addresses-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

for　myself；　for　yourselves。　　〃Whoso　shall　offend　one　of　these　little

ones；　which　believe　in　me；　it　were　better　for　him　that　a　millstone

were　hanged　about　his　neck；　and　that　he　were　drowned　in　the　depth

of　the　sea。〃　　That　is　to　say；　it　is　the　deliberate　verdict　of　the

Lord　Jesus　that　it　is　better　not　to　live　than　not　to　love。　　IT　IS

BETTER　NOT　TO　LIVE　THAN　NOT　TO　LOVE。



GUILELESSNESS　and　SINCERITY　may　be　dismissed　almost　without　a　word。

Guilelessness　is　the　grace　for　suspicious　people。　　The　possession

of　it　is





The　great　secret　of　personal　influence。





You　will　find；　if　you　think　for　a　moment；　that　the　people　who

influence　you　are　people　who　believe　in　you。　　In　an　atmosphere　of

suspicion　men　shrivel　up；　but　in　that　atmosphere　they　expand；　and

find　encouragement　and　educative　fellowship。



It　is　a　wonderful　thing　that　here　and　there　in　this　hard；　uncharitable

world　there　should　still　be　left　a　few　rare　souls　who　think　no

evil。　　this　is　the　great　unworldliness。　　Love　〃thinketh　no　evil；〃

imputes　no　motive；　sees　the　bright　side；　puts　the　best　construction

on　every　action。　　What　a　delightful　state　of　mind　to　live　in！　　What

a　stimulus　and　benediction　even　to　meet　with　it　for　a　day！　　To

be　trusted　is　to　be　saved。　　And　if　we　try　to　influence　or　elevate

others；　we　shall　soon　see　that　success　is　in　proportion　to　their

belief　of　our　belief　in　them。　　The　respect　of　another　is　the　first

restoration　of　the　self…respect　a　man　has　lost；　our　ideal　of　what

he　is　becomes　to　him　the　hope　and　pattern　of　what　he　may　become。



〃Love　rejoiceth　not　in　unrighteousness；　but　rejoiceth　with　the

truth。〃　　I　have　called　this　SINCERITY　from　the　words　rendered　in

the　Authorized　Version　by　〃rejoiceth　in　the　truth。〃　　And；　certainly；

were　this　the　real　translation；　nothing　could　be　more　just；　for　he

who　loves　will　love　Truth　not　less　than　men。　　He　will　rejoice　in

the　Truthrejoice　not　in　what　he　has　been　taught　to　believe；　not

in　this　church's　doctrine　or　in　that；　not　in　this　ism　or　in　that

ism；　but　〃in　THE　TRUTH。〃　　He　will　accept　only　what　is　real；　he

will　strive　to　get　at　facts；　he　will　search　for　TRUTH　with　a　humble

and　unbiased　mind；　and　cherish　whatever　he　finds　at　any　sacrifice。

But　the　more　literal　translation　of　the　Revised　Version　calls　for

just　such　a　sacrifice　for　truth's　sake　here。　　For　what　Paul　really

meant　is；　as　we　there　read；　〃Rejoiceth　not　in　unrighteousness；　but

rejoiceth　with　the　truth；〃　a　quality　which　probably　no　one　English

wordand　certainly　not　SINCERITYadequately　defines。　　It　includes；

perhaps　more　strictly；　the　self…restraint　which　refuses　to　make

capital　out　of　others'　faults；　the　charity　which　delights　not　in

exposing　the　weakness　of　others；　but　〃covereth　all　things〃；　the

sincerity　of　purpose　which　endeavors　to　see　things　as　they　are；

and　rejoices　to　find　them　better　than　suspicion　feared　or　calumny

denounced。



So　much　for　the　analysis　of　Love。　　Now　the　business　of　our　lives

is　to　have　these　things　fitted　into　our　characters。　　That　is　the

supreme　work　to　which　we　need　to　address　ourselves　in　this　world；

to　learn　Love。　　Is　life　not　full　of　opportunities　for　learning

Love？　　Every　man　and　woman　every　day　has　a　thousand　of　them。　　The

world　is　not　a　playground；　it　is　a　schoolroom。　　Life　is　not　a

holiday；　but　an　education。　　And





The　one　eternal　lesson





for　us　all　is　HOW　BETTER　WE　CAN　LOVE。



What　makes　a　man　a　good　cricketer？　　Practice。　　What　makes　a　man

a　good　artist；　a　good　sculptor；　a　good　musician？　　Practice。　　What

makes　a　man　a　good　linguist；　a　good　stenographer？　　Practice。　　What

makes　a　man　a　good　man？　　Practice。　　Nothing　else。　　There　is　nothing

capricious　about　religion。　　We　do　not　get　the　soul　in　different

ways；　under　different　laws；　from　those　in　which　we　get　the　body

and　the　mind。　　If　a　man　does　not　exercise　his　arm　he　develops　no

biceps　muscle；　and　if　a　man　does　not　exercise　his　soul；　he　acquires

