lectures11-13-第3章
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the Lord； all my appetite for it was gone。 Then as I walked
along the street； passing saloons where the fumes of liquor came
out； I found that all my taste and longing for that accursed
stuff was gone。 Glory to God！ 。 。 。 ＇But＇ for ten or eleven long
years ＇after that＇ I was in the wilderness with its ups and
downs。 My appetite for liquor never came back。〃
The classic case of Colonel Gardiner is that of a man cured of
sexual temptation in a single hour。 To Mr。 Spears the colonel
said； 〃I was effectually cured of all inclination to that sin I
was so strongly addicted to that I thought nothing but shooting
me through the head could have cured me of it； and all desire and
inclination to it was removed； as entirely as if I had been a
sucking child； nor did the temptation return to this day。〃 Mr。
Webster's words on the same subject are these： 〃One thing I have
heard the colonel frequently say； that he was much addicted to
impurity before his acquaintance with religion； but that； so soon
as he was enlightened from above； he felt the power of the Holy
Ghost changing his nature so wonderfully that his sanctification
in this respect seemed more remarkable than in any other。〃＇149＇
＇149＇ Doddridge's Life of Colonel James Gardiner； London
Religious Tract Society； pp。 23…32。
Such rapid abolition of ancient impulses and propensities reminds
us so strongly of what has been observed as the result of
hypnotic suggestion that it is difficult not to believe that
subliminal influences play the decisive part in these abrupt
changes of heart； just as they do in hypnotism。＇150＇ Suggestive
therapeutics abound in records of cure； after a few sittings； of
inveterate bad habits with which the patient； left to ordinary
moral and physical influences； had struggled in vain。 Both
drunkenness and sexual vice have been cured in this way； action
through the subliminal seeming thus in many individuals to have
the prerogative of inducing relatively stable change。 If the
grace of God miraculously operates； it probably operates through
the subliminal door； then。 But just HOW anything operates in
this region is still unexplained； and we shall do well now to say
good…by to the PROCESS of transformation altogetherleaving it；
if you like； a good deal of a psychological or theological
mysteryand to turn our attention to the fruits of the religious
condition； no matter in what way they may have been
produced。＇151＇
＇150＇ Here； for example； is a case； from Starbuck's book； in
which a 〃sensory automatism〃 brought about quickly what prayers
and resolves had been unable to effect。 The subject is a woman。
She writes：
〃When I was about forty I tried to quit smoking； but the desire
was on me； and had me in its power。 I cried and prayed and
promised God to quit； but could not。 I had smoked for fifteen
years。 When I was fifty…three； as I sat by the fire one day
smoking； a voice came to me。 I did not hear it with my ears； but
more as a dream or sort of double think。 It said； 'Louisa； lay
down smoking。' At once I replied。 'Will you take the desire
away？' But it only kept saying： 'Louisa； lay down smoking。'
Then I got up； laid my pipe on the mantel…shelf； and never smoked
again or had any desire to。 The desire was gone as though I had
never known it or touched tobacco。 The sight of others smoking
and the smell of smoke never gave me the least wish to touch it
again。〃 The Psychology of Religion； p。 142。
＇151＇ Professor Starbuck expresses the radical destruction of old
influences physiologically； as a cutting off of the connection
between higher and lower cerebral centres。 〃This condition；〃 he
says； 〃in which the association…centres connected with the
spiritual life are cut off from the lower； is often reflected in
the way correspondents describe their experiences。 。 。 。 For
example： 'Temptations from without still assail me； but there is
nothing WITHIN to respond to them。' The ego ＇here＇ is wholly
identified with the higher centres whose quality of feeling is
that of withinness。 Another of the respondents says： 'Since
then； although Satan tempts me； there is as it were a wall of
brass around me； so that his darts cannot touch me。'〃
Unquestionably； functional exclusions of this sort must occur
in the cerebral organ。 But on the side accessible to
introspection； their causal condition is nothing but the degree
of spiritual excitement； getting at last so high and strong as to
be sovereign； and it must be frankly confessed that we do not
know just why or how such sovereignty comes about in one person
and not in another。 We can only give our imagination a certain
delusive help by mechanical analogies。
If we should conceive； for example； that the human mind； with its
different possibilities of equilibrium； might be like a
many…sided solid with different surfaces on which it could lie
flat； we might liken mental revolutions to the spatial
revolutions of such a body。 As it is pried up； say by a lever；
