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第8章

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

nothing could go into that mind because the ears and eyes were

closed to the outer world。  Then by that great process which has

been discovered; by which the blind see; and the deaf hear; and the

mute speak; that girl's soul became opened; and they began to put

in little bits of knowledge; and bit by bit they began to educate

her。  They reserved her religious instruction for Phillips Brooks。

After some years; when she was twelve years old; they took her to

him and he began to talk to her through the young lady who could

communicate with her by the exceedingly delicate process of touch。

He began to tell her about God and what He had done; and how He loved

men; and what He is to us。  The child listened very intelligently;

and finally said:



〃Mr。 Brooks; I knew all that before; but I didn't know His name。〃



How often we have felt something within us impelling us to do

something which we would not have conceived of by ourselves; or

enabling us to do something which we could not have done alone。

〃It is God which worketh in you。〃  This great simple fact



Explains many of the mysteries of life;



and takes away the fear which we would otherwise have in meeting

the difficulties which lie before us。



Two Americans who were crossing the Atlantic met on Sunday night

to sing hymns in the cabin。  As they sang the hymn; 〃Jesus; Lover

of my Soul;〃 one of the Americans heard an exceedingly rich and

beautiful voice behind him。  He looked around; and although he did

not know the face he thought that he recognized the voice。  So when

the music ceased he turned and asked the man if he had not been

in the Civil war。  The man replied that he had been a Confederate

soldier。  〃Were you at such a place on such a night?〃  asked the

first。  〃Yes;〃 he said; 〃and a curious thing happened that night;

this hymn recalled it to my mind。  I was on sentry duty on the

edge of the wood。  It was a dark night and very cold; and I was a

little frightened because the enemy was supposed to be very near

at hand。  I felt very homesick and miserable; and about midnight;

when everything was very still; I was beginning to feel very weary

and thought that I would comfort myself by praying and singing a

hymn。  I remember singing this hymn;





'All my trust on Thee is stayed;

  All my help from Thee I bring;

 Cover my defenceless head

  With the shadow of Thy wing。'





After I had sung those words a strange peace came down upon me;

and through the long night I remember having felt no more fear。〃



〃Now;〃 said the other man; 〃listen to my story。  I was a Union

soldier; and was in the wood that night with a party of scouts。  I

saw you standing up; although I didn't see your face; and my men

had their rifles focused upon you waiting the word to fire; but

when you sang out;





'Cover my defenceless head

  With the shadow of Thy wing。'





I said; 'Boys; put down your rifles; we will go home。'  I couldn't

kill you after that。〃



God was working in each of them; in His own way carrying out His

will。  God keeps his people and guides them and without Him life

is but a living death。



III。



The third element in life about which I wish to speak is LOVE。



In this picture we notice the delicate sense of companionship;

brought out by the young man and the young woman。  It matters not

whether they are brother and sister; or lover and loved; there

you have the idea of friendship; the final ingredient in our life;

after the two I have named。  If the man or the woman had been

standing in that field alone it would have been incomplete。



Love is the divine element in life; because 〃God is love。〃  〃He

that loveth is born of God;〃 therefore; as some one has said; let

us 〃keep our friendships in repair。〃  Let us cultivate the spirit

of friendship; and let the love of Christ develop it into a great

love; not only for our friends; but for all humanity。  Wherever

you go and whatever you do; your work will be a failure unless you

have this element in your life。



These three things go far toward forming a well…rounded life。  Some

of us may not have these ingredients in their right proportion;

but if you are lacking in one or the other of them; then pray for

it and work for it that your life may be rounded and complete as

God intended it should be。











Pax Vobiscum。









I once heard a sermon by a distinguished preacher upon 〃Rest。〃

It was full of beautiful thoughts; but when I came to ask myself;

〃How does he say I can get Rest?〃 there was no answer。  The sermon

was sincerely meant to be practical; yet it contained no experience

that seemed to me to be tangible; nor any advice that I could

graspany advice; that is to say; which could help me to find the

thing itself as I went about the world。



Yet this omission of what is; after all; the only important problem;

was not the fault of the preacher。  The whole popular religion is

in the twilight here。  And when pressed for really working specifics

for the experiences with which it deals; it falters; and seems to

lose itself in mist。



The want of connection between the great words of religion and

every…day life has bewildered and discouraged all of us。  Christianity

possesses the noblest words in the language; its literature overflows

with terms expressive of the greatest and happiest moods which can

fill the soul of man。  Rest; Joy; Peace; Faith; Love; Lightthese

words occur with such persistency in hymns and prayers that an

observer might think they formed the staple of Christian experience。

But on coming to close quarters with the actual life of most of us;

how surely would he be disenchanted。  I do not think we ourselves

are aware of how much our religious life is



Made up of phrases;



how much of what we call Christian Experience is only a dialect

of the Churches; a mere religious phraseology with almost nothing

behind it in what we really feel and know。



To some of us; indeed; the Christian experiences seem further away

than when we took the first steps in the Christian life。  That life

has not opened out as we had hoped。  We do not regret our religion;

but we are disappointed with it。  There are times; perhaps; when

wandering notes form a diviner music stray into our spirits; but

these experiences come at few and fitful moments。  We have no sense

of possession in them。  When they visit us; it is as surprise。

When they leave us; it is without explanation。  When we wish their

return; we do not know how to secure it。



All of which means a religion without solid base; and a poor and

flickering life。  It means a great bankruptcy in those experiences

which give Christianity its personal solace and make it attractive

to the world; and a great uncertainty as to any remedy。  It is as

if we knew everything about healthexcept the way to get it。



I am quite sure that the difficulty does not lie in the fact that

men are not in earnest。  This is simply not the fact。  All around

us Christians are wearing themselves out in trying to be better。

The amount of spiritual longing in the worldin the hearts

of unnumbered thousands of men and women in whom we should never

suspect it; among the wise and thoughtful; among the young and

gay; who seldom assuage and never betray their thirstthis is one

of the most wonderful and touching facts of life。  It is not more

heart that is needed; but more light; not more force; but a wiser

direction to be given to very real energies already there。



The usual advice when one asks for counsel on these questions is;

〃Pray。〃  But this advice is far from adequate。  I shall qualify the

statement presently; but let me urge it here; with what you will

perhaps call daring emphasis; that to pray for these things is not

the way to get them。  No one will get them without praying; but

that men do not ge

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