the crown of thorns-第12部分

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Having　thus　considered　the　circumstances　in　which　these　words　were　spoken；　I　now　proceed　to　draw　from　them　a　few　reflections。

I　would　say；　then；　in　the　first　place；　that　the　great　test　which　proves　the　excellence　of　the　religion　of　Christ　is　its　adaptation　to　man　in　solitude；to　man　as　a　solitary　being；　because　it　is　then　that　he　is　thrown　upon　the　resources　of　his　own　soul；upon　his　inner　and　everlasting　life。　　In　society　he　finds　innumerable　objects　to　attract　his　attention　and　to　absorb　his　affections。　　The　ordinary　cares　of　every　day；　the　pursuit　of　his　favorite　scheme；　the　converse　of　friends；　the　exciting　topics　of　the　season；　the　hours　of　recreation；　all　fill　up　his　time；　and　occupy　his　mind　with　matters　external　to　himself。　　And　looking　upon　him　merely　in　these　relations；　if　we　could　forget　its　great　social　bearings；　and　the　harmonies　which　flow　from　its　all…pervading　spirit　out　into　every　condition　of　life；　we　might；　perhaps；　say　that　man　could　get　along　well　enough　without　religion。　If　this　world　were　made　up　merely　of　business　and　pleasure；　perhaps　the　atheist's　theory　would　suffice；　and　we　might　feel　indifferent　whether　controlled　by　plastic　matter　or　intelligent　mind。　　We　will　admit　that　happiness；　in　one　sense　of　the　term；　does　not　essentially　depend　upon　religion。　　Nay；　we　must　admit　this　proposition。　　A　man　may　be　happy　without　being　religious。　　Good　health；　good　spirits；how　many；　possessing　these　really　enjoy　life；　without　being　devout；　or　religious　according　to　any　legitimate　meaning　of　that　term。

But　change　the　order　of　circumstances。　　Remove　these　external　helps；substitute　therefor　sorrow；　duty；　the　revelations　of　our　own　inner　being；and　all　this　gayety　vanishes　like　the　sparkles　from　a　stream　when　a　storm　comes　up。　　The　soul　that　has　depended　upon　outward　congenialities　for　its　happiness　has　no　permanent　principle　of　happiness；　for　that　is　the　distinction　which　religion　bestows。　　He　who　cannot　retire　within　himself；　and　find　his　best　resources　there；　is　fitted；　perhaps；　for　the　smoother　passages　of　life；　but　poorly　prepared　for　all　life。　　He　who　cannot　and　dare　not　turn　away　from　these　outward　engrossments；　and　be　in　spiritual　solitude；who　is　afraid　or　sickens　at　the　idea　of　being　alone；has　a　brittle　possession　in　all　that　happiness　which　comes　from　the　whirl　and　surface　of　things。　　One　hour　may　scatter　it　forever。　　And　poorly；　I　repeat；　is　he　prepared　for　all　life；for　some　of　the　most　serious　and　important　moments　of　life。　　These；　as　I　shall　proceed　to　show；　we　must　meet　alone；　and　from　within；　and　therefore；　it　constitutes　the　blessedness　of　the　Christian　religion　that　it　enables　man　when　in　solitude　to　have　communion；　consolation；　and　guidance。　　In　fact；　it　makes　him；　when　alone；　to　be　not　alone；to　say；　with　glad　consciousness；　〃I　am　not　alone；　because　the　Father　is　with　me。〃

To　illustrate　this　truth；　then；　I　say；　that　so　far　as　the　communion　and　help　of　this　outward　world　and　of　human　society　are　concerned；　there　are　many　and　important　seasons　when　man　must　be　alone。　　In　the　first　place；　in　his　most　interior　and　essential　nature；　man　is　a　solitary　being。　　He　is　an　individual；　a　unit；　amid　all　the　souls　around　him；　and　all　other　things；a　being　distinct　and　peculiar　as　a　star。　　God；　in　all　the　variety　of　his　works；　has　made　no　man　exactly　like　another。　　There　is　an　individual　isolation；　a　conscious　personality；　which　he　can　share　with　no　other；　which　resists　the　idea　of　absorption；　which　claims　its　own　distinct　immortality；　which　has　its　own　wants　and　woes；　its　own　sense　of　duty；　its　own　spiritual　experiences。　　Christianity　insists　upon　nothing　more　strongly　than　this。　　Piercing　below　all　conventionalisms；　it　recognizes　man　as　an　individual　soul；　and；　as　such；　addresses　him　with　its　truths　and　its　sanctions。　　Indeed；　it　bases　its　grand　doctrine　of　human　brotherhood　and　equality　upon　the　essential　individuality　of　each　man；　because　each　represents　all；each　has　in　himself　the　nature　of　every　other。　　It　demands　individual　repentance；　individual　holiness；　individual　faith。　　One　cannot　believe　for　another。　　One　cannot　decide　questions　of　conscience　for　another。　　One　cannot　bear　the　sins　or　appropriate　the　virtues　of　another。　　It　is　true；　we　have　relations　to　the　great　whole；　to　the　world　of　mankind；　and　to　the　material　universe。　We　are　linked　to　these　by　subtle　affinities。　　We　are　interwoven　with　them　all；bound　up　with　them　in　arterial　unity　and　life。　　They　have　all　poured　their　results　into　our　souls；　and　helped　to　form　us；　and　do　now　support　us；　and　we；　in　like　manner；　react　upon　them；　and　upon　others。　　This　truth　is　a　vital　one；　not　to　be　neglected。　　But　a　deeper　truth　than　this　and　one　upon　which　this　depends；　is　the　individual　peculiarity　of　each；his　integral　distinctiveness；　without　which　there　would　be　no　such　thing　as　union；　or　relationship；　nothing　but　monotony　and　inertia。

