addresses-第15章

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

First；　the　Kingdom　of　God。



But　there　is　another　arithmetic　word。　　What　is　it？　　〃Added。〃



You　know　the　difference　between　ADDITION　and　SUBTRACTION。　　Now；

that　is



A　very　important　difference



in　religion；　becauseand　it　is　a　very　strange　thingvery　few

people　know　the　difference　when　they　begin　to　talk　about　religion。

They　often　tell　boys　that　if　they　seek　the　Kingdom　of　God；　everything

else　is　going　to　be　SUBTRACTED　from　them。　　They　tell　them　that　they

are　going　to　become　gloomy；　miserable；　and　will　lose　everything

that　makes　a　boy's　life　worth　livingthat　they　will　have　to　stop

baseball　and　story…books；　and　become　little　old　men；　and　spend　all

their　time　in　going　to　meetings　and　in　singing　hymns。



Now；　that　is　not　true。　　Christ　never　said　anything　like　that。

Christ　said　we　are　to　〃Seek　first　the　Kingdom　of　God；〃　and



Everything　else　worth　having



is　to　be　ADDED　unto　us。　　If　there　is　anything　I　would　like　you　to

remember；　it　is　these　two　arithmetic　words〃first〃　and　〃added。〃



I　do　not　mean　by　〃added〃　that　if　you　become　religious　you　are　all

going　to　become　RICH。　　Here　is　a　boy；　who；　in　sweeping　out　the

shop　tomorrow；　finds　a　quarter　lying　among　the　orange　boxes。　　Well；

nobody　has　missed　it。　　He　puts　it　in　his　pocket；　and　it　begins　to

burn　a　hole　there。　　by　breakfast　time　he　wishes　that　money　were

in　his　master's　pocket。　　And　by…and…by　he　goes　to　his　master。　　He

says　（to　HIMSELF；　and　not　to　his　master）；　〃I　was　at　the　Boys'　Brigade

yesterday　and　I　was　told　to　seek　FIRST　that　which　was　right。〃　　Then

he　says　to　his　master：



〃Please；　sir；　here　is　a　quarter　that　I　found　upon　the　floor。〃



The　master　puts　it　in　the　till。　　What　has　the　boy　got　in　his　pocket？

Nothing；　BUT　HE　HAS　GOT　THE　KINGDOM　OF　GOD　IN　HIS　HEART。　　He　has

laid　up　treasure　in　heaven；　which　is　of　infinitely　more　worth　than

the　quarter。



Now；　that　boy　does　not　find　a　dollar　on　his　way　home。　　I　have　known

that　to　happen；　but　that　is　not　what　is　meant　by　〃adding。〃　　It　does

not　mean　that　God　is　going　to　pay　him　in　his　own　coin；　for　He　pays

in　better　coin。



Yet　I　remember　once　hearing　of　a　boy　who　was　paid　in　both　ways。

He　was　very；　very　poor。　　He　lived　in　a　foreign　country；　and　his

mother　said　to　him　one　day　that　he　must　go　into　the　great　city　and

start　in　business；　and　she　took　his　coat　and　cut　it　open　and　sewed

between　the　lining　and　the　coat　forty　golden　dinars；　which　she　had

saved　up　for　many　years　to　start　him　in　life。　　She　told　him　to　take

care　of　robbers　as　he　went　across　the　desert；　and　as　he　was　going

out　of　the　door　she　said：



〃My　boy；　I　have　only　two　words　for　you'Fear　God；　and　never　tell

a　lie。'〃



The　boy　started　off；　and　towards　evening　he　saw　glittering　in　the

distance　the　minarets　of　the　great　city。　　But　between　the　city　and

himself　he　saw　a　cloud　of　dust。　　It　came　nearer。　　Presently　he　saw

that　it　was　a　band　of　robbers。



One　of　the　robbers　left　the　rest　and　rode　toward　him；　and　said：



〃Boy；　what　have　you　got？〃



The　boy　looked　him　in　the　face　and　said：



〃I　have　forty　golden　dinars　sewed　up　in　my　coat。〃



The　robber　laughed　and　wheeled　around　his　horse　and　went　away　back。

He　would　not　believe　the　boy。



Presently　another　robber　came　and　he　said：



〃Boy；　what　have　you　got？〃



〃Forty　golden　dinars　sewed　up　in　my　coat。〃



The　robber　said：　　〃The　boy　is　a　fool；〃　and　wheeled　his　horse　and

rode　away　back。



By　and　by　the　robber　captain　came　and　he　said：



〃Boy；　what　have　you　got？〃



〃I　have　forty　golden　dinars　sewed　up　in　my　coat。〃



The　robber　dismounted；　and　put　his　hand　over　the　boy's　breast；

felt　something　round；　counted　one；　two；　three；　four；　five；　till　he

counted　out　the　forty　golden　coins。　　He　looked　the　boy　in　the　face

and　said：



〃Why　did　you　tell　me　that？〃



The　boy　said：　　〃Because　of　God　and　my　mother。〃



The　robber　leaned　on　his　spear　and　thought　and　said：