no　muscle　in　his　soul；　no　strength　of　character；　no　vigor　of

moral　fibre；　no　beauty　of　spiritual　growth。　　Love　is　not　a　thing

of　enthusiastic　emotion。　　It　is　a　rich；　strong；　manly；　vigorous

expression　of　the　whole　round　Christian　characterthe　Christlike

nature　in　its　fullest　development。　　And　the　constituents　of　this

great　character　are　only　to　be　built　up　by





Ceaseless　practice。





What　was　Christ　doing　in　the　carpenter's　shop？　　Practising。　　Though

perfect；　we　read　that　he　LEARNED　obedience；　and　grew　in　wisdom

and　in　favor　with　God。　　Do　not　quarrel；　therefore；　with　your　lot

in　life。　　Do　not　complain　of　its　never…ceasing　cares；　its　petty

environment；　the　vexations　you　have　to　stand；　the　small　and　sordid

souls　you　have　to　live　and　work　with。　　Above　all；　do　not　resent

temptation；　do　not　be　perplexed　because　it　seems　to　thicken　round

you　more　and　more；　and　ceases　neither　for　effort　nor　for　agony　nor

prayer。　　That　is　your　practice。　　That　is　the　practice　which　god

appoints　you；　and　it　is　having　its　work　in　making　you　patient；　and

humble；　and　generous；　and　unselfish；　and　kind；　and　courteous。　　Do

not　grudge　the　hand　that　is　moulding　the　still　too　shapeless　image

within　you。　　It　is　growing　more　beautiful；　though　you　see　it　not；

and　every　touch　of　temptation　may　add　to　its　perfection。　　Therefore

keep　in　the　midst　of　life。　　Do　not　isolate　yourself。　　Be　among

men　and　among　things；　and　among　troubles；　and　difficulties；　and

obstacles。　　You　remember　Goethe's　words：　　〃Talent　develops　itself

in　solitude；　character　in　the　stream　of　life。〃　　Talent　develops

itself　in　solitudethe　talent　of　prayer；　of　faith；　of　meditation；

of　seeing　the　unseen；　character　grows　in　the　stream　of　the　world's

life。　　That　chiefly　is　where　men　are　to　learn　love。



How？　　Now；　how？　　To　make　it　easier；　I　have　named　a　few　of　the

elements　of　love。　　But　these　are　only　elements。　　Love　itself　can

never　be　defined。　　Light　is　a　something　more　than　the　sum　of　its

ingredientsa　glowing；　dazzling；　tremulous　ether。　　And　love　is

something　more　than　all　its　elementsa　palpitating；　quivering；

sensitive；　living　thing。　　By　synthesis　of　all　the　colors；　men　can

make　whiteness；　they　cannot　make　light。　　By　synthesis　of　all　the

virtues；　men　can　make　virtue；　they　cannot　make　love。　　How　then　are

we　to　have　this　transcendent　living　whole　conveyed　into　our　souls？

We　brace　our　wills　to　secure　it。　　We　try　to　copy　those　who　have

it。　　We　lay　down　rules　about　it。　　We　watch。　　We　pray。　　But　these

things　alone　will　not　bring　love　into　our　nature。　　Love　is　an　EFFECT。

And　only　as　we　fulfill　the　right　condition　can　we　have　the　effect

produced。　　Shall　I　tell　you　what　the　CAUSE　is？



If　you　turn　to　the　Revised　Version　of　the　First　Epistle　of　John

you　find　these　words：　　〃We　love　because　He　first　loved　us。〃　　〃We

love；〃　not　〃We　love　HIM。〃　　That　is　the　way　the　old　version　has

it；　and　it　is　quite　wrong。　　〃WE　LOVEbecause　He　first　loved　us。〃

Look　at　that　word　〃because。〃　　It　is　the　CAUSE　of　which　I　have

spoken。　　〃BECAUSE　He　first　loved　us；〃　the　effect　follows　that　we

love；　we　love　Him；　we　love　all　men。　　We　cannot　help　it。　　Because　He

loved　us；　we　love；　we　love　everybody。　　Our　heart　is　slowly　changed。

contemplate　the　love　of　Christ；　and　you　will　love。　　Stand　before

that　mirror；　reflect　Christ's　character；　and　you　will　be　changed

into　the　same　image　from　tenderness　to　tenderness。　　There　is　no

other　way。　　You　cannot　love　to　order。　　You　can　only　look　at　the

lovely　object；　and　fall　in　love　with　it；　and　grow　into　likeness　to

it。　　And　so　look　at　this　Perfect　Character；　this　Perfect　Life。　　Look

at





The　great　sacrifice





as　He　laid　down　Himself；　all　through　life；　and　upon　the　Cross　of

Calvary；　and　you　must　love　Him。　　And　loving　Him；　you　must　become

like　Him。　　Love　begets　love。　　It　is　a　process　of　induction。　　Put

a　piece　of　Iron　in　the　presence　of　an　electrified　body；　and　that

piece　of　iron　for　a　time　becomes　electrified。　　It　is　changed　into