addresses-第17章

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If　we　cannot　calculate　to　a　certainty　that　the　forces　of　religion

will　do　their　work；　then　is　religion　vain。　　And　if　we　cannot　express

the　law　of　these　forces　in　simple　words；　then　is　Christianity　not

the　world's　religion；　but　the　world's　conundrum。



Where；　then；　shall　one　look　for　such　a　formula？　　Where　one　would

look　for　any　formulaamong　the　text…books。　　And　if　we　turn　to　the

text…books　of　Christianity　we　shall　find　a　formula　for　this　problem

as　clear　and　precise　as　any　in　the　mechanical　sciences。　　If　this

simple　rule；　moreover；　be　but　followed　fearlessly；　it　will　yield

the　result　of　a　perfect　character　as　surely　as　any　result　that　is

guaranteed　by　the　laws　of　nature。



The　finest　expression　of　this　rule　in　Scripture；　or　indeed　in　any

literature；　is　probably　one　drawn　up　and　condensed　into　a　single

verse　by　Paul。　　You　will　find　it　in　a　letterthe　second　to　the

Corinthianswritten　by　him　to　some　Christian　people　who；　in　a　city

which　was　a　byword　for　depravity　and　licentiousness；　were　seeking

the　higher　life。　　To　see　the　point　of　the　words　we　must　take　them

from　the　immensely　improved　rendering　of　the　Revised　translation；

for　the　older　Version　in　this　case　greatly　obscures　the　sense。

They　are　these：



〃We　all；　with　unveiled　face　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　glory　of

the　Lord；　are　transformed　into　the　same　image　from　glory　to　glory；

even　as　from　the　Lord；　the　Spirit。〃



Now　observe　at　the　outset　the　entire　contraction　of　all　our　previous

efforts；　in　the　simple　passive：　　〃WE　ARE　TRANSFORMED。〃



We　ARE　CHANGED；　as　the　Old　Version　has　itwe　do　not　change

ourselves。　　No　man　can　change　himself。　　Throughout　the　New　Testament

you　will　find　that　wherever　these　moral　and　spiritual　transformations

are　described　the　verbs　are　in　the　passive。　　Presently　it　will　be

pointed　out　that　there　is　a　RATIONALE　in　this；　but　meantime　do　not

toss　these　words　aside　as　if　this　passivity　denied　all　human　effort

or　ignored　intelligible　law。　　What　is　implied　for　the　soul　here

is　no　more　than　is　everywhere　claimed　for　the　body。　　In　physiology

the　verbs　describing　the　processes　of　growth　are　in　the　passive。

Growth　is　not　voluntary；　it　takes　place；　it　happens；　it　is　wrought

upon　matter。　　So　here。　　〃Ye　must　be　born　again〃we　cannot　be　born

ourselves。　　〃Be　not　conformed　to　this　world；　but　BE　YE　TRANSFORMED〃we

are　subjects　to　transforming　influence；　we　do　not　transform　ourselves。

Not　more　certain　is　it　that　it　is　something　outside　the　thermometer

that　produces　a　change　in　the　thermometer；　that　it　is



Something　outside　the　soul　of　man



that　produces　a　moral　change　upon　him。　　That　he　must　be　susceptible

to　that　change；　that　he　must　be　a　party　to　it；　goes　without　saying；

but　that　neither　his　aptitude　nor　his　will　can　produce　it；　is

equally　certain。



Obvious　as　it　ought　to　seem；　this　may　be　to　some　an　almost　startling

revelation。　　The　change　we　have　been　striving　after　is　not　to

be　produced　by　any　more　striving。　　It　is　to　be　wrought　upon　us　by

the　moulding　of　hands　beyond　our　own。　　As　the　branch　ascends；　and

the　bud　bursts；　and　the　fruit　reddens　under　the　co…operation　of

influences　from　the　outside　air；　so　man　rises　to　the　higher　stature

under　invisible　pressures　from　without。　　the　radical　defect　of　all

our　former　methods　of　sanctification　was　the　attempt　to　generate

from　within　that　which　can　only　be　wrought　upon　us　from　without。

The　radical　defect　of　all　our　former　methods　of　sanctification　was

the　attempt　to　generate　from　within　that　which　can　only　be　wrought

upon　us　from　without。　　According　to　the　first　Law　of　Motion；

every　body　continues　in　its　state　of　rest；　or　of　uniform　motion

in　a　straight　line；　except　in　so　far　as　it　may　be　compelled　BY

IMPRESSED　FORCES　to　change　that　state。　　This　is　also　a　first　law　of

Christianity。　　Every　man's　character　remains　as　it　is；　or　continues

in　the　direction　in　which　it　is　going；　until　it　is　compelled　BY

IMPRESSED　FORCES　to　change　that　state。　　Our　failure　has　been　the

failure　to　put　ourselves　in　the　way　of　the　impressed　forces。　　There

is　a　clay；　and　there　is　a　Potter；　we　have　tried　to　get　the　clay　to

mould　the　clay。



Whence；　then；　these　pressures；　and　where　this　Potter？　　The　answer

of　the　formula　is〃By　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　glory　of　the　Lord

