addresses-第14章

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INSIDE　PEOPLE。



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

Niagara　are；　and　I　noticed　a　remarkable　figure　walking　along　the

river　bank。　　I　had　been　some　time　in　America。　　I　had　seen　black

men；　and　red　men；　and　yellow　men；　and　white　men；　black　men；　the

Negroes；　red　men；　the　Indians；　yellow　men；　the　Chinese；　white　men；

the　Americans。　　But　this　man　looked　quite　different　in　his　dress

from　anything　I　had　ever　seen。　　When　he　came　a　little　closer；　I

saw　he　was　wearing　a　kilt；　when　he　came　a　little　nearer　still；　I

saw　that　he　was　dressed　exactly　like　a　Highland　soldier。　　When　he

came　quiet　near；　I　said　to　him：



〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃



〃Why　should　I　not　be　here？〃　he　replied；　〃don't　you　know　this　is

British　soil？　　When　you　cross　the　river　you　come　into　Canada。〃



This　soldier　was　thousands　of　miles　from　England；　and　yet　he　was

in　the　Kingdom　of　England。　　Wherever　there　is　an　English　heart

beating　loyal　to　the　Queen　of　Britain；　there　is　England。　　Wherever

there　is　a　boy　whose　heart　is　loyal　to　the　Kingdom　of　God；　the

Kingdom　of　God　is　within　him。



What　is　the　Kingdom　of　God？　　Every　Kingdom　has　its　exports；　it

products。　　Go　down　the　river　here　and　you　will　find　ships　coming

in　with　cotton；　you　know　they　come　from　America。　　You　will　find

ships　with　tea；　you　know　they　are　from　China。　　Ships　with　wool；

you　know　they　come　from　Australia。　　Ships　with　sugar；　you　know　they

come　from　Java。



What　comes　from　the　Kingdom　of　God？　　Again；　we　must　refer　to　our

Guide…book。　　Turn　to　Romans；　and　we　shall　find　what　the　Kingdom

of　God　is。　　I　will　read　it：　　〃The　Kingdom　of　God　is　righteousness；

peace；　joy〃three　things。　　〃The　Kingdom　of　God　is　righteousness；

peace；　joy。〃　　Righteousness；　of　course　is　just　doing　what　is　right。

Any　boy　who　does　what　is　RIGHT　has　the　Kingdom　of　God　within　him。

Any　boy　who；　instead　of　being　quarrelsome；　lives　at　peace　with

the　other　boys；　has　the　Kingdom　of　God　within　him。　　Any　boy　whose

heart　is　filled　with　joy　because　he　does　what　is　right；　has　the

Kingdom　of　God　within　him。　　The　Kingdom　of　God　is　not　going　to

religious　meetings；　and　hearing　strange　religious　experiences；　the

Kingdom　of　God　is　doing　what　is　rightliving　at　peace　with　all

men；　being　filled　with　joy　in　the　Holy　Ghost。



Boys；　if　you　are　going　to　be　Christians；　be　Christians　as　boys；　and

not　as　your　grandmothers。　　A　grandmother　has　to　be　a　Christian　as

a　grandmother；　and　that　is　the　right　and　the　beautiful　thing　for　her；

but　if　you　cannot　read　your　Bible　by　the　hours　as　your　grandmother

can；　or　delight　in　meetings　as　she　can；　don't　think　you　are

necessarily　a　bad　boy。　　When　you　are　your　grandmother's　age　you　will

have　your　grandmother's　kind　of　religion。　　Meantime；　be　a　Christian

as　a　boy。　　Live　a　boy's　life。　　Do　the　straight　thing；　seek　the

kingdom　of　righteousness　and　honor　and　truth。　　Keep　the　peace　with

the　boys　about　you；　and　be　filled　with　the　joy　of　being　a　loyal；

and　simple；　and　natural；　and　boy…like　servant　of　Christ。



You　can　very　easily　tell　a　house；　or　a　workshop；　or　an　office　where

the　Kingdom　of　God　is　NOT。　　The　first　thing　you　see　in　that　pace

is　that　the　〃straight　thing〃　is　not　always　done。　　Customers　do　not

get　fair　play。　　You　are　in　danger　of　learning　to　cheat　and　to　lie。

Better　a　thousand　times　to　starve　than　to　stay　in　a　place　where

you　cannot　do　what　is　right。



Or；　when　you　go　into　your　workshop；　you　find　everybody　sulky；　touchy；

and　ill…tempered；　everybody　at　daggers…drawn　with　everybody　else；

some　of　the　men　not　on　speaking　terms　with　some　of　the　others；　and

the　whole　FEEL　of　the　place　miserable　and　unhappy。　　The　Kingdom　of

God　is　not　thee；　for　IT　is　peace。　　It　is　the　Kingdom　of　the　Devil

that　is　anger；　and　wrath　and　malice。



If　you　want　to　get　the　Kingdom　of　God　into　your　workshop；　or

into　your　home；　let　the　quarreling　be　stopped。　　Live　in　peace　and

harmony　and　brotherliness　with　everyone。　　For　the　Kingdom　of　God

