addresses-第3章

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They　simply　cannot　do　it。　　Carlisle　said　of　Robert　Burns　that　there

was　no　truer　gentleman　in　Europe　than　the　ploughman…poet。　　It　was

because　he　loved　everythingthe　mouse；　and　the　daisy；　and　all　the

things；　great　and　small；　that　God　had　made。　　So　with　this　simple

passport　he　could　mingle　with　any　society；　and　enter　courts　and

palaces　from　his　little　cottage　on　the　banks　of　the　Ayr。



You　know　the　meaning　of　the　word　〃gentleman。〃　　It　means　a　gentle

mana　man　who　does　things　gently；　with　love。　　That　is　the　whole　art

and　mystery　of　it。　　The　gentle　man　cannot　in　the　nature　of　things

do　an　ungentle；　an　ungentlemanly　thing。　　The　ungentle　soul；　the

inconsiderate；　unsympathetic　nature；　cannot　do　anything　else。　　〃Love

doth　not　behave　itself　unseemly。〃



UNSELFISHNESS。　　〃Love　seeketh　not　her　own。〃　　Observe：　　Seeketh　not

even　that　which　is　her　own。　　In　Britain　the　Englishman　is　devoted；

and　rightly；　to　his　rights。　　But　there　come　times　when　a　man　may

exercise　even





The　higher　right





of　giving　up　his　rights。



Yet　Paul　does　not　summon　us　to　give　up　our　rights。　　Love　strikes

much　deeper。　　It　would　have　us　not　seek　them　at　all；　ignore　them；

eliminate　the　personal　element　altogether　from　our　calculations。



It　is　not　hard　to　give　up　our　rights。　　They　are　often　eternal。　　The

difficult　thing　is　to　give　up　OURSELVES。　　The　more　difficult　thing

still　is　not　to　seek　things　for　ourselves　at　all。　　After　we　have

sought　them；　bought　them；　won　them；　deserved　them；　we　have　taken

the　cream　off　them　for　ourselves　already。　　Little　cross　then　to

give　them　up。　　But　not　to　seek　them；　to　look　every　man　not　on　his

own　things；　but　on　the　things　of　othersthat　is　the　difficulty。

〃Seekest　thou　great　things　for　thyself？〃　said　the　prophet；　〃SEEK

THEM　NOT。〃　　Why？　　Because　there　is　no　greatness　in　THINGS。　　Things

cannot　be　great。　　The　only　greatness　is　unselfish　love。　　Even

self…denial　in　itself　is　nothing；　is　almost　a　mistake。　　Only　a

great　purpose　or　a　mightier　love　can　justify　the　waste。



It　is　more　difficult；　I　have　said；　not　to　seek　our　own　at　all

than；　having　sought　it；　to　give　it　up。　　I　must　take　that　back。　　It

is　only　true　of　a　partly　selfish　heart。　　Nothing　is　a　hardship　to

Love；　and　nothing　is　hard。　　I　believe　that　Christ's　〃yoke〃　is　easy。

Christ's　yoke　is　just　His　way　of　taking　life。　　And　I　believe　it　is

an　easier　way　than　any　other。　　I　believe　it　is　a　happier　way　than

any　other。　　The　most　obvious　lesson　in　Christ's　teaching　is　that

there　is　no　happiness　in　having　and　getting　anything；　but　only　in

giving。　　I　repeat；　THERE　IS　NO　HAPPINESS　IN　HAVING　OR　IN　GETTING；

BUT　ONLY　IN　GIVING。　　Half　the　world　is　on　the　wrong　scent　in　the

pursuit　of　happiness。　　They　think　it　consists　in　having　and　getting；

and　in　being　served　by　others。　　It　consists　in　giving；　and　in

serving　others。　　〃He　that　would　be　great　among　you；〃　said　Christ；

〃let　him　serve。〃　　He　that　would　be　happy；　let　him　remember　that

there　is　but　one　way〃it　is　more　blessed；　it　is　more　happy；　to

give　than　to　receive。〃



The　next　ingredient　is　a　very　remarkable　one：　　GOOD　TEMPER。　　〃Love

is　not　provoked。〃



Nothing　could　be　more　striking　than　to　find　this　here。　　We

are　inclined　to　look　upon　bad　temper　as　a　very　harmless　weakness。

We　speak　of　it　as　a　mere　infirmity　of　nature；　a　family　failing；　a

matter　of　temperament；　not　a　thing　to　take　into　very　serious　account

in　estimating　a　man's　character。　　And　yet　here；　right　in　the　heart

of　this　analysis　of　love；　it　finds　a　place；　and　the　Bible　again　and

again　returns　to　condemn　it　as　one　of　the　most　destructive　elements

in　human　nature。



The　peculiarity　of　ill　temper　is　that　it　is　the　vice　of　the　virtuous。

It　is　often　the　one　blot　on　an　otherwise　noble　character。　　You

know　men　who　are　all　but　perfect；　and　women　who　would　be　entirely

perfect；　but　for　an　easily　ruffled；　quick…tempered；　or　〃touchy〃

disposition。　　This　compatibility　of　ill　temper　with　high　moral

