the way of all flesh-第59章

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Resurrection　of　Jesus　Christ；　nor　is　it　less　well　assured　that　a　few
weeks　after　he　had　risen　from　the　dead；　our　Lord　was　seen　by　many
hundreds　of　men　and　women　to　rise　amid　a　host　of　angels　into　the　air
upon　a　heavenward　journey　till　the　clouds　covered　him　and　concealed
him　from　the　sight　of　men。

〃It　may　be　said　that　the　truth　of　these　statements　has　been　denied；
but　what；　let　me　ask　you；　has　become　of　the　questioners？　　Where　are
they　now？　　Do　we　see　them　or　hear　of　them？　　Have　they　been　able　to
hold　what　little　ground　they　made　during　the　supineness　of　the　last
century？　　Is　there　one　of　your　fathers　or　mothers　or　friends　who
does　not　see　through　them？　　Is　there　a　single　teacher　or　preacher　in
this　great　University　who　has　not　examined　what　these　men　had　to
say；　and　found　it　naught？　　Did　you　ever　meet　one　of　them；　or　do　you
find　any　of　their　books　securing　the　respectful　attention　of　those
competent　to　judge　concerning　them？　　I　think　not；　and　I　think　also
you　know　as　well　as　I　do　why　it　is　that　they　have　sunk　back　into　the
abyss　from　which　they　for　a　time　emerged：　　it　is　because　after　the
most　careful　and　patient　examination　by　the　ablest　and　most　judicial
minds　of　many　countries；　their　arguments　were　found　so　untenable
that　they　themselves　renounced　them。　　They　fled　from　the　field
routed；　dismayed；　and　suing　for　peace；　nor　have　they　again　come　to
the　front　in　any　civilised　country。

〃You　know　these　things。　　Why；　then；　do　I　insist　upon　them？　　My　dear
young　friends；　your　own　consciousness　will　have　made　the　answer　to
each　one　of　you　already；　it　is　because；　though　you　know　so　well　that
these　things　did　verily　and　indeed　happen；　you　know　also　that　you
have　not　realised　them　to　yourselves　as　it　was　your　duty　to　do；　nor
heeded　their　momentous；　awful　import。

〃And　now　let　me　go　further。　　You　all　know　that　you　will　one　day　come
to　die；　or　if　not　to　diefor　there　are　not　wanting　signs　which　make
me　hope　that　the　Lord　may　come　again；　while　some　of　us　now　present
are　aliveyet　to　be　changed；　for　the　trumpet　shall　sound；　and　the
dead　shall　be　raised　incorruptible；　for　this　corruption　must　put　on
incorruption；　and　this　mortal　put　on　immortality；　and　the　saying
shall　be　brought　to　pass　that　is　written；　'Death　is　swallowed　up　in
victory。'

〃Do　you；　or　do　you　not　believe　that　you　will　one　day　stand　before
the　Judgement　Seat　of　Christ？　　Do　you；　or　do　you　not　believe　that
you　will　have　to　give　an　account　for　every　idle　word　that　you　have
ever　spoken？　　Do　you；　or　do　you　not　believe　that　you　are　called　to
live；　not　according　to　the　will　of　man；　but　according　to　the　will　of
that　Christ　who　came　down　from　Heaven　out　of　love　for　you；　who
suffered　and　died　for　you；　who　calls　you　to　him；　and　yearns　towards
you　that　you　may　take　heed　even　in　this　your　daybut　who；　if　you
heed　not；　will　also　one　day　judge　you；　and　with　whom　there　is　no
variableness　nor　shadow　of　turning？

〃My　dear　young　friends；　strait　is　the　gate；　and　narrow　is　the　way
which　leadeth　to　Eternal　Life；　and　few　there　be　that　find　it。　　Few；
few；　few；　for　he　who　will　not　give　up　ALL　for　Christ's　sake；　has
given　up　nothing

〃If　you　would　live　in　the　friendship　of　this　world；　if　indeed　you
are　not　prepared　to　give　up　everything　you　most　fondly　cherish；
should　the　Lord　require　it　of　you；　then；　I　say；　put　the　idea　of
Christ　deliberately　on　one　side　at　once。　　Spit　upon　him；　buffet　him；
crucify　him　anew；　do　anything　you　like　so　long　as　you　secure　the
friendship　of　this　world　while　it　is　still　in　your　power　to　do　so；
the　pleasures　of　this　brief　life　may　not　be　worth　paying　for　by　the
torments　of　eternity；　but　they　are　something　while　they　last。　　If；
on　the　other　hand；　you　would　live　in　the　friendship　of　God；　and　be
among　the　number　of　those　for　whom　Christ　has　not　died　in　vain；　if；
in　a　word；　you　value　your　eternal　welfare；　then　give　up　the
friendship　of　this　world；　of　a　surety　you　must　make　your　choice
between　God　and　Mammon；　for　you　cannot　serve　both。

