lecture19-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





that　on　the　other　side　great　obstacles　are　suddenly　removed；　that



when　the　time　has　come　for　something；　one　suddenly　receives　a



courage　that　formerly　failed；　or　perceives　the　root　of　a　matter



that　until　then　was　concealed；　or　discovers　thoughts；　talents；



yea；　even　pieces　of　knowledge　and　insight；　in　one's　self；　of



which　it　is　impossible　to　say　whence　they　come；　finally；　that



persons　help　us　or　decline　to　help　us；　favor　us　or　refuse　us；　as



if　they　had　to　do　so　against　their　will；　so　that　often　those



indifferent　or　even　unfriendly　to　us　yield　us　the　greatest



service　and　furtherance。　　（God　takes　often　their　worldly　goods；



from　those　whom　he　leads；　at　just　the　right　moment；　when　they



threaten　to　impede　the　effort　after　higher　interests。）







〃Besides　all　this；　other　noteworthy　things　come　to　pass；　of　which



it　is　not　easy　to　give　account。　　There　is　no　doubt　whatever　that



now　one　walks　continually　through　'open　doors'　and　on　the　easiest



roads；　with　as　little　care　and　trouble　as　it　is　possible　to



imagine。







〃Furthermore　one　finds　one's　self　settling　one's　affairs　neither



too　early　nor　too　late；　whereas　they　were　wont　to　be　spoiled　by



untimeliness；　even　when　the　preparations　had　been　well　laid。　In



addition　to　this；　one　does　them　with　perfect　tranquillity　of



mind；　almost　as　if　they　were　matters　of　no　consequence；　like



errands　done　by　us　for　another　person；　in　which　case　we　usually



act　more　calmly　than　when　we　act　in　our　own　concerns。　　Again；　one



finds　that　one　can　WAIT　for　everything　patiently；　and　that　is　one



of　life's　great　arts。　　One　finds　also　that　each　thing　comes　duly；



one　thing　after　the　other；　so　that　one　gains　time　to　make　one's



footing　sure　before　advancing　farther。　　And　then　every　thing



occurs　to　us　at　the　right　moment；　just　what　we　ought　to　do；　etc。；



and　often　in　a　very　striking　way；　just　as　if　a　third　person　were



keeping　watch　over　those　things　which　we　are　in　easy　danger　of



forgetting。







〃Often；　too；　persons　are　sent　to　us　at　the　right　time；　to　offer



or　ask　for　what　is　needed；　and　what　we　should　never　have　had　the



courage　or　resolution　to　undertake　of　our　own　accord。







〃Through　all　these　experiences　one　finds　that　one　is　kindly　and



tolerant　of　other　people；　even　of　such　as　are　repulsive；



negligent；　or　ill…willed；　for　they　also　are　instruments　of　good



in　God's　hand；　and　often　most　efficient　ones。　　Without　these



thoughts　it　would　be　hard　for　even　the　best　of　us　always　to　keep



our　equanimity。　　But　with　the　consciousness　of　divine　guidance；



one　sees　many　a　thing　in　life　quite　differently　from　what　would



otherwise　be　possible。







〃All　these　are　things　that　every　human　being　KNOWS；　who　has　had



experience　of　them；　and　of　which　the　most　speaking　examples　could



be　brought　forward。　　The　highest　resources　of　worldly　wisdom　are



unable　to　attain　that　which；　under　divine　leading；　comes　to　us　of



its　own　accord。〃＇317＇







＇317＇　C。　Hilty：　　Gluck；　Dritter　Theil；　1900；　pp。　92　ff。















Such　accounts　as　this　shade　away　into　others　where　the　belief　is；



not　that　particular　events　are　tempered　more　towardly　to　us　by　a



superintending　providence；　as　a　reward　for　our　reliance；　but　that



by　cultivating　the　continuous　sense　of　our　connection　with　the



power　that　made　things　as　they　are；　we　are　tempered　more　towardly



for　their　reception。　　The　outward　face　of　nature　need　not　alter；