we　are　changed。〃　　But　this　is　not　very　clear。　　What　is　the　〃glory〃

of　the　Lord；　and　how　can　mortal　man　reflect　it；　and　how　can　that

act　as　an　〃impressed　force〃　in　moulding　him　to　a　nobler　form？　　The

word　〃glory〃the　word　which　has　to　bear　the　weight　of　holding

these　〃impressed　forces〃is　a　stranger　in　current　speech；　and　our

first　duty　is　to　seek　out　its　equivalent　in　working　English。　　It

suggests　at　first　a　radiance　of　some　kind；　something　dazzling　or

glittering；　some　halo　such　as　the　old　masters　loved　to　paint　round

the　head　of　their　Ecce　Homos。　　But　that　is　paint；　mere　matter；　the

visible　symbol　of　some　unseen　thing。　　What　is　that　unseen　thing？　　It

is　that　of　all　unseen　things　the　most　radiant；　the　most　beautiful；

the　most　Divine；　and　that　is　CHARACTER。　　On　earth；　in　Heaven；

there　is　nothing　so　great；　so　glorious　as　this。　　The　word　has　many

meanings；　in　ethics　it　can　have　but　one。　　Glory　is　character；　and

nothing　less；　and　it　can　be　nothing　more。　　The　earth　is　〃full　of

the　glory　of　the　Lord；〃　because　it　is　full　of　His　character。　　The

〃Beauty　of　the　Lord〃　is　character。　　〃The　Glory　of　the　Only

Begotten〃　is　character；　the　character　which　is　〃fullness　of　grace

and　truth。〃　　And　when　God　told　His　people　HIS　NAME；　He　simply　gave

them　His　character；　His　character　which　was　Himself：　　〃And　the　Lord

proclaimed　the　name　for　the　Lord。。。the　Lord；　the　Lord　God；　merciful

and　gracious；　long…suffering　and　abundant　in　goodness　and　truth。〃

Glory　then　is　not　something　intangible；　or　ghostly；　or　transcendental。

If　it　were　this；　how　could　Paul　ask　men　to　reflect　it？　　Stripped

of　its　physical　enswathement　it　is　Beauty；　moral　and　spiritual

Beauty；　Beauty　infinitely　real；　infinitely　exalted；　yet　infinitely

near　and　infinitely　communicable。



With　this　explanation　read　over　the　sentence　once　more　in

paraphrase：　　We　all　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　character　of　Christ

are　transformed　into　the　same　Image　from　character　to　characterfrom

a　poor　character　to　a　better　one；　from　a　better　one　to　a　little

better　still；　from　that　to　one　still　more　complete；　until　by　slow

degrees　the　Perfect　Image　is　attained。　　Here



The　solution　of　the　problem　of　sanctification



is　compressed　into　a　sentence：　　Reflect　the　character　of　Christ。

You　will　be　changed；　in　spite　of　yourself　and　unknown　to　yourself；

into　the　same　image　from　character　to　character。



（I。）　　All　men　are　reflectorsthat　is



The　first　law



on　which　this　formula　is　based。　　One　of　the　aptest　descriptions　of

a　human　being　is　that　he　is　a　mirror。　　As　we　sat　at　table　to…night

the　world　in　which　each　of　us　lived　and　moved　through　this　day　was

focused　in　the　room。　　What　we　saw　when　we　looked　at　one　another　was

not　one　another；　but　one　another's　world。　　We　were　an　arrangement

of　mirrors。　　The　scenes　we　saw　were　all　reproduced；　the　people　we

met　walked　to　and　fro；　they　spoke；　they　bowed；　they　passed　us　by；

did　everything　over　again　as　if　it　had　been　real。　　When　we　talked；

we　were　but　looking　at　our　own　mirror　and　describing　what　flitted

across　it；　our　listening　was　not　hearing；　but　seeingwe　but　looked

on　our　neighbor's　mirror。



All　human　intercourse　is　a　seeing　of　reflections。　　I　meet　a　stranger

in　a　railway　carriage。　　The　cadence　of　his　first　words　tell　me　he

is　English　and　comes　from　Yorkshire。　　Without　knowing　it　he　has

reflected　his　birthplace；　his　parents；　and　the　long　history　of　their

race。　　Even　physiologically　he　is　a　mirror。　　His　second　sentence

records　that　he　is　a　politician；　and　a　faint　reflection　in　the　way

he　pronounces　THE　TIMES　reveals　his　party。　　In　his　next　remarks　I

see　reflected　a　whole　world　of　experiences。　　The　books　he　has　read；

the　people　he　has　met；　the