lectures11-13-第4章

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3。　　An　immense　elation　and　freedom；　as　the　outlines　of　the



confining　selfhood　melt　down。







4。　　A　shifting　of　the　emotional　centre　towards　loving　and



harmonious　affections；　towards　〃yes；　yes；〃　and　away　from　〃no；〃



where　the　claims　of　the　non…ego　are　concerned。　These　fundamental



inner　conditions　have　characteristic　practical　consequences；　as



follows：







a。　　Asceticism。The　self…surrender　may　become　so　passionate　as



to　turn　into　self…immolation。　　It　may　then　so　over…rule　the



ordinary　inhibitions　of　the　flesh　that　the　saint　finds　positive



pleasure　in　sacrifice　and　asceticism；　measuring　and　expressing　as



they　do　the　degree　of　his　loyalty　to　the　higher　power。







b。　　Strength　of　Soul。The　sense　of　enlargement　of　life　may　be　so



uplifting　that　personal　motives　and　inhibitions；　commonly



omnipotent；　become　too　insignificant　for　notice；　and　new　reaches



of　patience　and　fortitude　open　out。　　Fears　and　anxieties　go；　and



blissful　equanimity　takes　their　place。　Come　heaven；　come　hell；　it



makes　no　difference　now！







〃We　forbid　ourselves　all　seeking　after　popularity；　all　ambition



to　appear　important。　　We　pledge　ourselves　to　abstain　from



falsehood；　in　all　its　degrees。　　We　promise　not　to　create　or



encourage　illusions　as　to　what　is　possible；　by　what　we　say　or



write。　We　promise　to　one　another　active　sincerity；　which　strives



to　see　truth　clearly；　and　which　never　fears　to　declare　what　it



sees。







〃We　promise　deliberate　resistance　to　the　tidal　waves　of　fashion；



to　the　'booms'　and　panics　of　the　public　mind；　to　all　the　forms　of



weakness　and　of　fear。







〃We　forbid　ourselves　the　use　of　sarcasm。　　Of　serious　things　we



will　speak　seriously　and　unsmilingly；　without　banter　and　without



the　appearance　of　banter；and　even　so　of　all　things；　for　there



are　serious　ways　of　being　light　of　heart。







〃We　will　put　ourselves　forward　always　for　what　we　are；　simply　and



without　false　humility；　as　well　as　without　pedantry；　affectation；



or　pride。〃







c。　　Purity。The　shifting　of　the　emotional　centre　brings　with　it；



first；　increase　of　purity。　　The　sensitiveness　to　spiritual



discords　is　enhanced；　and　the　cleansing　of　existence　from　brutal



and　sensual　elements　becomes　imperative。　　Occasions　of　contact



with　such　elements　are　avoided：　　the　saintly　life　must　deepen　its



spiritual　consistency　and　keep　unspotted　from　the　world。　　In　some



temperaments　this　need　of　purity　of　spirit　takes　an　ascetic　turn；



and　weaknesses　of　the　flesh　are　treated　with　relentless　severity。







d。　　Charity。The　shifting　of　the　emotional　centre　brings；



secondly；　increase　of　charity；　tenderness　for　fellow…creatures。



The　ordinary　motives　to　antipathy；　which　usually　set　such　close



bounds　to　tenderness　among　human　beings；　are　inhibited。　The　saint



loves　his　enemies；　and　treats　loathsome　beggars　as　his　brothers。







I　now　have　to　give　some　concrete　illustrations　of　these　fruits　of



the　spiritual　tree。　　The　only　difficulty　is　to　choose；　for　they



are　so　abundant。







Since　the　sense　of　Presence　of　a　higher　and　friendly　power　seems



to　be　the　fundamental　feature　in　the　spiritual　life；　I　will　begin



with　that。







In　our　narratives　of　conversion　we　saw　how　the　world　might　look



shining　and　transfigured　to　the　convert；＇155＇　and；　apart　from



anything　acutely　religious；　we　all　have　moments　when　the



universal　life　seems　to　wrap　us　round　with　friendliness。　In　youth



