addresses-第8部分

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！



if　we　knew　everything　about　healthexcept　the　way　to　get　it。



I　am　quite　sure　that　the　difficulty　does　not　lie　in　the　fact　that

men　are　not　in　earnest。　　This　is　simply　not　the　fact。　　All　around

us　Christians　are　wearing　themselves　out　in　trying　to　be　better。

The　amount　of　spiritual　longing　in　the　worldin　the　hearts

of　unnumbered　thousands　of　men　and　women　in　whom　we　should　never

suspect　it；　among　the　wise　and　thoughtful；　among　the　young　and

gay；　who　seldom　assuage　and　never　betray　their　thirstthis　is　one

of　the　most　wonderful　and　touching　facts　of　life。　　It　is　not　more

heart　that　is　needed；　but　more　light；　not　more　force；　but　a　wiser

direction　to　be　given　to　very　real　energies　already　there。



The　usual　advice　when　one　asks　for　counsel　on　these　questions　is；

〃Pray。〃　　But　this　advice　is　far　from　adequate。　　I　shall　qualify　the

statement　presently；　but　let　me　urge　it　here；　with　what　you　will

perhaps　call　daring　emphasis；　that　to　pray　for　these　things　is　not

the　way　to　get　them。　　No　one　will　get　them　without　praying；　but

that　men　do　not　get　them　by　praying　is　a　simple　fact。　　We　have　all

prayed；　and　sincerely　prayed；　for　such　experiences　as　I　have　named；

prayed；　believing　that　that　was　the　way　to　get　them。　　And　yet　have

we　got　them？　　The　test　is　experience。　　I　dare　not　limit　prayer；

still　less　the　grace　of　God。　　If　you　have　got　them　in　this　way；

it　is　well。　　I　am　speaking　to　those；　be　they　few　or　many；　who　have

not　got　them；　to　ordinary　men　in　ordinary　circumstances。　　But　if　we

have　not　got　them；　it　by　no　means　follows　that　prayer　is　useless。

The　correct　conclusion　is　only　that　it　is　useless；　or　inadequate

rather；　for　this　particular　purpose。　　To　make　prayer　the　sole

resort；　the　universal　panacea　for　every　spiritual　ill；　is　as　radical

a　mistake　as　to　prescribe　only　one　medicine　for　every　bodily　trouble。

The　physician　who　does　the　last　is　a　quack；　the　spiritual　advisor

who　dies　the　first　is



Grossly　ignorant　of　his　profession。



To　do　nothing　but　pray　is　a　wrong　done　to　prayer　itself；　and　can

only　end　in　disaster。　　It　is　as　if　one　tried　to　live　only　with　the

lungs；　as　if　one　assimilated　only　air　and　neglected　solid　food。

The　lungs　are　a　first　essential；　the　air　is　a　first　essential；　but

the　body　has　many　members；　given　for　different　purposes；　secreting

different　things；　and　each　has　a　method　of　nutrition　as　special　to

itself　as　its　own　activity。　　While　prayer；　then；　is　the　characteristic

sublimity　of　the　Christian　life；　it　is　by　no　means　the　only　one。

And　those　who　make　it　the　sole　alternative；　and　apply　it　to　purposes

for　which　it　was　never　meant；　are　really　doing　the　greatest　harm

to　prayer　itself。　　To　couple　the　word　〃inadequate〃　with　this　might

word　is　not　to　dethrone　prayer；　but　to　exalt　it。



What　dethrones　prayer



is　unanswered　prayer。　　When　men　pray　for　things　which　do　not　come

that　waypray　with　sincere　belief　that　prayer；　unaided　and　alone；

will　compass　what　they　askthen；　not　getting　what　they　ask；　they

often　give　up　prayer。



This　is　the　natural　history　of　much　atheism；　not　only　an　atheism　of

atheists；　but　a　more　terrible　atheism　of　Christians；　an　unconscious

atheism；　whose　roots　have　struck　far　into　many　souls　whose

last　breath　would　be　spent　in　denying　it。　　So；　I　repeat；　it　is　a

mistaken　Christianity　which　allow　men　to　cherish　a　blind　belief　in

the　omnipotence　of　prayer。　　Prayer；　certainly；　when　the　appropriate

