addresses-第7章

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That　picture　contains　the　three　great　elements　which　go　to　make　up

a　perfectly　rounded　Christian　life。　　It　is　not　enough　to　have　the

〃root　of　the　matter〃　in　us；　but　that　we　must　be　whole　and　entire；

lacking　nothing。　　The　Angelus　may　bring　to　us　suggestions　as　to

what　constitutes　a　complete　life。



I。



The　first　element　in　a　symmetrical　life　is　WORK。



Three…fourths　of　our　time　is　probably　spent　in　work。　　Of　course

the　meaning　of　it　is　that　our　work　should　be　just　as　religious　as

our　worship；　and　unless　we　can　work　for　the　glory　of　God　three…fourths

of　life　remains　unsanctified。



The　proof　that　work　is　religious　is　that　most　of　Christ's　life　was

spent　in　work。　　During　a　large　part　of　the　first　thirty　years　of

His　life　He　worked　with　the　hammer　and　the　plane；　making　ploughs　and

yokes　and　household　furniture。　　Christ's　public　ministry　occupied

only　about　two　and　a　half　years　of　His　earthly　life；　the　great

bulk　of　His　time　was　simply　spent　in　doing　common　everyday　tasks；

and　ever　since　then　work　has　had　a　new　meaning。



When　Christ　came　into　the　world　He　was　revealed　to　three　deputations

who　went　to　meet　and　worship　Him。　　First　came　the　shepherds；　or

working　class；　second；　the　wise　men；　or　student　class；　and　third；

the　two　old　people　in　the　temple；　Simeon　and　Anna；　that　is　to　say；

Christ　is　revealed　to　men　at　their　work；　He　is　revealed　to　men　at

their　books；　and　He　is　revealed　to　men　at　their　worship。　　It　was

the　old　people　who　found　Christ　at　their　worship；　and　as　we　grow

older　we　will　spend　more　time　exclusively　in　worship　than　we　are

able　to　do　now。　　In　the　mean　time　we　must　combine　our　worship　with

our　work；　and　we　may　expect　to　find　Christ　at　our　books　and　in　our

common　task。



Why　should　God　have　provided　that　so　many　hours　of　every　day　should

be　occupied　with　work？　　It　is　because



Work　makes　men。



A　university　is　not　merely　a　place　for　making　scholars；　it　is

a　place　for　making　Christians。　　A　farm　is　not　a　place　for　growing

corn；　it　is　a　place　for　growing　character；　and　a　man　has　no

character　except　that　which　is　developed　by　his　life　and　thought。

God's　Spirit　does　the　building　through　the　acts　which　a　man　performs

from　day　to　day。　　A　student　who　cons　out　every　word　in　his　Latin

and　Greek　instead　of　consulting　a　translation　finds　that　honesty

is　translated　into　his　character。　　If　he　works　out　his　mathematical

problems　thoroughly；　he　not　only　becomes　a　mathematician；　but　becomes

a　thorough　man。　　It　is　by　constant　and　conscientious　attention　to

daily　duties　that　thoroughness　and　conscientiousness　and　honorableness

are　imbedded　in　our　beings。　　Character　is



The　music　of　the　soul；



and　is　developed　by　exercise。　　Active　use　of　the　power　entrusted

to　us　is　one　of　the　chief　means　which　God　employs　for　producing　the

Christian　graces。　　Hence　the　religion　of　a　student　demands　that　he

be　true　to　his　work；　and　that　he　let　his　Christianity　be　shown　to

his　fellow　students　and　to　his　professors　by　the　integrity　and　the

conscientiousness　of　his　academic　life。　　A　man　who　is　not　faithful

in　that　which　is　least　will　not　be　faithful　in　that　which　is　great。

I　have　known　men　who　struggled　unsuccessfully　for　years　to　pass

their　examinations　who；　when　they　became　Christians；　found　a　new

motive　for　work　and　thus　were　able　to　succeed　where　previously　they

had　failed。　　A　man's　Christianity　comes　out　as　much　in　his　work　as

in　his　worship。



Our　work　is　not　only　to　be　done　thoroughly；　but　it　is　to　be

done　honestly。　　A　man　is　not　only　to　be　honorable　in　his　academic

relations；　but　he　must　be　honest　with　himself　and　in　his　attitude

toward　the　truth。　　Students　are　not　entitled　to　dodge　difficulties；

they　must　go　down　to　the　foundation　principles。　　Perhaps　the　truths

which　are　dear　to　us　go　down　deeper　even　than　we　think；　and　we　will

get　more　out　of　them　if　we　dig　down　for　the　nuggets　than　we　will

if　we　only　pick　up　those　that　are　on　the　surface。　　Other　theories

