the crown of thorns-第10部分

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which　link　us　even　to　God；　he　cannot　harden　those　sensitive　fibres　which　are　the　springs　of　our　best　action；which　if　callus　we　become　inhuman。　　He　realizes　pain；　he　recognises　sorrow　as　sorrow。　　Its　cup　is　bitter；　and　to　be　resisted　with　prayer。

There　is　nothing　more　wonderful　in　the　history　of　Jesus　than　his　keen　sense　of　sorrow；　and　the　scope　which　he　allows　it。　In　the　tenderness　of　his　compassion　he　soothed　the　overflowing　spirit；　but　he　never　rebuked　its　tears。　　On　the　contrary；　in　a　most　memorable　instance；　he　recognized　its　right　to　grieve。　　It　was　on　the　way　to　his　own　crucifixion；　when　crowned　with　insult；　and　lacerated　with　his　own　sorrows。　〃Daughters　of　Jerusalem；〃　said　he；　to　the　sympathizing　women；　〃weep　not　for　me；　but　weep　for　yourselves　and　for　your　children。〃　　As　though　he　had　said；　〃You　have　a　right　to　weep；　weep；　then；　in　that　great　catastrophe　which　is　coming；　when　barbed　affliction　shall　pierce　your　hearts；　and　the　dearest　ties　shall　be　cut　in　sunder。　　Those　ties　are　tender；　those　hearts　are　sacred。　　Therefore；　weep！〃

But　Christ　did　more　than　sanction　tears　in　others。　　He　wept　himself。　　Closest　in　our　consciousness；　because　they　will　be　most　vivid　to　us　in　our　darkest　and　our　last　hours；　are　those　incidents　by　the　grave　of　Lazarus；　and　over　against　Jerusalem；　the　sadness　of　Gethsemane；　and　the　divine　pathos　of　the　last　supper。　　Never　can　we　fully　realize　what　a　tribute　to　sorrow　is　rendered　by　the　tears　of　Jesus；　and　the　dignity　which　has　descended　upon　those　who　mourn；　because　he　had　not　where　to　lay　his　head；　was　despised　and　rejected　of　men；　and　cried　out　in　bitter　agony　from　the　cross。　　He　could　not　have　been　our　exemplar　by　despising　sorrow…by　treating　it　with　contempt；　but　only　by　shrinking　from　its　pain；　and　becoming　intimate　with　its　anguish；only　as　〃a　man　of　sorrows；　and　acquainted　with　grief。〃