〃Wait　a　moment。〃



He　mounted　his　horse；　rode　back　to　the　rest　of　the　robbers；　and

came　back　in　about　five　minutes　with　his　dress　changed。　　This　time

he　looked　not　like　a　robber；　but　like　a　merchant。　　He　took　the　boy

up　on　his　horse　and　said：



〃My　boy；　I　have　long　wanted　to　do　something　for　my　God　and　for　my

mother；　and　I　have　this　moment　renounced　my　robber's　life。　　I　am

also　a　merchant。　　I　have　a　large　business　house　in　the　city。　　I

want　you　to　come　and　live　with　me；　to　teach　me　about　your　God；　and

you　will　be　rich；　and　your　mother　some　day　will　come　and　live　with

us。〃



And　it　all　happened。　　By　seeing　first　the　Kingdom　of　God；　all　these

things　were　added　unto　him。



Boys；　banish　forever　from　your　minds　the　idea　that　religion　is

SUBTRACTION。　　It　does　not　tell　us　to　give　things　up；　but　rather

gives　us　something　so　much　better　that　they　give　themselves　up。

When　you　see　a　boy　on　the　street　whipping　a　top；　you　know；　perhaps；

that　you　could　not　make　that　boy　happier　than　by　giving　him　a　top；

a　whip；　and　half　an　hour　to　whip　it。　　But　next　birthday；　when　he

looks　back　he　says；



〃What　a　goose　I　was　last　year　to　be　delighted　with　a　top。　　What　I

want　now　is　a　baseball　bat。〃



Then　when　he　becomes　an　old　man；　he　does　not　care　in　the　least　for

a　baseball　bat；　he　wants　rest；　and　a　snug　fireside　and　a　newspaper

every　day。　　He　wonders　how　he　could　ever　have　taken　up　his　thoughts

with　baseball　bats　and　whipping…tops。



Now；　when　a　boy　becomes　a　Christian；　he　grows　out　of　the　evil

things　one　by　onethat　is　to　say；　if　they　are　really　evilwhich

he　used　to　set　his　heart　upon；　（of　course　I　do　not　mean　baseball

bats；　for　they　are　not　evils）；　and　so　instead　of　telling　people　to

give　up　things；　we　are　safer　to　tell　them　to　〃seek　first　the　Kingdom

of　God；〃　and　then　they　will　get　new　things　and　better　things；　and



The　old　things　will　drop　off



of　themselves。　　This　is　what　is　meant　by　the　〃new　heart。〃　　It　means

that　God　puts　into　us　new　thoughts　and　new　wishes；　and　we　become

quite　different。



III。



Lastly；　and　very　shortly。　　What　was　the　third　head？　　〃Grammar。〃

Right。



Now；　I　require　a　clever　boy　to　answer　the　next　question。　　What

is　the　verb？　　〃Seek。〃　　Very　good：　　〃seek。〃　　What　mood　is　it　in？

〃Imperative　mood。〃　　What　does　that　mean？　　〃A　command。〃　　What　is

the　soldier's　first　lesson？　　〃Obedience。〃　　Have　you　obeyed　this

command？　　Remember　the　imperative　mood　of　these　words；　〃SEEK　first

the　Kingdom　of　God。〃



This　is　the　command　of　your　King。　　It　MUST　be　done。　　I　have　been

trying　to　show　you　what　a　splendid　thing　it　is；　what　a　reasonable

thing　it　is；　what　a　happy　thing　it　is；　but　beyond　all　these　reasons；

it　is　a　thing　that　MUST　be　done；　because　we　are　COMMANDED　to　do

it　by　our　Captain。　　Now；　there　is　His　command　to　seek　FIRST　the

Kingdom　of　God。　　Have　you　done　it？



〃Well；〃　I　know　some　boys　will　say；　〃we　are　going　to　have　a　good

time；　enjoy　life；　and　then　we　are　going　to　seekLASTthe　Kingdom

of　God。〃



Now；　that　is　mean；　it　is　nothing　else　than　mean　for　a　boy　to　take

all　the　good　gifts　that　God　has　given　him；　and　then　give　him　nothing

back　in　return　but



His　wasted　life。



God　wants　boys'　LIVES；　not　only　their　souls。　　It　is　for　active；

service　that　soldiers　are　drilled；　and　trained；　and　fed；　and　armed。

That　is　why　you　and　I　are　in　the　world　at　allnot　to　prepare　to

go　out　of　it　some　day；　but　to　serve　God　actively　in　it　NOW。　　It

is　monstrous；　and　shameful；　and　cowardly　to　talk　of　seeking　the

Kingdom　LAST。　　It　is　shirking　duty；　abandoning　one's　rightful　post；

playing　into　the　enemy's　hand　by　doing　nothing　to　turn　his　flank。

Every　hour　a　Kingdom　is　coming　in　your　heart；　in　your　home；　in　the

world　near　you；　be　it　a　Kingdom　of　Darkness　or　a　Kingdom　of　Light。

You　are　placed　where　you　are；　in　a　particular　business；　in　a

particular　street；　to　help　on　there　the　Kingdom　of　God。　　You　cannot

do　that　when　you　are　old　and　ready　to　die。　　By　that　time　your