addresses-第18章

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

the　people　he　has　met；　the　companions　he　keeps；　the　influences

that　have　played　upon　him　and　made　him　the　man　he　isthese　are

all　registered　there　by　a　pen　which　lets　nothing　pass；　and　whose

writing　can



Never　be　blotted　out。



What　I　am　reading　in　him　meantime　he　is　also　reading　in　me；　and

before　the　journey　is　over　we　could　half　write　each　other's　lives。

Whether　we　like　it　or　not；　we　live　in　glass　houses。　　The　mind；　the

memory；　the　soul；　is　simply　a　vast　chamber　paneled　with　looking…glass。

And　upon　this　miraculous　arrangement　and　endowment　depends　the

capacity　of　mortal　souls　to　〃reflect　the　character　of　the　Lord。〃



（2）。　　But　this　is　not　all。　　If　all　these　varied　reflections

from　our　so…called　secret　life　are　patent　to　the　world；　how　close

the　writing；　complete　the　record　within　the　soul　itself！　　For　the

influences　we　meet　are　not　simply　held　for　a　moment　on　the　polished

surface　and　thrown　off　again　into　space。　　Each　is　retained　where

first　it　fell；　and　stored　up　in　the　soul　forever。



This　law　of　assimilation



is　the　second；　and　by　far　the　most　impressive　truth　which　underlies

the　formula　of　sanctificationthe　truth　that　men　are　not　only

mirrors；　but　that　these　mirrors；　so　far　from　being　mere　reflectors

of　the　fleeting　things　they　see；　transfer　into　their　own　inmost

substance；　and　hold　in　permanent　preservation　the　things　that　they

reflect。



No　one　knows　how　the　soul　can　hold　these　things。　　No　one　knows

how　the　miracle　is　done。　　No　phenomenon　in　nature；　no　process　in

chemistry；　no　chapter　in　necromancy　can　ever　help　us　to　begin　to

understand　this　amazing　operation。　　For；　think　of　it；　the　past　is

not　only　FOCUSED　there；　in　a　man's　soul；　it　IS　there。　　How　could

it　be　reflected　from　there　if　it　were　not　there？　　All　things　that

he　has　ever　seen；　known；　felt；　believed　of　the　surrounding　world

are　now　within　him；　have　become　part　of　him；　in　part　are　himhe

has　been　changed　into　their　image。　　He　may　deny　it；　he　may　resent

it；　but　they　are　there。　　They　do　not　adhere　to　him；　they　are

transfused　through　him。　　He　cannot　alter　or　rub　them　out。　　They

are　not　in　his　memory；　they　are　in　HIM。　　His　soul　is　as　they　have

filled　it；　made　it；　left　it。　　These　things；　these　books；　these

events；　these　influences　are　his　makers。　　In　their　hands　are　life

and　death；　beauty　and　deformity。　　When　once　the　image　or　likeness

of　any　of　these　is　fairy　presented　to　the　soul；　no　power　on　earth

can　hinder　two　things　happeningit　must　be　absorbed　into　the　soul

and　forever　reflected　back　again　from　character。



Upon　these　astounding　yet　perfectly　obvious　psychological　facts；

Paul　bases　his　doctrine　of　sanctification。　　He　sees　that　character

is　a　thing　built　up　by　slow　degrees；　that　it　is　hourly　changing

for　better　or　for　worse　according　to　the　images　which　flit　across

it。　　One　step　further　and　the　whole　length　and　breadth　of　the

application　of　these　ideas　to　the　central　problem　of　religion　will

stand　before　us。



II。　　The　alchemy　of　influence。



If　events　change　men；　much　more　persons。　　No　man　can　meet　another　on

the　street　without　making　some　mark　upon　him。　　We　say　we　exchange

words　when　we　meet；　what　we　exchange　is　souls。　　And　when　intercourse

is　very　close　and　very　frequent；　so　complete　is　this　exchange　that

recognizable　bits　of　the　one　soul　begin　to　show　in　the　other's

nature；　and　the　second　is　conscious　of　a　similar　and　growing　debt

to　the　first。



Now；　we　become　like　those　whom　we　habitually　reflect。　　I　could

prove　from　science　that　applies　even　to　the　physical　framework　of

animalsthat　they　are　influenced　and　organically　changed　by　the

environment　in　which　they　life。



This　mysterious　approximating　of　two　souls；　who　has　not　witnessed？

Who　has　not　watched　some　old　couple　come　down　life's　pilgrimage

hand　in　hand；　with　such　gentle　trust　and　joy　in　one　another　that

their　very　faces　wore　the　self…same　look？　　These　were　not　two