〃I　put　these　considerations　before　you；　if　so　homely　a　term　may　be
pardoned；　as　a　plain　matter　of　business。　　There　is　nothing　low　or
unworthy　in　this；　as　some　lately　have　pretended；　for　all　nature
shows　us　that　there　is　nothing　more　acceptable　to　God　than　an
enlightened　view　of　our　own　self…interest；　never　let　anyone　delude
you　here；　it　is　a　simple　question　of　fact；　did　certain　things　happen
or　did　they　not？　　If　they　did　happen；　is　it　reasonable　to　suppose
that　you　will　make　yourselves　and　others　more　happy　by　one　course　of
conduct　or　by　another？

〃And　now　let　me　ask　you　what　answer　you　have　made　to　this　question
hitherto？　　Whose　friendship　have　you　chosen？　　If；　knowing　what　you
know；　you　have　not　yet　begun　to　act　according　to　the　immensity　of
the　knowledge　that　is　in　you；　then　he　who　builds　his　house　and　lays
up　his　treasure　on　the　edge　of　a　crater　of　molten　lava　is　a　sane；
sensible　person　in　comparison　with　yourselves。　　I　say　this　as　no
figure　of　speech　or　bugbear　with　which　to　frighten　you；　but　as　an
unvarnished　unexaggerated　statement　which　will　be　no　more　disputed
by　yourselves　than　by　me。〃

And　now　Mr　Hawke；　who　up　to　this　time　had　spoken　with　singular
quietness；　changed　his　manner　to　one　of　greater　warmth　and　continued
…

〃Oh！　my　young　friends　turn；　turn；　turn；　now　while　it　is　called　to…
daynow　from　this　hour；　from　this　instant；　stay　not　even　to　gird　up
your　loins；　look　not　behind　you　for　a　second；　but　fly　into　the　bosom
of　that　Christ　who　is　to　be　found　of　all　who　seek　him；　and　from　that
fearful　wrath　of　God　which　lieth　in　wait　for　those　who　know　not　the
things　belonging　to　their　peace。　　For　the　Son　of　Man　cometh　as　a
thief　in　the　night；　and　there　is　not　one　of　us　can　tell　but　what
this　day　his　soul　may　be　required　of　him。　　If　there　is　even　one　here
who　has　heeded　me；〃and　he　let　his　eye　fall　for　an　instant　upon
almost　all　his　hearers；　but　especially　on　the　Ernest　set〃I　shall
know　that　it　was　not　for　nothing　that　I　felt　the　call　of　the　Lord；
and　heard　as　I　thought　a　voice　by　night　that　bade　me　come　hither
quickly；　for　there　was　a　chosen　vessel　who　had　need　of　me。〃

Here　Mr　Hawke　ended　rather　abruptly；　his　earnest　manner；　striking
countenance　and　excellent　delivery　had　produced　an　effect　greater
than　the　actual　words　I　have　given　can　convey　to　the　reader；　the
virtue　lay　in　the　man　more　than　in　what　he　said；　as　for　the　last　few
mysterious　words　about　his　having　heard　a　voice　by　night；　their
effect　was　magical；　there　was　not　one　who　did　not　look　down　to　the
ground；　nor　who　in　his　heart　did　not　half　believe　that　he　was　the
chosen　vessel　on　whose　especial　behalf　God　had　sent　Mr　Hawke　to
Cambridge。　　Even　if　this　were　not　so；　each　one　of　them　felt　that　he
was　now　for　the　first　time　in　the　actual　presence　of　one　who　had　had
a　direct　communication　from　the　Almighty；　and　they　were　thus
suddenly　brought　a　hundredfold　nearer　to　the　New　Testament　miracles。
They　were　amazed；　not　to　say　scared；　and　as　though　by　tacit　consent
they　gathered　together；　thanked　Mr　Hawke　for　his　sermon；　said　good…
night　in　a　humble　deferential　manner　to　Badcock　and　the　other
Simeonites；　and　left　the　room　together。　　They　had　heard　nothing　but
what　they　had　been　hearing　all　their　lives；　how　was　it；　then；　that
they　were　so　dumbfoundered　by　it？　　I　suppose　partly　because　they　had
lately　begun　to　think　more　seriously；　and　were　in　a　fit　state　to　be
impressed；　partly　from　the　greater　directness　with　which　each　felt
himself　addressed；　through　the　sermon　being　delivered　in　a　room；　and
partly　to　the　logical　consistency；　freedom　from　exaggeration；　and
profound　air　of　conviction　with　which　Mr　Hawke　had　spoken。　　His
simplicity　and　obvious　earnestness　had　impressed　them　even　before　he
had　alluded　to　his　special　mission；　but　this　clenched　everything；
and　the　words　〃Lord；　is　it　I？〃　were　upon　the　hearts　of　each　as　they
walked　pensively　home　through　moonlit　courts　and　cloisters。

I　do　not　know　what　passed　among　the　Simeonites　after　the　Ernest　set
had　left　them；　but　they　would　have　been　more　than　mortal　if　they　had
not　been　a　good　deal　elated　with　the　results　of　the　evening。　　Why；
one　of　Ernest's　friends　was　in　the　University　eleven；　and　he　had
actually　been　in　Badcock