lectures11-13-第7章

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myself　beaten　and　bandied　by　the　swelling　waters。　Those　who　were



with　me　took　notice　of　my　intrepidity。〃＇171＇







＇171＇　From　Thomas　C。　Upham's　Life　and　Religious　Opinions　and



Experiences　of　Madame　de　la　Mothe　Guyon；　New　York；　1877；　ii。　48；



i。　141；　413；　abridged。















The　contempt　of　danger　which　religious　enthusiasm　produces　may　be



even　more　buoyant　still。　　I　take　an　example　from　that　charming



recent　autobiography；　〃With　Christ　at　Sea；〃　by　Frank　Bullen。　　A



couple　of　days　after　he　went　through　the　conversion　on　shipboard



of　which　he　there　gives　an　account







〃It　was　blowing　stiffly；〃　he　writes；　〃and　we　were　carrying　a



press　of　canvas　to　get　north　out　of　the　bad　weather。　　Shortly



after　four　bells　we　hauled　down　the　flying…jib；　and　I　sprang　out



astride　the　boom　to　furl　it。　　I　was　sitting　astride　the　boom　when



suddenly　it　gave　way　with　me。　　The　sail　slipped　through　my



fingers；　and　I　fell　backwards；　hanging　head　downwards　over　the



seething　tumult　of　shining　foam　under　the　ship's　bows；　suspended



by　one　foot。　　But　I　felt　only　high　exultation　in　my　certainty　



of　eternal　life。　　Although　death　was　divided　from　me　by　a　hair's



breadth；　and　I　was　acutely　conscious　of　the　fact；　it　gave　me　no



sensation　but　joy。　　I　suppose　I　could　have　hung　there　no　longer



than　five　seconds；　but　in　that　time　I　lived　a　whole　age　of



delight。　　But　my　body　asserted　itself；　and　with　a　desperate



gymnastic　effort　I　regained　the　boom。　　How　I　furled　the　sail　I



don't　know；　but　I　sang　at　the　utmost　pitch　of　my　voice　praises　to



God　that　went　pealing　out　over　the　dark　waste　of　waters。〃＇172＇







＇172＇　Op。　cit。；　London；　1901；　p。　230。















The　annals　of　martyrdom　are　of　course　the　signal　field　of　triumph



for　religious　imperturbability。　　Let　me　cite　as　an　example　the



statement　of　a　humble　sufferer；　persecuted　as　a　Huguenot　under



Louis　XIV：







〃They　shut　all　the　doors；〃　Blanche　Gamond　writes；　〃and　I　saw　six



women；　each　with　a　bunch　of　willow　rods　as　thick　as　the　hand



could　hold；　and　a　yard　long。　　He　gave　me　the　order；　'Undress



yourself；'　which　I　did。　　He　said；　'You　are　leaving　on　your　shift；



you　must　take　it　off。'　　They　had　so　little　patience　that　they



took　it　off　themselves；　and　I　was　naked　from　the　waist　up。　They



brought　a　cord　with　which　they　tied　me　to　a　beam　in　the　kitchen。　



They　drew　the　cord　tight　with　all　their　strength　and　asked　me；



'Does　it　hurt　you？'　and　then　they　discharged　their　fury　upon　me；



exclaiming　as　they　struck　me；　'Pray　now　to　your　God。'　　It　was　the



Roulette　woman　who　held　this　language。　　But　at　this　moment　I



received　the　greatest　consolation　that　I　can　ever　receive　in　my



life；　since　I　had　the　honor　of　being　whipped　for　the　name　of



Christ；　and　in　addition　of　being　crowned　with　his　mercy　and　his



consolations。　　Why　can　I　not　write　down　the　inconceivable



influences；　consolations；　and　peace　which　I　felt　interiorly？　　To



understand　them　one　must　have　passed　by　the　same　trial；　they　were



so　great　that　I　was　ravished；　for　there　where　afflictions　abound



grace　is　given　superabundantly。　　In　vain　the　women　cried；　'We



must　double　our　blows；　she　does　not　feel　them；　for　she　neither



speaks　nor　cries。'　　And　how　should　I　have　cried；　since　I　was



swooning　with　happiness　within？〃＇173＇







＇173＇　Claparede　et　Goty：　　Deux　Heroines　de　la　Foi；　Paris；　1880；



p。　112。