but　the　expressions　of　meaning　in　it　alter。　　It　was　dead　and　is



alive　again。　It　is　like　the　difference　between　looking　on　a



person　without　love；　or　upon　the　same　person　with　love。　　In　the



latter　case　intercourse　springs　into　new　vitality。　　So　when　one's



affections　keep　in　touch　with　the　divinity　of　the　world's



authorship；　fear　and　egotism　fall　away；　and　in　the　equanimity



that　follows；　one　finds　in　the　hours；　as　they　succeed　each　other；



a　series　of　purely　benignant　opportunities。　　It　is　as　if　all



doors　were　opened；　and　all　paths　freshly　smoothed。　　We　meet　a　new



world　when　we　meet　the　old　world　in　the　spirit　which　this　kind　of



prayer　infuses。







Such　a　spirit　was　that　of　Marcus　Aurelius　and　Epictetus。＇318＇　　It



is　that　of　mind…curers；　of　the　transcendentalists；　and　of　the



so…called　〃liberal〃　Christians。　　As　an　expression　of　it；　I　will



quote　a　page　from　one　of　Martineau's　sermons：







＇318＇　〃Good　Heaven！〃　says　Epictetus；　〃any　one　thing　in　the



creation　is　sufficient　to　demonstrate　a　Providence；　to　a　humble



and　grateful　mind。　　The　mere　possibility　of　producing　milk　from



grass；　cheese　from　milk；　and　wool　from　skins；　who　formed　and



planned　it？　　Ought　we　not；　whether　we　dig　or　plough　or　eat；　to



sing　this　hymn　to　God？　　Great　is　God；　who　has　supplied　us　with



these　instruments　to　till　the　ground；　great　is　God；　who　has　given



us　hands　and　instruments　of　digestion；　who　has　given　us　to　grow



insensibly　and　to　breathe　in　sleep。　　These　things　we　ought



forever　to　celebrate。　。　。　。　But　because　the　most　of　you　are



blind　and　insensible；　there　must　be　some　one　to　fill　this



station；　and　lead；　in　behalf　of　all　men；　the　hymn　to　God；　for



what　else　can　I　do；　a　lame　old　man；　but　sing　hymns　to　God？　　Were



I　a　nightingale；　I　would　act　the　part　of　a　nightingale；　were　I　a



swan；　the　part　of　a　swan。　　But　since　I　am　a　reasonable　creature；



it　is　my　duty　to　praise　God　。　。　。　and　I　call　on　you　to　join　the



same　song。〃　Works；　book　i。　ch。　xvi。；　Carter…Higginson



（translation）　abridged。















〃The　universe；　open　to　the　eye　to…day；　looks　as　it　did　a　thousand



years　ago：　　and　the　morning　hymn　of　Milton　does　but　tell　the



beauty　with　which　our　own　familiar　sun　dressed　the　earliest



fields　and　gardens　of　the　world。　　We　see　what　all　our　fathers



saw。　　And　if　we　cannot　find　God　in　your　house　or　in　mine；　upon



the　roadside　or　the　margin　of　the　sea；　in　the　bursting　seed　or



opening　flower；　in　the　day　duty　or　the　night　musing；　in　the



general　laugh　and　the　secret　grief；　in　the　procession　of　life；



ever　entering　afresh；　and　solemnly　passing　by　and　dropping　off；　I



do　not　think　we　should　discern　him　any　more　on　the　grass　of　Eden；



or　beneath　the　moonlight　of　Gethsemane。　　Depend　upon　it；　it　is



not　the　want　of　greater　miracles；　but　of　the　soul　to　perceive



such　as　are　allowed　us　still；　that　makes　us　push　all　the



sanctities　into　the　far　spaces　we　cannot　reach。　　The　devout　feel



that　wherever　God's　hand　is；　THERE　is　miracle：　　and　it　is　simply



an　indevoutness　which　imagines　that　only　where　miracle　is；　can



there　be　the　real　hand　of　God。　　The　customs　of　Heaven　ought



surely　to　be　more　sacred　in　our　eyes　than　its　anomalies；　the　dear



old　ways；　of　which　the　Most　High　is　never　tired；　than　the　strange



things　which　he　does　not　love　well　enough　ever　to　repeat。　　And　he



who　will　but　discern　beneath　the　sun；　as　he　rises　any　morning；



the　supporting　finger　of　the　Almighty；　may　recover　the　sweet　and



