addresses-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