The　transition　from　tenseness；　self…responsibility；　and　worry；　to



equanimity；　receptivity；　and　peace；　is　the　most　wonderful　of　all



those　shiftings　of　inner　equilibrium；　those　changes　of　the



personal　centre　of　energy；　which　I　have　analyzed　so　often；　and



the　chief　wonder　of　it　is　that　it　so　often　comes　about；　not　by



doing；　but　by　simply　relaxing　and　throwing　the　burden　down。　　This



abandonment　of　self…responsibility　seems　to　be　the　fundamental



act　in　specifically　religious；　as　distinguished　from　moral



practice。　　It　antedates　theologies　and　is　independent　of



philosophies。　　Mind…cure；　theosophy；　stoicism；　ordinary



neurological　hygiene；　insist　on　it　as　emphatically　as



Christianity　does；　and　it　is　capable　of　entering　into　closest



marriage　with　every　speculative　creed。＇174＇　　Christians　who　have



it　strongly　live　in　what　is　called　〃recollection；〃　and　are　never



anxious　about　the　future；　nor　worry　over　the　outcome　of　the　day。　



Of　Saint　Catharine　of　Genoa　it　is　said　that　〃she　took　cognizance



of　things；　only　as　they　were　presented　to　her　in　succession；



MOMENT　BY　MOMENT。〃　　To　her　holy　soul；　〃the　divine　moment　was　the



present　moment；　。　。　。　and　when　the　present　moment　was　estimated



in　itself　and　in　its　relations；　and　when　the　duty　that　was



involved　in　it　was　accomplished；　it　was　permitted　to　pass　away　as



if　it　had　never　been；　and　to　give　way　to　the　facts　and　duties　of



the　moment　which　came　after。〃＇175＇　　Hinduism；　mind…cure；　and



theosophy　all　lay　great　emphasis　upon　this　concentration　of　the



consciousness　upon　the　moment　at　hand。







＇174＇　Compare　these　three　different　statements　of　it：　　A。　P。



Call：　　As　a　Matter　of　Course；　Boston；　1894；　H。　W。　Dresser：　



Living　by　the　Spirit；　New　York　and　London；　1900；　H。　W。　Smith：　



The　Christian's　Secret　of　a　Happy　Life；　published　by　the　Willard



Tract　Repository；　and　now　in　thousands　of　hands。







＇175＇　T。　C。　Upham：　　Life　of　Madame　Catharine　Adorna；　3d　ed。；



New　York；　1864；　pp。　158；　172…74。















The　next　religious　symptom　which　I　will　note　is　what　have　called



Purity　of　Life。　　The　saintly　person　becomes　exceedingly　sensitive



to　inner　inconsistency　or　discord；　and　mixture　and　confusion　grow



intolerable。　　All　the　mind's　objects　and　occupations　must　be



ordered　with　reference　to　the　special　spiritual　excitement　which



is　now　its　keynote。　　Whatever　is　unspiritual　taints　the　pure



water　of　the　soul　and　is　repugnant。　　Mixed　with　this　exaltation



of　the　moral　sensibilities　there　is　also　an　ardor　of　sacrifice；



for　the　beloved　deity's　sake；　of　everything　unworthy　of　him。　



Sometimes　the　spiritual　ardor　is　so　sovereign　that　purity　is



achieved　at　a　stroke　we　have　seen　examples。　　Usually　it　is　a



more　gradual　conquest。　　Billy　Bray's　account　of　his　abandonment



of　tobacco　is　a　good　example　of　the　latter　form　of　achievement。







〃I　had　been　a　smoker　as　well　as　a　drunkard；　and　I　used　to　love　my



tobacco　as　much　as　I　loved　my　meat；　and　I　would　rather　go　down



into　the　mine　without　my　dinner　than　without　my　pipe。　　In　the



days　of　old；　the　Lord　spoke　by　the　mouths　of　his　servants；　the



prophets；　now　he　speaks　to　us　by　the　spirit　of　his　Son。　　I　had



not　only　the　feeling　part　of　religion；　but　I　could　hear　the



small；　still　voice　within　speaking　to　me。　　When　I　took　the　pipe



to　smoke；　it　would　be　applied　within；　'It　is　an　idol；　a　lust；



worship　the　Lord　with　clean　lips。'　　So；　I　felt　it　was　not　right



to　smoke。　　The　Lord　also　sent　a　woman　to　convince　me。　　I　was　one



