addresses-第22章

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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　to　look

at　Christ；　and　draw　down　the　veil　when　unhallowed　sights　are　near。



You　have；　perhaps；　gone　with　an　astronomer　to　watch　him　photograph

the　spectrum　of　a　star。　　As　you　enter　the　dark　vault　of　the

observatory　you　saw　him　being　by　lighting　a　candle。　　To　see　the

star　with？　　No；　but　to　adjust　the　instrument　to　see　the　star　with。

It　was　the　star　that　was　going　to　take　the　photograph；　it　was；

also；　the　astronomer。　　For　a　long　time　he　worked　in　the　dimness；

screwing　tubes　and　polishing　lenses　and　adjusting　reflectors；　and

only　after　much　labor　the　finely　focused　instrument　was　brought

to　bear。　　Then　he　blew　out　the　light；　and　left　the　start　to　do　its

work　upon　the　plate　alone。



The　day's　task　for　the　Christian　is　to　bring　his　instrument　to　bear。

Having　done　that　he　may　blow　out　his　candle。　　All　the　evidences　of

Christianity　which　have　brought　him　there；　all　aids　to　Faith；　all

acts　of　worship；　all　the　leverages　of　the　Church；　all　Prayer　and

Meditation；　all　girding　of　the　Willthese　lesser　processes；　these

candle…light　activities　for　that　supreme　hour；　may　be　set　aside。

But；　remember；　it　is　but　for　an　hour。　　The　wise　man　will　be　he　who

quickest　lights　his　candle；　the　wisest　he　who　never　lets　it　out。

Tomorrow；　the　next　moment；　he；　a　poor；　darkened；　blurred　soul；　may

need　it　again　to　focus　the　Image　better；　to　take　a　mote　off　the

lens；　to　clear　the　mirror　from　a　breath　with　which　the　world　has

dulled　it。



No　readjustment　is　ever　required　on　behalf　of　the　Star。　　That　is

one　great　fixed　point　in　this　shifting　universe。　　But　THE　WORLD

MOVES。　　And　each　day；　each　hour；　demands　a　further　motion　and

readjustment　for　the　soul。　　A　telescope　in　an　observatory　follows

a　star　by　clockwork；　but　the　clockwork　of　the　soul　is　called　THE

WILL。　　Hence；　while　the　soul　in　passivity　reflects　the　Image　of

the　Lord；　the　Will　in　intense　activity　holds　the　mirror　in　position

lest　the　drifting　motion　of　the　world　bear　it　beyond　the　line　of

vision。　　To　〃follow　Christ〃　is　largely　to　keep　the　soul　in　such

position　as　will　allow　for　the　motion　of　the　earth。　　And　this

calculated　counteracting　of　the　movements　of　the　world；　this　holding

of　the　mirror　exactly　opposite　to　the　Mirrored；　this　steadying　of

the　faculties　unerringly　through　cloud　and　earthquake；　fire　and

sword；　is　the　stupendous　co…operating　labor　of　the　Will。　　It　is

all　man's　work。　　It　is　all　Christ's　work。　　In　practice　it　is　both；

in　theory　it　is　both。　　But　the　wise　man　will　say　in　practice；　〃It

depends　upon　myself。〃



In　the　Gallerie　des　Beaux　Arts　in　Paris　there　stands　a　famous

statue。　　It　was　the　last　work　of　a　great　genius；　who；　like　many　a

genius；　was　very　poor　and　lived　in　a　garret；　which　served　as　a　studio

and　sleeping…room　alike。　　When　the　statue　was　all　but　finished；　one

midnight　a　sudden　frost　fell　upon　Paris。　　The　sculptor　lay　awake

in　the　fireless　room　and　thought　of　the　still　moist　clay；　thought

how　the　water　would　freeze　in　the　pores　and　destroy　in　an　hour　the

dream　of　his　life。　　So　the　old　man　rose　from　his　couch　and　heaped

the　bed…clothes　reverently　round　his　work。　　In　the　morning　when　the

neighbors　entered　the　room　the　sculptor　was　dead；　but　the　statue

was　saved！



The　Image　of　Christ　that　is　forming　within　usthat　is　life's　one

charge。　　Let　every　project　stand　aside　for　that。　　The　spirit　of

God　who　brooded　upon　the　waters　thousands　of　years　ago；　is　busy

now　creating　men；　within　these　commonplace　lives　of　ours；　in　the

image　of　God。　　〃Till　Christ　be　formed；〃　no　man's　work　is　finished；

no　religion　crowned；　no　life　has　fulfilled　its　end。　　Is　the　infinite

task　begun？　　When；　how；　are　we　to　be　different？　　Time　cannot

change　men。　　Death　cannot　change　men。　　Christ　can。　　Wherefore　PUT

ON　CHRIST。











Dealing　With　Doubt。









There　is　a　subject　which　I　think　workers　amongst　young　men　cannot

