　But　the　power　is　the

Spirit　of　God。



What　more　need　I　add　but　thistest　the　method　by　experiment。　　Do

not　imagine　that　you　have　got　these　things　because　you　know　how　to

get　them。　　As　well　try　to　feed　upon　a　cookery　book。　　But　I　think

I　can　promise　that　if　you　try　in　this　simple　and　natural　way；　you

will　not　fail。　　Spend　the　time　you　have　spent　in　sighing　for　fruits

in　fulfilling　the　conditions　of　their　growth。　　The　fruits　will　come；

must　come。　　We　have　hitherto　paid　immense　attention　to　EFFECTS；　to

the　mere　experiences　themselves；　we　have　described　them；　extolled

them；　advised　them；　prayed　for　themdone　everything　but　find　out

what　CAUSED　them。　　Henceforth



Let　us　deal　with　causes。



〃To　be；〃　says　Lotze；　〃is　to　be　in　relations。〃　　About　every　other

method　of　living　the　Christian　life　there　is　an　uncertainty。　　About

every　other　method　of　acquiring　the　Christian　experiences　there　is

a　〃perhaps。〃　　But　in　so　far　as　this　method　is　the　way　of　nature；

it　cannot　fail。　　Its　guarantee　is　the　laws　of　the　universeand

these　are　〃the　Hands　of　the　Living　God。〃



The　true　vine。



〃I　am　the　true　vine；　and　my　Father　is　the　husbandman。　　Every　branch

in　me　that　beareth　not　fruit　he　taketh　away；　and　every　branch　that

beareth　fruit；　he　purgeth　it；　that　it　may　bring　forth　more　fruit。

Now　ye　are　clean　through　the　word　which　I　have　spoken　unto　you。　　Abide

in　me；　and　I　in　you。　　As　the　branch　cannot　bear　fruit　of　itself；

except　it　abide　in　the　vine；　no　more　can　ye；　except　ye　abide　in

me。　　I　am　the　vine；　ye　are　the　branches：　　He　that　abideth　in　me；

and　I　in　him；　the　same　bringeth　forth　much　fruit：　　for　without　me

ye　can　do　nothing。　　If　a　man　abide　not　in　me；　he　is　cast　forth　as

a　branch；　and　is　withered；　and　men　gather　them；　and　cast　them　into

the　fire；　and　they　are　burned。　　If　ye　abide　in　me；　and　my　word　abide

in　you；　ye　shall　ask　what　ye　will；　and　it　shall　be　done　unto　you。

Herein　is　my　Father　glorified；　that　ye　bear　much　fruit；　so　ye　shall

be　my　disciples。　　As　the　Father　hath　loved　me；　so　have　I　loved

you：　　continue　ye　in　my　love。　　If　ye　keep　my　commandments；　ye　shall

abide　in　my　love；　even　as　I　have　kept　my　Father's　commandments；

and　abide　in　his　love。　　These　things　have　I　spoken　unto　you；　that

my　joy　might　remain　in　you；　and　that　your　joy　might　be　full。〃











〃FIRST！〃　An　Address　to　boys。









I　have　three　heads　to　give　you。　　The　first　is　〃Geography；〃　the

second　is　〃Arithmetic；〃　and　the　third　is　〃Grammar。〃



I。



First。　　Geography　tells　us　where　to　find　places。



Where　is　the　Kingdom　of　God？　　It　is　said　that　when　a　Prussian

officer　was　killed　in　the　Franco…Prussian　war；　a　map　of　France　was

very　often　found　in　his　pocket。　　When　we　wish　to　occupy　a　country；

we　ought　to　know　its　geography。　　Now；　WHERE　is　the　Kingdom　of　God？

A　boy　over　there　says；　〃It　is　in　heaven。〃　　No；　it　is　not　in　heaven。

Another　boy　says；　〃It　is　in　the　Bible。〃　　No；　it　is　not　in　the

Bible。　　Another　boy　says；　〃It　must　be　in　the　Church；〃　No；　it　is　not

in　the　Church。　　Heaven　is　only　the　capital　of　the　Kingdom　of　God；

the　Bible　is　the　guide…book　to　it；　the　Church　is　the　weekly　parade

of　those　who　belong　to　it。　　If　you　turn　to　the　seventeenth　chapter

of　Luke　you　will　find　out　where　the　Kingdom　of　God　really　is：　　〃The

Kingdom　of　God　is　within　you〃within　YOU。　　The　Kingdom　of　God　is

INSIDE　PEOPLE。



I　remember　once　taking　a　walk　by　the　river　near　where　the　Falls　of

Niagara　are；　and　I　noticed　a　remark