souls；　it　was　a　composite　soul。　　It　did　not　matter　to　which　of　the

two　you　spoke；　you　would　have　said　the　same　words　to　either。　　It

was　quite　indifferent　which　replied；　each　would　have　said　the　same。

Half　a　century's　REFLECTING　had　told　upon　them；　they　were　changed

into　the　same　image。　　It　is　the　Law　of　Influence　that　WE　BECOME

LIKE　THOSE　WHOM　WE　HABITUALLY　REFLECT：　these　had　become　like　because

they　habitually　reflected。　　Through　all　the　range　of　literature；

of　history；　and　biography　this　law　presides。　　Men　are　all　mosaics

of　other　men。　　There　was　a　savor　of　David　about　Jonathan；　and　a

savor　of　Jonathan　about　David。　　Metempsychosis　is　a　fact。　　George

Eliot's　message　to　the　world　was　that　men　and　women　make　men　and

women。　　The　Family；　the　cradle　of　mankind；　has　no　meaning　apart

from　this。　　Society　itself　is　nothing　but　a　rallying　point　for　these

omnipotent　forces　to　do　their　work。　　On　the　doctrine　of　Influence；

in　short；　the　whole　vast　pyramid　of　humanity　is　built。



But　it　was　reserved　for　Paul　to　make　the　supreme　application　of

the　Law　of　Influence。　　It　was　a　tremendous　inference　to　make；　but

he　never　hesitated。　　He　himself　was　a　changed　man；　he　knew　exactly

what　had　done　it；



It　was　Christ。



On　the　Damascus　road　they　met；　and　from　that　hour　his　life　was

absorbed　in　His。　　The　effect　could　not　but　followon　words；　on

deeds；　on　career；　on　creed。　　The　〃impressed　forces〃　did　their　vital

work。　　He　became　like　Him　Whom　he　habitually　loved。　　〃So　we　all；〃

he　writes；　〃reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　glory　of　Christ；　are　changed

into　the　same　image。〃



Nothing　could　be　more　simple；　more　intelligible；　more　natural；　more

supernatural。　　It　is　an　analogy　from　an　every…day　fact。　　Since　we

are　what　we　are　by　the　impacts　of　those　who　surround　us；　those　who

surround　themselves　with　the　highest　will　be　those　who　change　into

the　highest。　　There　are　some　men　and　some　women　in　whose　company

we　are



Always　at　our　best。



While　with　them　we　cannot　think　mean　thoughts　or　speak　ungenerous

words。　　Their　mere　presence　is　elevation；　purification；　sanctity。

All　the　best　stops　in　our　nature　are　drawn　out　by　their　intercourse；

and　we　find　a　music　in　our　souls　that　was　never　there　before。

Suppose　even　THAT　influence　prolonged　through　a　month；　a　year；　a

lifetime；　and　what　could　not　life　become？　　There；　even　on　the　common

plane　of　life；　talking　our　language；　walking　our　streets；　working

side　by　side；　are　sanctifiers　of　souls；　here；　breathing　through

common　clay；　is　Heaven；　here；　energies　charged　even　through　a

temporal　medium　with　the　virtue　of　regeneration。　　If　to　live　with

men；　diluted　to　the　millionth　degree　with　the　virtue　of　the　Highest；

can　exalt　and　purify　the　nature；　what　bounds　can　be　set　to　the

influence　of　Christ？　　To　live　with　Socrateswith　unveiled　facemust

have　made　one　wise；　with　Aristides；　just。　　Francis　Assisi　must

have　made　one　gentle；　Savonarola；　strong。　　But　to　have　lived　with

Christ　must　have　made　one　like　Christ：　　that　is　to　say；　A　CHRISTIAN。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　to　live　with　Christ　did　produce　this　effect。

It　produced　it　in　the　case　of　Paul。　　And　during　Christ's　lifetime

the　experiment　was　tried　in　an　even　more　startling　form。　　A　few

raw；　unspiritual；　uninspiring　men；　were　admitted　to　the　inner　circle

of　His　friendship。　　The　change　began　at　once。　　Day　by　day　we　can

almost　see　the　first　disciple　grow。　　First　there　steals　over　them

the　faintest　possible　adumbration　of　His　character；　and　occasionally；

very　occasionally；　they　do　a　thing　or　say　a　thing　that　they　could

not　have　done　or　said　had　they　not　been　living　there。　　Slowly　the

spell　of　His　Life　deepens。　　Reach　after　reach　of　their　nature　is

overtaken；　thawed；　subjugated；　sanctified。　　Their　manner　softens；

their　words　become　more　gentle；　their　conduct　more　unselfish。　　As

swallows　who　have　found　a　summer；　as　frozen　buds　the　spring；　their

starved　humanity　bursts　into　a　fuller　life。　　They　do　not　know　how

it　is；　but　they　are　dif