reverent　surprise　with　which　Adam　gazed　on　the　first　dawn　in



Paradise。　　It　is　no　outward　change；　no　shifting　in　time　or　place；



but　only　the　loving　meditation　of　the　pure　in　heart；　that　can



reawaken　the　Eternal　from　the　sleep　within　our　souls：　　that　can



render　him　a　reality　again；　and　reassert　for　him　once　more　his



ancient　name　of　'the　Living　God。'〃＇319＇







＇319＇　James　Martineau：　　end　of　the　sermon　〃Help　Thou　Mine



Unbelief；〃　in　Endeavours　after　a　Christian　Life；　2d　series。　



Compare　with　this　page　the　extract　from　Voysey　on　p。　270；　above；



and　those　from　Pascal　and　Madame　Guyon　on　p。　281。















When　we　see　all　things　in　God；　and　refer　all　things　to　him；　we



read　in　common　matters　superior　expressions　of　meaning。　　The



deadness　with　which　custom　invests　the　familiar　vanishes；　and



existence　as　a　whole　appears　transfigured。　The　state　of　a　mind



thus　awakened　from　torpor　is　well　expressed　in　these　words；　which



I　take　from　a　friend's　letter：







〃If　we　occupy　ourselves　in　summing　up　all　the　mercies　and



bounties　we　are　privileged　to　have；　we　are　overwhelmed　by　their



number　（so　great　that　we　can　imagine　ourselves　unable　to　give



ourselves　time　even　to　begin　to　review　the　things　we　may　imagine



WE　HAVE　NOT）。　　We　sum　them　and　realize　that　WE　ARE　ACTUALLY



KILLED　WITH　GOD'S　KINDNESS；　that　we　are　surrounded　by　bounties



upon　bounties；　without　which　all　would　fall。　　Should　we　not　love



it；　should　we　not　feel　buoyed　up　by　the　Eternal　Arms？〃







Sometimes　this　realization　that　facts　are　of　divine　sending；



instead　of　being　habitual；　is　casual；　like　a　mystical　experience。　



Father　Gratry　gives　this　instance　from　his　youthful　melancholy



period：







〃One　day　I　had　a　moment　of　consolation；　because　I　met　with



something　which　seemed　to　me　ideally　perfect。　　It　was　a　poor



drummer　beating　the　tattoo　in　the　streets　of　Paris。　　I　walked



behind　him　in　returning　to　the　school　on　the　evening　of　a



holiday。　His　drum　gave　out　the　tattoo　in　such　a　way　that；　at　that



moment　at　least；　however　peevish　I　were；　I　could　find　no　pretext



for　fault…finding。　　It　was　impossible　to　conceive　more　nerve　or



spirit；　better　time　or　measure；　more　clearness　or　richness；　than



were　in　this　drumming。　　Ideal　desire　could　go　no　farther　in　that



direction。　　I　was　enchanted　and　consoled；　the　perfection　of　this



wretched　act　did　me　good。　　Good　is　at　least　possible；　I　said。



since　the　ideal　can　thus　sometimes　get　embodied。〃＇320＇







＇320＇　Souvenirs　de　ma　Jeunesse；　1897；　p。　122。















In　Senancour's　novel　of　Obermann　a　similar　transient　lifting　of



the　veil　is　recorded。　　In　Paris　streets；　on　a　March　day；　he　comes



across　a　flower　in　bloom；　a　jonquil：







〃It　was　the　strongest　expression　of　desire：　　it　was　the　first



perfume　of　the　year。　　I　felt　all　the　happiness　destined　for　man。



This　unutterable　harmony　of　souls；　the　phantom　of　the　ideal



world；　arose　in　me　complete。　　I　never　felt　anything　so　great　or



so　instantaneous。　　I　know　not　what　shape；　what　analogy；　what



secret　of　relation　it　was　that　made　me　see　in　this　flower　a



limitless　beauty。　。　。　。　　I　shall　never　inclose　in　a　conception



this　power；　this　immensity　that　nothing　will　express；　this　form



that　nothing　will　contain；　this　ideal　of　a　better　world　which　one



feels；　but　which；　it　seems；　nature　has　not　made　actual。〃＇321＇







＇321＇　Op。　cit。；　Letter　XXX。















We　heard　in　previous　lectures　of　the　vivified　face　of　the　world