day　in　a　house；　and　I　took　out　my　pipe　to　light　it　at　the　fire；



and　Mary　Hawkefor　that　was　the　woman's　namesaid；　'Do　you　not



feel　it　is　wrong　to　smoke？'　　I　said　that　I　felt　something　inside



telling　me　that　it　was　an　idol；　a　lust；　and　she　said　that　was　the



Lord。　　Then　I　said；　'Now；　I　must　give　it　up；　for　the　Lord　is



telling　me　of　it　inside；　and　the　woman　outside；　so　the　tobacco



must　go；　love　it　as　I　may。'　　There　and　then　I　took　the　tobacco



out　of　my　pocket；　and　threw　it　into　the　fire；　and　put　the　pipe



under　my　foot；　'ashes　to　ashes；　dust　to　dust。'　　And　I　have　not



smoked　since。　　I　found　it　hard　to　break　off　old　habits；　but　I



cried　to　the　Lord　for　help；　and　he　gave　me　strength；　for　he　has



said；　'Call　upon　me　in　the　day　of　trouble；　and　I　will　deliver



thee。'　　The　day　after　I　gave　up　smoking　I　had　the　toothache　so



bad　that　I　did　not　know　what　to　do。　　I　thought　this　was　owing　to



giving　up　the　pipe；　but　I　said　I　would　never　smoke　again；　if　I



lost　every　tooth　in　my　head。　　I　said；　'Lord；　thou　hast　told　us　My



yoke　is　easy　and　my　burden　is　light；'　and　when　I　said　that；　all



the　pain　left　me。　　Sometimes　the　thought　of　the　pipe　would　come



back　to　me　very　strong；　but　the　Lord　strengthened　me　against　the



habit；　and；　bless　his　name；　I　have　not　smoked　since。〃







Bray's　biographer　writes　that　after　he　had　given　up　smoking；　he



thought　that　he　would　chew　a　little；　but　he　conquered　this　dirty



habit；　too。　　〃On　one　occasion；〃　Bray　said；　〃when　at　a　prayer…



meeting　at　Hicks　Mill；　I　heard　the　Lord　say　to　me；　'Worship　me



with　clean　lips。'　　So；　when　we　got　up　from　our　knees；　I　took　the



quid　out　of　my　mouth　and　'whipped　'en'　＇threw　it＇　under　the　form。







But；　when　we　got　on　our　knees　again；　I　put　another　quid　into　my



mouth。　　Then　the　Lord　said　to　me　again；　'Worship　me　with　clean



lips。'　　So　I　took　the　quid　out　of　my　mouth；　and　whipped　'en　under



the　form　again；　and　said；　'Yes；　Lord；　I　will。'　　From　that　time　I



gave　up　chewing　as　well　as　smoking；　and　have　been　a　free　man。〃







The　ascetic　forms　which　the　impulse　for　veracity　and　purity　of



life　may　take　are　often　pathetic　enough。　　The　early　Quakers；　for



example；　had　hard　battles　to　wage　against　the　worldliness　and



insincerity　of　the　ecclesiastical　Christianity　of　their　time。　



Yet　the　battle　that　cost　them　most　wounds　was　probably　that　which



they　fought　in　defense　of　their　own　right　to　social　veracity　and



sincerity　in　their　thee…ing　and　thou…ing；　in　not　doffing　the　hat



or　giving　titles　of　respect。　It　was　laid　on　George　Fox　that　these



conventional　customs　were　a　lie　and　a　sham；　and　the　whole　body　of



his　followers　thereupon　renounced　them；　as　a　sacrifice　to　truth；



and　so　that　their　acts　and　the　spirit　they　professed　might　be



more　in　accord。







〃When　the　Lord　sent　me　into　the　world；〃　says　Fox　in　his　Journal；



〃he　forbade　me　to　put　off　my　hat　to　any；　high　or　low：　and　I　was



required　to　'thee'　and　'thou'　all　men　and　women；　without　any



respect　to　rich　or　poor；　great　or　small。　　And　as　I　traveled　up



and　down；　I　was　not　to　bid　people　Good…morning　or　Good…evening；



neither　might　I　bow　or　scrape　with　my　leg　to　any　one。　　This　made



the　sects　and　professions　rage。　　Oh！　the　rage　that　was　in　the



priests；　magistrates；　professors；　and　people　of　all　sorts：　　and



especially　in　priests　and　professors：　　for　though　'thou'　to　a



single　person　was　according　to　their　accidence　and　grammar　rules；



and　according　to　the　Bible；　yet　they　could　not　bear　to　hear　it：