character　is　one　of　the　strangest　and　saddest　problems　of　ethics。

The　truth　is；　there　are　two　great　classes　of　sinssins　of　the　BODY

and　sins　of　the　DISPOSITION。　　The　Prodigal　Son　may　be　taken　as　a

type　of　the　first；　the　Elder　Brother　of　the　second。　　Now；　society

has　no　doubt　whatever　as　to　which　of　these　is　the　worse。　　Its　brand

falls；　without　a　challenge；　upon　the　Prodigal。　　But　are　we　right？

We　have　no　balance　to　weigh　one　another's　sins；　and　coarser　and

finer　are　but　human　words；　but　faults　in　the　higher　nature　may　be

less　venal　than　those　in　the　lower；　and　to　the　eye　of　Him　who　is

Love；　a　sin　against　Love　may　seem　a　hundred　times　more　base。　　No

form　of　vice；　not　worldliness；　not　greed　of　gold；　not　drunkenness

itself；　does　more　to　un…Christianize　society　than　evil　temper。　　For

embittering　life；　for　breaking　up　communities；　for　destroying　the

most　sacred　relationships；　for　devastating　homes；　for　withering　up

men　and　women；　for　taking　the　bloom　of　childhood；　in　short；





For　sheer　gratuitous　misery…producing　power





this　influence　stands　alone。



Look　at　the　Elder　Brothermoral；　hard…working；　patient；　dutifullet

him　get　all　credit　for　his　virtueslook　at　this　man；　this　baby；

sulking　outside　his　own　father's　door。　　〃He　was　angry；〃　we　read；

〃and　would　not　go　in。〃　　Look　at　the　effect　upon　the　father；　upon　the

servants；　upon　the　happiness　of　the　guests。　　Judge　of　the　effect

upon　the　Prodigaland　how　many　prodigals　are　kept　out　of　the

Kingdom　of　God　by　the　unlovely　character　of　those　who　profess　to

be　inside。　　Analyze；　as　a　study　in　Temper；　the　thunder…cloud　itself

as　it　gathers　upon　the　Elder　Brother's　brow。　　What　is　it　made　of？

Jealousy；　anger；　pride；　uncharity；　cruelty；　self…righteousness；

touchiness；　doggedness；　sullennessthese　are　the　ingredients　of

this　dark　and　loveless　soul。　　In　varying　proportions；　also；　these

are　the　ingredients　of　all　ill　temper。　　Judge　if　such　sins　are　of

the　disposition　are　not　worse　to　live　in；　and　for　others　to　live

with；　than　the　sins　of　the　body。　　Did　Christ　indeed　not　answer　the

question　Himself　when　He　said；　〃I　say　unto　you　that　the　publicans

and　the　harlots　go　into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven　before　you〃？　　There

is　really　no　place　in　heaven　for　a　disposition　like　this。　　A　man

with　such　a　mood　could　only　make　heaven　miserable　for　all　the　people

in　it。　　Except；　therefore；　such　a　man　be





Born　again；





he　cannot；　simply　CANNOT；　enter　the　kingdom　of　heaven。



You　will　see　then　why　Temper　is　significant。　　It　is　not　in　what

it　is　alone；　but　in　what　it　reveals。　　This　is　why　I　speak　of　it

with　such　unusual　plainness。　　It　is　a　test　for　love；　a　symptom；　a

revelation　of　an　unloving　nature　at　bottom。　　It　is　the　intermittent

fever　which　bespeaks　unintermittent　disease　within；　the　occasional

bubble　escaping　to　the　surface　which　betrays　some　rottenness

underneath；　a　sample　of　the　most　hidden　products　of　the　soul　dropped

involuntarily　when　off　one's　guard；　in　a　word；　the　lightning　form

of　a　hundred　hideous　and　un…Christian　sins。　　A　want　of　patience；　a

want　of　kindness；　a　want　of　generosity；　a　want　of　courtesy；　a　want

of　unselfishness；　are　all　instantaneously　symbolized　in　one　flash

of　Temper。



Hence　it　is　not　enough　to　deal　with　the　Temper。　　We　must　go　to　the

source；　and　change　the　inmost　nature；　and　the　angry　humors　will　die

away　of　themselves。　　souls　are　made　sweet　not　by　taking　the　acid

fluids　out；　but　by　putting　something　ina　great　Love；　a　new　Spirit；

the　Spirit　of　Christ。　　Christ；　the　Spirit　of　Christ；　interpenetrating

ours；　sweetens；　purifies；　transforms　all。　　This　only　can　eradicate

what　is　wrong；　work　a　chemical　change；　renovate　and　regenerate；

and　rehabilitate　the　inner　man。　　Will…power　does　not　change　men。

Time　does　not　change　men。





Christ　does。





Therefore；　〃Let　that　mind　be　in　you　which　was　also　in　Christ　Jesus。〃



Some　of　us　have　not　much　time　to　lose。　　Remember；　once　more；　that

this　is　a　matter　of　life　or　death。　　I　cannot　help　speaking　urgently；

for　my