But；　on　the　other　hand；　Christianity　does　not　over…estimate　sorrow。　　While　it　pronounces　a　benediction　upon　the　mourner；　it　does　not　declare　it　best　that　man　should　always　mourn。　　It　would　not　have　us　deny　the　good　that　is　in　the　universe。　Nay；　I　apprehend　that　sorrow　itself　is　a　testimony　to　that　good；is　the　anguish　and　shrinking　of　the　severed　ties　that　have　bound　us　to　it；　that　it　clings　closest　in　hearts　of　the　widest　and　most　various　sympathies；　that　only　souls　which　have　loved　much　and　enjoyed　much　can　feel　its　intensity　or　know　its　discipline。　　In　the　language　of　another；　〃Sorrow　is　not　an　independent　state　of　mind；　standing　unconnected　with　all　others。。。It　is　the　effect；　and；　under　the　present　conditions　of　our　being；　the　inevitable　effect；　of　strong　affections。　　Nay；　it　is　not　so　much　their　result；　as　a　certain　attitude　of　those　affections　themselves。　　It　not　simply　flows　from　the　love　of　excellence；　of　wisdom；　of　sympathy；　but　it　is　that　very　love；　when　conscious　that　excellence；　that　wisdom；　that　sympathy　have　departed。〃　　They；　then；　who　deem　it　necessary　for　man's　spiritual　welfare　that　he　should　constantly　feel　the　pressure　of　chastisement；　and　be　engirt　with　the　mist　of　tears；　do　not　reason　well。　　Jeremy　Taylor　reasons　thus；　when　he　says　in　allusion　to　certain　lamps　which　burned　for　many　ages　in　a　tomb；　but　which　expired　when　brought　into　open　day：　　〃So　long　as　we　are　in　the　retirements　of　sorrow；　of　want；　of　fear；　of　sickness；　we　are　burning　and　shining　lamps；　but　when　God　lifts　us　up　from　the　gates　of　death　and　carries　us　abroad　into　the　open　air；　to　converse　with　prosperity　and　temptations；　we　go　out　in　darkness；　and　we　cannot　be　preserved　in　light　and　heat　but　by　still　dwelling　in　the　regions　of　sorrow。〃　　〃There　is　beauty；　and；　to　a　certain　extent；　truth　in　this　figure；〃　says　a　writer；　in　reply；　〃but　it　by　no　means　follows　that　continuous　suffering　would　be　good　for　man；　on　the　contrary；　it　would　be　as　remote　from　producing　the　perfection　of　our　moral　nature　as　unmitigated　prosperity。　　It　would　be　apt　to　produce　a　morbid　and　ghastly　piety；　the　'bright　lamps'　of　which　Taylor　speaks　would　still　be　irradiating　only　a　tomb。〃　（Edinburgh　Review　No　141　The　article　on　Pascal）　　We　may　doubt　whether　there　is　more　essential　religiousness　in　this　seeking　of　sorrow　as　a　mortification；in　this　monastic　self…laceration　and　exclusion；than　in　the　morbid　misery　of　the　hypochondriac。　　Neither　comprehends　the　whole　of　life；　nor　is　adapted　to　its　realities。　　Christ　was　〃a　man　of　sorrows　and　acquainted　with　grief；〃　but　he　was　also　full　of　sympathy　with　all　good；　and　enjoyed　the　charm　of　friendship；　and　the　light　of　existence。　　Around　that　great　Life　gather　many　amenities。　Below　that　face　of　agony　beats　a　heart　familiar　with　the　best　affections　of　human　nature；　otherwise；　we　may　believe；　the　agony　would　not　appear。　　The　sadness　of　that　last　supper　indicates　the　breaking　up　of　many　joyful　communions　and　the　history　which　closes　in　the　shadow　of　the　cross　mingles　with　the　festival　of　Cana；　and　lingers　around　the　home　at　Bethany。

But　I　remark；　once　more；　that　while　Christianity　neither　despises　nor　affects　to　desire　sorrow；　it　clearly　recognizes　its　great　and　beneficial　mission。　　In　one　word；　it　shows　its　disciplinary　character；　and　thus　practically　interprets　the　mystery　of　evil。　　It　regards　man　as　a　spiritual　being；　thrown　upon　the　theatre　of　this　mortal　life　not　merely　for　enjoyment；　but　for　training；for　the　development　of　spiritual　affinities；　and　the　attainment　of　spiritual　ends。　It　thus　reveals　a　weaning；　subduing；　elevating　power；　in　sorrow。