from a position in which it lies on surface A； for instance； it
will linger for a time unstably halfway up； and if the lever
cease to urge it； it will tumble back or 〃relapse〃 under the
continued pull of gravity。 But if at last it rotate far enough
for its centre of gravity to pass beyond surface A altogether；
the body will fall over； on surface B； say； and abide there
permanently。 The pulls of gravity towards A have vanished； and
may now be disregarded。 The polyhedron has become immune against
farther attraction from their direction。
In this figure of speech the lever may correspond to the
emotional influences making for a new life； and the initial pull
of gravity to the ancient drawbacks and inhibitions。 So long as
the emotional influence fails to reach a certain pitch of
efficacy； the changes it produces are unstable； and the man
relapses into his original attitude。 But when a certain intensity
is attained by the new emotion； a critical point is passed； and
there then ensues an irreversible revolution； equivalent to the
production of a new nature。
The collective name for the ripe fruits of religion in a
character is Saintliness。＇152＇ The saintly character is the
character for which spiritual emotions are the habitual centre of
the personal energy； and there is a certain composite photograph
of universal saintliness； the same in all religions； of which the
features can easily be traced。＇153＇
＇152＇ I use this word in spite of a certain flavor of
〃sanctimoniousness〃 which sometimes clings to it； because no
other word suggests as well the exact combination of affections
which the text goes on to describe。
＇153＇ 〃It will be found；〃 says Dr。 W。 R。 Inge （in his lectures on
Christian Mysticism； London； 1899； p。 326）； 〃that men of
preeminent saintliness agree very closely in what they tell us。
They tell us that they have arrived at an unshakable conviction；
not based on inference but on immediate experience； that God is a
spirit with whom the human spirit can hold intercourse； that in
him meet all that they can imagine of goodness； truth； and
beauty； that they can see his footprints everywhere in nature；
and feel his presence within them as the very life of their life；
so that in proportion as they come to themselves they come to
him。 They tell us what separates us from him and from happiness
is； first； self…seeking in all its forms； and secondly；
sensuality in all its forms； that these are the ways of darkness
and death； which hide from us the face of God； while the path of
the just is like a shining light； which shineth more and more
unto the perfect day。〃
They are these：
1。 A feeling of being in a wider life than that of this world's
selfish little interests； and a conviction； not merely
intellectual； but as it were sensible； of the existence of an
Ideal Power。 In Christian saintliness this power is always
personified as God； but abstract moral ideals； civic or patriotic
utopias； or inner versions of holiness or right may also be felt
as the true lords and enlargers of our life； in ways which I
described in the lecture on the Reality of the Unseen。＇154＇
＇154＇ The 〃enthusiasm of humanity〃 may lead to a life which
coalesces in many respects with that of Christian saintliness。
Take the following rules proposed to members of the Union pour
l'Action morale； in the Bulletin de l'Union； April 1…15； 1894。
See； also； Revue Bleue； August 13； 1892。
〃We would make known in our own persons the usefulness of rule；
of discipline； of resignation and renunciation； we would teach
the necessary perpetuity of suffering； and explain the creative
part which it plays。 We would wage war upon false optimism； on
the base hope of happiness coming to us ready made； on the notion
of a salvation by knowledge alone； or by material civilization
alone； vain symbol as this is of civilization； precarious
external arrangement ill…fitted to replace the intimate union and
consent of souls。 We would wage war also on bad morals； whether
in public or in private life； on luxury； fastidiousness； and
over…refinement； on all that tends to increase the painful；
immoral； and anti…social multiplications of our wants； on all
that excites envy and dislike in the soul of the common people；
and confirms the notion that the chief end of life is freedom to
enjoy。 We would preach by our example the respect of superiors
and equals； the respect of all men； affectionate simplicity in
our relations with inferiors and insignificant persons；
indulgence where our own claims only are concerned； but firmness
in our demands where they relate to duties towards others or
towards the public。
〃For the common people are what we help them to become； their
vices are our vices； gazed upon； envied； and imitated； and if
they come back with all their weight upon us； it is but just。
2。 A sense of the friendly continuity of the ideal power with
our own life； and a willing self…surrender to its control。
3。 An immense elation and freedom； as the outlines of the
confining selfhood melt down。