is　a　kingdom　of　brothers。　　It　is　a　great　Society；　founded　by　Jesus

Christ；　of　all　the　people　who　try　to　live　like　Him；　and　to　make　the

world　better　and　sweeter　and　happier。　　Wherever　　boy　is　trying　to

do　that；　in　the　house　or　on　the　street；　in　the　workshop　or　on　the

baseball　field；　there　is　the　Kingdom　of　God。　　And　every　boy；　however

small　or　obscure　or　poor；　who　is　seeking　that；　is　a　member　of　it。

You　see　now；　I　hope；　what　the　Kingdom　is。



II。



I　pass；　therefore；　to　the　second　head；　What　was　it？　　Arithmetic。

Are　there　any　arithmetic　words　in　this　text？　　〃Added。〃　　What　other

arithmetic　words？　　〃First。〃



Now；　don't　you　think　you　could　not　have　anything　better　to　seek

〃first〃　than　the　things　I　have　named　to　do　what　is　right；　to　live

at　peace；　and　be　always　making　those　about　you　happy？　　You　see　at

once　why　Christ　tells　us　to　seek　these　things　firstbecause　they

are



The　best　worth　seeking。



Do　you　know　anything　better　than　these　three　things；　anything

happier；　purer；　nobler？　　If　you　do；　seek　them　first。　　But　if　you

do　not；　seek　first　the　Kingdom　of　God。　　I　do　not　tell　you　to　be

religious。　　You　know　that。　　I　do　not　tell　you　to　seek　the　Kingdom

of　God。　　I　tell　you　to　seek　the　Kingdom　of　God　FIRST。　　FIRST。

Not　many　people　do　that。　　They　put　a　little　religion　into　their

lifeonce　a　week；　perhaps。　　They　might　just　as　well　let　it　alone。

It　is　not　worth　seeking　the　Kingdom　of　God　unless　we　seek　it　FIRST。



Suppose　you　take　the　helm　out　of　a　ship　and　hang　it　over　the　bow；

and　send　that　ship　to　sea；　will　it　ever　reach　the　other　side？

Certainly　not。　　It　will　drift　about　anyhow。　　Keep　religion　in　its

place；　and　it　will　take　you　straight　through　life　and　straight　to

your　Father　in　heaven　when　life　is　over。　　But　if　you　do　not　put

it　in　its　place；　you　may　just　as　well　have　nothing　to　do　with　it。

Religion　out　of　its　place　in　a　human　life　is　the　most　miserable

thing　in　the　world。　　There　is　nothing　that　requires　so　much　to　be

kept　in　its　place　as　religion；　and　its　place　is　what？　second？　third？

〃First。〃　　Boys；　FIRST　the　Kingdom　of　God；　make　it　so　that　it　will

be　natural　to　you　to　think　about　that　the　very　first　thing。



There　was　a　boy　in　Glasgow　apprenticed　to　a　gentleman　who　made

telegraphs。　　（The　gentleman　told　me　this　himself。）　　One　day　this

boy　was　up　on　the　top　of　a　four…story　house　with　a　number　of　men

fixing　up　a　telegraph　wire。　　The　work　was　all　but　done。　　It　was

getting　late；　and　the　men　said　they　were　going　away　home；　and　the

boy　was　to　nip　off　the　ends　of　the　wire　himself。　　Before　going

down　they　told　him　to　be　sure　to　go　back　to　the　workshop；　when　he

was　finished；　with　his　master's　tools。



〃Do　not　leave　any　of　them　lying　about；　whatever　you　do；〃　said　the

foreman。



The　boy　climbed　up　the　pole　and　began　to　nip　off　the　ends　of　the

wire。　　It　was　a　very　cold　winter　night；　and　the　dusk　was　gathering。

He　lost　his　hold　and　fell　upon　the　slates；　slid　down；　and　then

over　and　over　to　the　ground　below。　　A　clothes…rope　stretched　across

the　〃green〃　on　which　he　was　just　about　to　fall；　caught　him　on　the

chest　and　broke　his　fall；　but　the　shock　was　terrible；　and　he　lay

unconscious　among　some　clothes　upon　the　green。



An　old　woman　came　out；　seeing　her　rope　broken　and　the　clothes　all

soiled；　thought　the　boy　was　drunk；　shook　him；　scolded　him；　and

went　for　the　policeman。　　The　boy　with　the　shaking　came　back　to

consciousness；　rubbed　his　eyes；　and　got　back　on　his　feet。　　What　do

you　think　he　did？　　He　staggered；　half…blind；　up　the　stairs。　　He

climbed　the　ladder。　　He　got　on　to　the　roof　of　the　house。　　He　gathered

up　his　tools；　put　them　into　his　basket；　took　them　down；　and　when

he　got　to　the　ground　again　fainted　dead　away。



Just　then　the　policeman　came；　saw　there　was　something　seriously

wrong；　and　carried　him　away　to　the　hospital；　where　he　lay　for　some

time。　　I　am　glad　to　say　he　got　better。



What　was　his　first　thought　at　that　terrible　moment？　　His　duty。

He　was　not　thinking　of　himself；　he　was　thinking　about　his