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第21章

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hoping to solve this mystery。  At meeting; at conferences; many

a time they have reached what they thought was the very brink of

it; but somehow no further revelation came。  Poring over religious

books; how often were they not within a paragraph of it; the next

page; the next sentence; would discover all; and they would be

borne on a flowing tide forever。  But nothing happened。  The next

sentence and the next page were read; and still it eluded them;

and though the promise of its coming kept faithfully up to the end;

the last chapter found them still pursuing。



Why did nothing happen?  Because there was nothing to happennothing

of the kind they were looking for。 Why did it elude them?  Because

there was no 〃it。〃   When shall we learn that the pursuit of holiness

is simply



The pursuit of Christ?



When shall we substitute for the 〃it〃 of a fictitious aspiration;

the approach to a Living Friend?  Sanctity is in character and not

in moods; Divinity in our own plain calm humanity; and in no mystic

rapture of the soul。



And yet there are others who; for exactly a contrary reason;

will find scant satisfaction here。  Their complaint is not that a

religion expressed in terms of Friendship is too homely; but that

it is still too mystical。  To 〃abide〃 in Christ; to 〃make Christ

our most constant companion;〃 is to them the purest mysticism。  They

want something absolutely tangible and absolutely direct。  These

are not the poetical souls who seek a sign; a mysticism in excess;

but the prosaic natures whose want is mathematical definition in

details。  Yet it is perhaps not possible to reduce this problem to

much more rigid elements。  The beauty of Friendship is its infinity。

One can never evacuate life of mysticism。  Home is full of it; love

is full of it; religion is full of it。  Why stumble at that in the

relation of man to Christ which is natural in the relation of man

to man?



If any one cannot conceive or realize a mystical relation with

Christ; perhaps all that can be done is to help him to step on

to it by still plainer analogies from common life。  How do I know

Shakespere or Dante?  By communing with their words and thoughts。

Many men know Dante better than their own fathers。  Many men know

Dante better than their own fathers。  He influences them more。  As

a spiritual presence he is more near to them; as a spiritual force

more real。  Is there any reason why a greater than Shakspere or

Dante; who also walked this earth; who left great words behind Him;

who has greater works everywhere in the world now; should not also

instruct; inspire and mould the characters of men?  I do not limit

Christ's influence to this:  it is this; and it is more。  But Christ;

so far from resenting or discouraging this relation of Friendship;

Himself proposed it。  〃Abide in me〃 was almost His last word to

the world。  And He partly met the difficulty of those who feel its

intangibleness by adding the practical clause; 〃If ye abide in Me;

AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU。〃



Begin with His words。  Words can scarcely ever be long impersonal。

Christ himself was a Word; a word made Flesh。  Make His words flesh;

do them; live them; and you must live Christ。  〃HE THAT KEEPETH

MY COMMANDMENTS; he it is that loveth Me。〃  Obey Him and you must

love Him。  Abide in Him; and you must obey Him。  CULTIVATE His

Friendship。  Live after Christ; in His Spirit; as in His Presence;

and it is difficult to think what more you can do。  Take this at

least as a first lesson; as introduction。



If you cannot at once and always feel the play of His life upon

yours; watch for it also indirectly。  〃The whole earth is full of

the character of the Lord。〃  Christ is the Light of the world; and

much of his Light is reflected from things in the worldeven from

clouds。  Sunlight is stored in every leaf; from leaf through coal;

and it comforts us thence when days are dark and we cannot see the

sun。  Christ shines through men; through books; through history;

through nature; music; art。  Look for Him there。  〃Every day one

should either look at a beautiful picture; or hear beautiful music;

or read a beautiful poem。〃  The real danger of mysticism is not

making it broad enough。



Do not think that nothing is happening because you do not see

yourself grow; or hear the whir of the machinery。  All great things

grow noiselessly。  You can see a mushroom grow; but never a child。

Paul said for the comforting of all slowly perfecting souls that

they grew 〃from character to character。〃  〃The inward man;〃 he

says elsewhere; 〃is renewed from day to day。〃  All thorough work

is slow; all true development by minute; slight and insensible

metamorphoses。  The higher the structure; moreover; the slower the

progress。  As the biologist runs his eye over the long Ascent of

Life; he sees the lowest forms of animals develop in an hour; the

next above these reach maturity in a day; those higher still take

weeks or months to perfect; but the few at the top demand the long

experiment of years。  If a child and an ape are born on the same

day; the last will be in full possession of its faculties and doing

the active work of life before the child has left its cradle。  Life

is the cradle of eternity。  As the man is to the animal in the

slowness of his evolution; so is the spiritual man to the natural

man。  Foundations which have to bear the weight of an eternal life

must be surely laid。  Character is to wear forever; who will wonder

or grudge that it cannot be developed in a day?



To await the growing of a soul; nevertheless; is an almost Divine

act of faith。  How pardonable; surely; the impatience of deformity

with itself; of a consciously despicable character standing before

Christ; wondering; yearning; hungering to be like that!  Yet must

one trust the process fearlessly and without misgiving。  〃The Lord

the Spirit〃 will do His part。  The tempting expedient is; in haste

for abrupt or visible progress; to try some method less spiritual;

or to defeat the end by watching for effects instead of keeping

the eye on the Cause。  A photograph prints from the negative only

while exposed to the sun。  While the artist is looking to see

how it is getting on he simply stops the getting on。  Whatever of

wise supervision the soul may need; it is certain it can never be

over…exposed; or that; being exposed; anything else in the world

can improve the result or quicken it。  The creation of a new heart;

the renewing of a right spirit; is an omnipotent work of God。

Leave it to the Creator。  〃He which hath begun a good work in you

will perfect it unto that day。〃



No man; nevertheless; who feels the worth and solemnity of what is

at stake will be careless as to his progress。  To become



Like Christ



is the only thing in the world worth caring for; the thing before

which every ambition of man is folly; and all lower achievement

vain。



Those only who make this quest the supreme desire and passion of

their lives can ever begin to hope to reach it。  If; therefore; it

has seemed up to this point as if all depended on passivity; let

me now assert; with conviction more intense; that all depends on

activity。  A religion of effortless adoration may be a religion

for an angel; but never for a man。  No in the contemplative; but

in the active; lies true hope; not in rapture; but in reality; lies

true life; not in the realm of ideals; but among tangible things;

is man's sanctification wrought。  Resolution; effort; pain;

self…crucifixion; agonyall the things already dismissed as

futile in themselves; must now be restored to office; and a tenfold

responsibility laid upon them。  For what is their office?  Nothing

less than to move the vast inertia of the soul; and place it; and

keep it where the spiritual forces will act upon it。  It is to rally

the forces of the will; and keep the surface of the mirror bright

and ever in position。  It is to uncover the face which is t

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