and　health；　in　summer；　in　the　woods　or　on　the　mountains；　there



come　days　when　the　weather　seems　all　whispering　with　peace；　hours



when　the　goodness　and　beauty　of　existence　enfold　us　like　a　dry



warm　climate；　or　chime　through　us　as　if　our　inner　ears　were



subtly　ringing　with　the　world's　security。　　Thoreau　writes：







＇155＇　Above；　pp。　243　ff。















〃Once；　a　few　weeks　after　I　came　to　the　woods；　for　an　hour　I



doubted　whether　the　near　neighborhood　of　man　was　not　essential　to



a　serene　and　healthy　life。　　To　be　alone　was　somewhat　unpleasant。



But；　in　the　midst　of　a　gentle　rain；　while　these　thoughts



prevailed；　I　was　suddenly　sensible　of　such　sweet　and　beneficent



society　in　Nature；　in　the　very　pattering　of　the　drops；　and　in



　every　sight　and　sound　around　my　house；　an　infinite　and



unaccountable　friendliness　all　at　once；　like　an　atmosphere；



sustaining　me；　as　made　the　fancied　advantages　of　human



neighborhood　insignificant；　and　I　have　never　thought　of　them



since。　　Every　little　pine…needle　expanded　and　swelled　with



sympathy　and　befriended　me。　　I　was　so　distinctly　made　aware　of



the　presence　of　something　kindred　to　me；　that　I　thought　no　place



could　ever　be　strange　to　me　again。〃＇156＇







＇156＇　H。　Thoreau：　　Walden；　Riverside　edition；　p。　206；　abridged。















In　the　Christian　consciousness　this　sense　of　the　enveloping



friendliness　becomes　most　personal　and　definite。　　〃The



compensation；〃　writes　a　German　author；〃for　the　loss　of　that



sense　of　personal　independence　which　man　so　unwillingly　gives　up；



is　the　disappearance　of　all　FEAR　from　one's　life；　the　quite



indescribable　and　inexplicable　feeling　of　an　inner　SECURITY；



which　one　can　only　experience；　but　which；　once　it　has　been



experienced；　one　can　never　forget。〃＇157＇







＇157＇　C。　H。　Hilty：　　Gluck；　vol。　i。　p。　85。















I　find　an　excellent　description　of　this　state　of　mind　in　a　sermon



by　Mr。　Voysey：







〃It　is　the　experience　of　myriads　of　trustful　souls；　that　this



sense　of　God's　unfailing　presence　with　them　in　their　going　out



and　in　their　coming　in；　and　by　night　and　day；　is　a　source　of



absolute　repose　and　confident　calmness。　　It　drives　away　all　fear



of　what　may　befall　them。　　That　nearness　of　God　is　a　constant



security　against　terror　and　anxiety。　　It　is　not　that　they　are　at



all　assured　of　physical　safety；　or　deem　themselves　protected　by　a



love　which　is　denied　to　others；　but　that　they　are　in　a　state　of



mind　equally　ready　to　be　safe　or　to　meet　with　injury。　　If　injury



befall　them；　they　will　be　content　to　bear　it　because　the　Lord　is



their　keeper；　and　nothing　can　befall　them　without　his　will。　　If



it　be　his　will；　then　injury　is　for　them　a　blessing　and　no



calamity　at　all。　　Thus　and　thus　only　is　the　trustful　man



protected　and　shielded　from　harm。　　And　I　for　oneby　no　means　a



thick…skinned　or　hard…nerved　man…am　absolutely　satisfied　with



this　arrangement；　and　do　not　wish　for　any　other　kind　of　immunity



from　danger　and　catastrophe。　　Quite　as　sensitive　to　pain　as　the



most　highly　strung　organism；　I　yet　feel　that　the　worst　of　it　is



conquered；　and　the　sting　taken　out　of　it　altogether；　by　the



thought　that　God　is　our　loving　and　sleepless　keeper；　and　that



nothing　can　hurt　us　without　his　will。〃＇158＇







＇158＇　The　Mystery　of　Pain　and　Death；　London；　1892；　p。　258。















More　excited　expressions　of　this　condition　are　abundant　in



religious　literature。　　I　could　easily　weary　you　with　their