may　perhaps　be　found　to　have　false　bases；　if　so；　we　ought　to　know


it。　　It　is　well　to　take　our　surroundings　in　every　direction　to　see

if　there　is　deep　water；　if　there　are　shoals　we　ought　to　find　out

where　they　are。　　Therefore；　when　we　come　to　difficulties；　let　us

not　jump　lightly　over　them；　but　let　us　be　honest　as　seekers　after

truth。



It　may　not　be　necessary　for　people　in　general　to　sift　the　doctrines

of　Christianity　for　themselves；　but　a　student　is　a　man　whose　business

it　is　to　think；　to　exercise　the　intellect　which　God　has　given　him

in　finding　out　the　truth。　　Faith　is　never　opposed　to　reason；　thought

it　is　sometimes　supposed　by　Bible　teachers　that　it　is；　but　you

will　find　it　is　not。　　Faith　is　opposed　to　sight；　but　not　to　reason；

thought　it　is　not　limited　to　reason。　　In　employing　his　intellect

in　the　search　for　truth　a　student　is　drawing　nearer　to　the　Christ

who　said；　〃I　am　the　way；　the　truth　and　the　life。〃　　We　talk　a　great

deal　about　Christ　as　the　way　and　Christ　as　the　life；　but　there　is

a　side　of　Christ　especially　for　the　student：　　〃I　am　the　truth；〃

and　every　student　ought　to　be　a　truth…lover　and　a　truth…seeker　for

Christ's　sake。



II。



Another　element　in　life；　which　of　course　is　first　in　importance；

is　GOD。



The　Angelus　is　perhaps　the　most　religious　picture　painted　this

century。　　You　cannot　look　at　it　and　see　that　young　man　standing

in　the　field　with　his　hat　off　and　the　girl　opposite　him　with　her

hands　clasped　and　her　head　bowed　on　her　breast；　without　feeling　a

sense　of　God。



Do　we　carry　about　with　us　the　thought　of　God　wherever　we　go？　　If　not；

we　have　missed　the　greatest　part　of　life。　　Do　we　have　a　conviction

of　god's　abiding　presence　wherever　we　are？　　There　is　nothing　more

needed　in　this　generation　than　a　larger　and　more　Scriptural　idea

of　God。　　A　great　American　writer　has　told　us　that　when　he　was　a

boy　the　conception　of　God　which　he　got　from　books　and　sermons　was

that　of　a　wise　and　very　strict　lawyer。　　I　remember　well　the　awful

conception　of　God　which　I　had　when　a　boy。　　I　was　given　an　illustrated

edition　of　Watts'　hymns；　in　which　God　was　represented　as　a　great

piercing　eye　in　the　midst　of　a　great　black　thunder　cloud。　　The

idea　which　that　picture　gave　to　my　young　imagination　was　that　of

God　as　a　great　detective；　playing　the　spy　upon　my　actions；　as　the

hymn　says：



〃Writing　now　the　story　of　what　little　children　do。〃



That　was　a　very　mistaken　and　harmful　idea　which　it　has　taken　me

years　to　obliterate。　　We　think　of　God　as　〃up　there；〃　or　as　one　who

made　the　world　six　thousand　years　ago　and　then　retired。　　We　must

learn　that　He　is　not　confined　either　to　time　or　space。　　God　is

not　to　be　thought　of　as　merely　back　there　in　time；　or　up　there　in

space。　　If　not；　where　is　He？　　〃The　word　is　nigh　thee；　even　in　thy

mouth。〃　　The　Kingdom　of　God　is　within　you；　and　God　Himself　is　among

men。　　When　are　we　to　exchange　the　terrible；　far…away；　absentee　God

of　our　childhood　for　the　everywhere　present　God　of　the　Bible？　　Too

many　of　the　old　Christian　writers　seem　to　have　conceived　of　God

as　not　much　more　than　the　greatest　mana　kind　of　divine　emperor。

He　is　infinitely　more；　He　is　a　spirit；　as　Jesus　said　to　the　woman

at　the　well；　and　in　Him　we　live　and　move　and　have　our　being。　　Let　us

think　of　God　as　ImmanuelGod　with　usan　ever…present；　omnipresent；

eternal　One。　　Long；　long　ago；　God　made　matter；　then　He　made　the

flowers　and　trees　and　animals；　then　He　made　man。　　Did　He　stop？　　Is

God　dead？　　If　He　lives　and　acts　what　is　He　doing？　　He　is



Making　men　better。



He　it　is　that　〃worketh　in　you。〃　　The　buds　of　our　nature　are　not

all　out　yet；　the　sap　to　make　them　comes　from　the　God　who　made　us；

from　the　indwelling　Christ。　　Our　bodies　are　the　temples　of　the　Holy

Ghost；　and　we　must　bear　this　in　mind；　because　the　sense　of　God　is

kept　up；　not　by　logic；　but　by　experience。



Until　she　was　seven　years　of　age　the　life　of　Helen　Keller；　the

Boston　girl　who　was　deaf　and　dumb　and　blind；　was　an　absolute　blank；

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