The　origin　of　evil　may　puzzle　us；its　use　no　Christian　can　deny。　　A　sensual　philosophy　may　shrink　from　it；　in　all　its　aspects；　and　retreat　into　a　morbid　skepticism　or　a　timid　submission。　　If　we　predicate　mere　happiness　as　〃our　being's　end　and　aim；〃　there　is　no　explanation　of　evil。　　From　this　point　of　view；　there　is　an　ambiguity　in　nature；a　duality　in　every　object；　which　we　cannot　solve。　　The　throne　of　infinite　light　and　love　casts　over　the　face　of　creation　an　inexplicable　shadow。　　If　we　were　made　merely　to　be　happy；　why　this　hostility　all　around　us？　　Why　these　sharp　oppositions　of　pain　and　difficulty？　　Why　these　writhing　nerves；　these　aching　hearts；　and　over…laden　eyes？　　Why　the　chill　of　disappointment；　the　shudder　of　remorse；　the　crush　and　blight　of　hope？　　Why　athwart　the　horizon　flicker　so　many　shapes　of　misery　and　sin？　　Why　appear　these　sad　spectacles　of　painful　dying　chambers；　and　weary　sick…beds？these　countless　tomb…　stones；　too…ghastly　witness　to　death　and　tears？　　Explain　for　me　those　abrupt　inequalities；the　long　train　of　necessities；　poverty　and　its　kindred　woes；　those　fearful　realities　that　lie　in　the　abysses　of　every　city；that　hideous；　compressed　mass　which　welters　in　the　awful　baptism　of　sensuality　and　ignorance；the　groans　of　inarticulate　woe；　the　spectacle　of　oppression；　the　shameless　cruelty　of　war；　the　pestilence　that　shakes　its　comet…sword　over　nations；　and　famine　that　peers　with　skeleton　face　through　the　corn…sheaves　of　plenty。　　Upon　this　theory　of　mere　happiness　no　metaphysical　subtlety　can　solve　the　fact　of　evil；the　coiled　enigma　constantly　returns　upon　itself；　inexplicable　as　ever。

But　when　we　take　the　Christian　view　of　life；　we　discover　that　not　happiness　merely；　but　virtue；　holiness；　is　the　great　end　of　man；　though　happiness　comes　in　as　an　inevitable　consequence　and　accompaniment　of　this　result。　　And　in　the　light　reflected　from　this　view；　evil　assumes　a　powerful；　and；　I　may　say；　a　most　beautiful　office。　　It　is　just　as　necessary　for　the　attainment　of　virtue　as　prosperity；　or　any　blessing。　Nay；　in　this　aspect；　it　is　itself　a　great　blessing；　and


　　　　〃Every　cloud　that　spreads　above　　　　　　And　veileth　love；　itself　is　love。〃


It　is　evident　that；　without　the　contact　of　sin　and　the　pressure　of　temptation；　there　might　be　innocence；　but　not　virtue。　　Equally　evident　does　it　seem　that；　without　an　acquaintance　with　grief；　there　would　soon　be　but　little　of　that　uplifting　tendency…that　softening　of　the　heart；　and　sanctifying　of　the　affections…which　fit　us　for　the　dissolution　of　our　earthly　ties；　and　for　the　communions　of　the　spirit　world。　　Beautiful　is　this　weaning　efficacy　of　sorrow。　　By　the　ordinance　of　God；　youth　is　made　to　be　content　with　this　outward　and　palpable　life。　　The　sunshine　and　the　air…the　flow　of　animal　pleasures；　encircled　mysteriously　with　the　guardianship　of　parents；　and　the　love　of　friends…are　sufficient　for　the　child。　　But　as　we　grow　in　years；　there　springs　up　a　dissatisfaction；　a　restlessness；　of　which　we　may　be　only　half　conscious；　and　still　less　know　how　to　cure。　With　some；　this　may　subside　into　merely　a　fearful　and　worldly　discontent；　others　may　heed　the　prophecy　and　lay　hold　on　a　celestial　hope；　an　immortal　possession　as　the　only　remedy。　In　this　secret　sense　of　want；　which　neither　nature　nor　man　can　fill　they　will　hear　already　that　low；　divine　voice；　〃Come　unto　me；　all　ye　that　labor　and　are　heavy　laden；　and　I　will　give　you　rest。〃　　But　generally　another　and　more　emphatic　missionary　is　necessary。　　It　is　the　veiled　angel　of　sorrow；　who　plucks　away　one　thing　and　another　that　bound　us　here　in　ease　and　security；　and　in　the　vanishing　of　these　dear　objects　indicates　the　true　home　of　our　affections　and　our　peace。　Thus；　by　rupture　and　loss　we　become　weaned　from　earth；　and　the　dissatisfaction　and　discontent　which　sorrow　thus　induces　are　as　ki