monotony。　Here　is　an　account　from　Mrs。　Jonathan　Edwards：







〃Last　night；〃　Mrs。　Edwards　writes；　〃was　the　sweetest　night　I



ever　had　in　my　life。　　I　never　before；　for　so　long　a　time



together；　enjoyed　so　much　of　the　light　and　rest　and　sweetness　of



heaven　in　my　soul；　but　without　the　least　agitation　of　body　during



the　whole　time。　　Part　of　the　night　I　lay　awake；　sometimes　asleep；



and　sometimes　between　sleeping　and　waking。　　But　all　night　I



continued　in　a　constant；　clear；　and　lively　sense　of　the　heavenly



sweetness　of　Christ's　excellent　love；　of　his　nearness　to　me；　and



of　my　dearness　to　him；　with　an　inexpressibly　sweet　calmness　of



soul　in　an　entire　rest　in　him。　　I　seemed　to　myself　to　perceive　a



glow　of　divine　love　come　down　from　the　heart　of　Christ　in　heaven



into　my　heart　in　a　constant　stream；　like　a　stream　or　pencil　of



sweet　light。　　At　the　same　time　my　heart　and　soul　all　flowed　out



in　love　to　Christ；　so　that　there　seemed　to　be　a　constant　flowing



and　reflowing　of　heavenly　love；　and　I　appeared　to　myself　to　float



or　swim；　in　these　bright；　sweet　beams；　like　the　motes　swimming　in



the　beams　of　the　sun；　or　the　streams　of　his　light　which　come　in



at　the　window。　　I　think　that　what　I　felt　each　minute　was　worth



more　than　all　the　outward　comfort　and　pleasure　which　I　had



enjoyed　in　my　whole　life　put　together。　　It　was　pleasure；　without



the　least　sting；　or　any　interruption。　　It　was　a　sweetness；　which



my　soul　was　lost　in；　it　seemed　to　be　all　that　my　feeble　frame



could　sustain。　　There　was　but　little　difference；　whether　I　was



asleep　or　awake；　but　if　there　was　any　difference；　the　sweetness



was　greatest　while　I　was　asleep。＇159＇　　As　I　awoke　early　the　next



morning；　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　entirely　done　with　myself。　　I



felt　that　the　opinions　of　the　world　concerning　me　were　nothing；



and　that　I　had　no　more　to　do　with　any　outward　interest　of　my　own



than　with　that　of　a　person　whom　I　never　saw。　The　glory　of　God



seemed　to　swallow　up　every　wish　and　desire　of　my　heart。　。　。　。



After　retiring　to　rest　and　sleeping　a　little　while；　I　awoke；　and



was　led　to　reflect　on　God's　mercy　to　me；　in　giving　me；　for　many



years；　a　willingness　to　die；　and　after　that；　in　making　me　willing



to　live；　that　I　might　do　and　suffer　whatever　he　called　me　to



here。　　I　also　thought　how　God　had　graciously　given　me　an　entire



resignation　to　his　will；　with　respect　to　the　kind　and　manner　of



death　that　I　should　die；　having　been　made　willing　to　die　on　the



rack；　or　at　the　stake；　and　if　it　were　God's　will；　to　die　in



darkness。　　But　now　it　occurred　to　me；　I　used　to　think　of　living



no　longer　than　to　the　ordinary　age　of　man。　　Upon　this　I　was　led



to　ask　myself；　whether　I　was　not　willing　to　be　kept　out　of　heaven



even　longer；　and　my　whole　heart　seemed　immediately　to　reply：　



Yes；　a　thousand　years；　and　a　thousand　in　horror；　if　it　be　most



for　the　honor　of　God；　the　torment　of　my　body　being　so　great；



awful；　and　overwhelming　that　none　could　bear　to　live　in　the



country　where　the　spectacle　was　seen；　and　the　torment　of　my　mind



being　vastly　greater。　　And　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　found　a　perfect



willingness；　quietness；　and　alacrity　of　soul　in　consenting　that



it　should　be　so；　if　it　were　most　for　the　glory　of　God；　so　that



there　was　no　hesitation；　doubt；　or　darkness　in　my　mind。　　The



glory　of　God　seemed　to　overcome　me　and　swallow　me　up；　and　every



conceivable　suffering；　and　everything　that　was　terrible　to　my



nature；