The　great　fact；　then；　which　I　would　impress　upon　you　is；　that；　essentially　as　spiritual　beings；　we　are　alone。　　And　I　remark　that　there　are　experiences　in　life　when　we　are　made　to　feel　this　deep　fact；　when　each　must　deal　with　his　reason；　his　heart；　his　conscience；　for　himself；　when　each　is　to　act　as　if　the　sole…existent　in　the　universe；　realizing　that　he　is　a　spirit　breathed　from　God；　complete　in　himself；　subject　to　all　spiritual　laws；　interested　in　all　spiritual　welfare；　when　no　stranger　soul；　though　it　be　that　of　his　dearest　friend；　can　intermeddle　with　all　that　occupies　him；　or　share　it。

Such　experiences　we　have　when　reflection　binds　us　to　the　past。　　Memory　then　opens　for　us　a　volume　that　no　eye　but　God's　and　ours　can　read；memories　of　neglect；　of　sin；　of　deep　secrets　that　our　hearts　have　hidden　in　their　innermost　folds。　　Such　experiences　sometimes　there　are　when　we　muse　upon　the　external　universe；　when　we　reflect　upon　the　vastness　of　creation；　the　littleness　of　human　effort；　the　transciency　of　human　relations；　when　our　souls　are　drawn　away　from　all　ordinary　communions；　and　we　feel　that　we　are　drifting　before　an　almighty　will；　bound　to　an　inevitable　destiny；　hemmed　in　by　irresistible　forces。　　Then；　with　every　tie　of　association　shrinking　from　us；　then；　keeping　the　solitary　vigil；　then　with　cold；　vast　nature　all　around　us；　we　are　alone。　　Or；　there　is　a　solitude　which　oppresses　us　even　in　the　heart　of　the　great　city；a　solitude　more　intense　even　than　that　of　naked　nature；　when　all　faces　are　strange　to　us；　when　no　pulse　of　sympathy　throbs　from　our　heart　to　the　hearts　of　others　when　each　passes　us　by；　engaged　with　his　own　destiny；　and　leaving　us　to　fulfil　ours。　　In　this　tantalizing　solitude　of　the　crowd；　in　this　sense　of　isolation　from　our　fellows；　if　never　before；　do　we　feel；　with　sickness　of　heart；　that　we　are　alone。　　There　is　a　solitude　of　sickness；the　solitude　of　the　watcher　or　of　the　patient；a　solitude　to　which；　at　times；　duty　and　Providence　call　us　all。　　There　are；　in　brief；　countless　circumstances　of　life　when　we　shall　realize　that　we　are　indeed　alone；　and　sad　enough　will　be　that　solitude　if　we　have　no　inner　resource；no　Celestial　companionship；if　we　cannot　say　and　feel　as　we　say　it；　that　we　are　not　alone；　for　the　Father　is　with　us。

But；　while　I　cannot　specify　all　these　forms　of　solitude；　let　me　dwell　upon　two　or　three　of　the　experiences　of　life　in　which　we　are　peculiarly　alone。

First；　then；　I　would　say；　that　we　must　be　alone　in　the　pursuit　of　Truth　and　the　work　of　Duty。　　Others　may　aid　me　in　these；　but　I　must　decide　and　act　for　myself。　　I　must　believe　for　myself。　　I　must　do　right　for　myself；　or　if　I　do　wrong；　it　is　also　for　myself；　and　in　myself　I　realize　the　retribution。　By　my　own　sense　of　right　and　wrong…by　my　own　standard　of　truth　and　falsehood…I　must　stand　or　fall。　　There　is　in　this　world　nothing　so　great　and　solemn　as　the　struggles　of　the　solitary　soul　in　its　researches　after　the　truth；in　its　endeavors　to　obey　the　right。　　We　may　be　indifferent　to　these　vital　questions；it　is　to　be　feared　that　many　are；　we　may　glide　along　in　the　suppleness　of　habit；　and　the　ease　of　conventionalism；　we　may　never　trouble　ourselves　with　any　pungent　scruples；　we　may　never　pursue　the　task　of　introspection；　or　bring　to　bear　upon　the　fibres　of　motive　and　desire　within　us　the　intense　focus　of　God's　moral　law；　we　may　never　vex　our　souls　with　tests　of　faith；　but　rest　contented　with　the　common　or　hereditary　standard；but　he　who　will　be　serious　in　the　work　of　spiritual　discipline；　who　will　act　from　a　vital　law　of　duty；　must　endure　struggles　and　conflicts　than　which；　I　repeat；　there　is　nothing　more　solemn　under　the　sun。　　He　will　often　find　himself　opposed　to　the　general　current　of　human　faith　and　action。　　His　position　will　be　singular。　　His　principle　will　be　tried。　　Interest　will　direct　him　another　way；　his　strictness　will　be　ridiculed；　his　motives　questioned；　his　sincerity　misunderstood　and　aspersed。　Alone　must　he　endure　all　this；along　cling　to　the　majestic　ideal　of　right　as　it　rises　to　his　own　soul。　　And　thus　he　must　wage　a　bitter　conflict　with　fear　and　with　seduction；with　sophistries　of　the　heart；　and　reluctance　of　the　will。

Often；　too；　must　he　question　his　own　motives　with　a　severer　judgment　than　that　of　the　world；　as　his　scrutiny　is　more　close；　and　his　self…knowledge　more　minute。　　He　knows　the　secret　sin；　the　mental　act；　the　spiritual　abe