afford　to　keep　out　of　sightI　mean　the　subject　of　〃Doubt。〃　　We　are

forced　to　face　that　subject。　　We　have　no　choice。　　I　would　rather

let　it　alone；　but　every　day　of　my　life　I　meet　men　who　doubt；　and　I

am　quite　sure　that　most　Christian　workers　among　men　have　innumerable

interviews　every　year　with　men　who　raise　skeptical　difficulties

about　religion。



Now　it　becomes　a　matter　of　great　practical　importance　that　we　should

know　how　to　deal　wisely　with　these。　　Upon　the　whole；　I　think　these

are　the　best　men　in　the　country。　　I　speak　of　my　own　country。　　I　speak

of　the　universities　with　which　I　am　familiar；　and　I　say　that　they

men　who　are　perplexed；the　men　who　come　to　you　with　serious　and

honest　difficulties；are　the　best　men。　　They　are　men　of　intellectual

honesty；　and　cannot　allow　themselves　to　be　put　to　rest　by　words；

or　phrases；　or　traditions；　or　theologies；　but　who　must　get　to　the

bottom　of　things　for　themselves。　　And　if　I　am　not　mistaken；



Christ　was　very　fond



of　these　men。　　The　outsiders　always　interested　Him；　and　touched　Him。

The　orthodox　peoplethe　PhariseesHe　was　much　less　interested

in。　　He　went　with　publicans　and　sinnerswith　people　who　were　in

revolt　against　the　respectability；　intellectual　and　religious；　of

the　day。　　And　following　Him；　we　are　entitled　to　give　sympathetic

consideration　to　those　whom　He　loved　and　took　trouble　with。



First；　let　me　speak　for　a　moment　or　two　about



The　origin　of　doubt。



In　the　first　place；　WE　ARE　BORN　QUESTIONERS。　　Look　at　the　wonderment

of　a　little　child　in　its　eyes　before　it　can　speak。　　The　child's

great　word　when　it　begins　to　speak　is；　〃Why？〃　　Every　child　is　full

of　every　kind　of　question；　about　every　kind　of　thing；　that　moves；

and　shines　and　changes；　in　the　little　world　in　which　it　lives。



That　is　the　incipient　doubt　in　the　nature　of　man。　　Respect　doubt

for　its　origin。　　It　is　an　inevitable　thing。　　It　is　not　a　thing　to

be　crushed。　　It　is　a　part　of　man　as　God　made　him。　　Heresy　is　truth

in　the　making；　and　doubt　is　the　prelude　of　knowledge。



Secondly：　　THE　WORLD　IS　A　SPHINX。　　It　is　a　vast　riddlean　unfathomable

mystery；　and　on　every　side　there　is　temptation　to　questioning。

In　every　leaf；　in　every　cell　of　every　leaf；　there　are　a　hundred

problems。　　There　are　ten　good　years　of　a　man's　life　in　investigating

what　is　in　a　leaf。　　God　has　planned　the　world　to　incite　men　to

intellectual　activity。



Thirdly：　　THE　INSTRUMENT　WITH　WHCIH　WE　ATTEMPT　TO　INVESTIGATE　TRUTH

IS　IMPAIRED。　　Some　say　it　fell；　and　the　glass　is　broken。　　Some

say　prejudice；　heredity；　or　sin；　have　spoiled　its　sight；　and　have

blinded　our　eyes　and　deadened　our　ears。　　In　any　case　the　instruments

with　which　we　work　upon　truth；　even　in　the　strongest　men；　are　feeble

and　inadequate　to　their　tremendous　task。



And　in　the　fourth　place；　ALL　RELIGIOUS　TRUTHS　ARE　DOUBTABLE。　　There

is　no　absolute　truth　for　any　one　of　them。　　Even　that　fundamental

truththe　existence　of　a　Godno　man　can　prove　by　reason。　　The

ordinary　proof　for　the　existence　of　a　God　involves　either　an

assumption；　argument　in　a　circle；　or　a　contradiction。　　The　impression

of　God　is　kept　up　by　experience；　not　by　logic。　　And　hence；　when

the　experimental　religion　of　a　man；　of　a　community；　or　of　a　nation

wanes；　religion　wanestheir　idea　of　God　grows　indistinct；　and　that

man；　community　or　nation　becomes　infidel。



Bear　in　mind；　then；　that　all　religious　truths　are　doubtableeven

those　which　we　hold　most　strongly。



What　does　this　brief　account　of　the　origin　of　doubt　teach　us？　　It

teaches　us



Great　intellectual　humility。



It　teaches　us　sympathy　and　toleration　with　all　men　who　venture　upon

the　ocean　of　truth　to　find　out　a　path　through　it　for　themselves。

Do　you　sometimes　feel　yourself　thinking　unkind　things　about　your

fellow…students　who　have　intellectual　difficulty？　　I　know　how　hard

it　is　always　to　feel　sympathy　and　toleration　for　them；　but　we　must

address　ourselves　to　that　most　carefully　and　most　religiously。　　If

my　b