conditions　are　fulfilled；　is　omnipotent；　but　not　blind　prayer。

Blind　prayer　is　superstition。　　Prayer；　in　its　true　sense；　contains

the　sane　recognition　that　while　man　prays　in　faith；　GOD　ACTS　BY　LAW。

What　that　means　in　the　immediate　connection　we　shall　see　presently。



What；　then；　is　the　remedy？　　It　is　impossible　to　doubt　that　there

is　a　remedy；　and　it　is　equally　impossible　to　believe　that　it　is

a　secret。　　The　idea　that　some　few　men；　by　happy　chance　or　happier

temperament；　have　been　given　the　secretas　if　there　were　some　sort

of　knack　or　trick　of　itis　wholly　incredible　and　wrong。　　Religion

must　be　for　all；　and　the　way　into　its　loftiest　heights　must　be　by

a　gateway　through　which　the　peoples　of　the　world　may　pass。



I　shall　have　to　lead　up　to　this　gateway　by　a　very　familiar　path。

But　as　this　path　is　strangely　unfrequented　where　it　passes　into

the　religious　sphere；　I　must　ask　your　forbearance　for　dwelling　for

a　moment　upon　the　commonest　of　commonplaces。



I。　Effects　Require　Causes



Nothing　that　happens　in　the　world　happens　by　chance。　　God　is　a　God

of　order。　　Everything　is　arranged　upon　definite　principles；　and

never　at　random。　　the　world；　even　the　religious　world；　is　governed

by　law。　　Character　is　governed　by　law。　　Happiness　is　governed　by

law。　　The　Christian　experiences　are　governed　by　law。　　Men；　forgetting

this；　expect　Rest；　Joy；　Peace；　Faith　to　drop　into　their　souls　from

the　air　like　snow　or　rain。　　But　in　point　of　fact　they　do　not　do　so；

and　if　they　did；　they　would　no　less　have　their　origin　in　previous

activities　and　be　controlled　by　natural　laws。　　Rain　and　snow　do

drop　from　the　air；　but　not　without　a　long　previous　history。　　They

are　the　mature　effects　of　former　causes。　　Equally　so　are　Rest　and

Peace　and　Joy。　　They；　too；　have　each　a　previous　history。　　Storms　and

winds　and　calms　are　not　accidents；　but　brought　about　by　antecedent

circumstances。　　Rest　and　Peace　are　but　calms　in　man's　inward　nature；

and　arise　through　causes　as　definite　and　as　inevitable。



Realize　it　thoroughly；　it　is　a　methodical；　not　an　accidental　world。

If　a　housewife　turns　out　a　good　cake；　it　is　the　result　of　a　sound

receipt；　carefully　applied。　　She　cannot　mix　the　assigned　ingredients

and　fire　them　for　the　appropriate　time　without　producing　the

result。　　It　is　not　she　who　has　made　the　cake；　it　is　nature。　　She

brings　related　things　together；　sets　causes　at　work；　these　causes

bring　about　the　result。　　she　is　not　a　creator；　but　an　intermediary。

She　does　not　expect　random　causes　to　produce　specific　effectsrandom

ingredients　would　only　produce　random　cakes。　　So　it　is　in　the　making

of　Christian　experiences。　　Certain　lines　are　followed；　certain

effects　are　the　result。　　These　effects　cannot　but　be　the　result。

But　the　result　can　never　take　place　without　the　previous　cause。

To　expect　results　without　antecedents　is　to　expect　cakes　without

ingredients。　　That　impossibility　is　precisely



The　almost　universal　expectation。



Now　what　I　mainly　wish　to　do　is　to　help　you　firmly　to　grasp　this

simple　principle　of　Cause　and　Effect　in　the　spiritual　world。　　And

instead　of　applying　the　principle　generally　to　each　of　the　Christian

experiences　in　turn；　I　shall　examine　its　application　to　one　in

some　little　detail。　　The　one　I　shall　select　is　Rest。　　And　I　think

any　one　who　follows　the　application　in　this　single　instance　will

be　able　to　apply　it　for　himself　to　the　others。



Take　such　a　sentence　as　this：　　African　explorers　are　subject　to

fevers　which　cause　restlessness　and　delirium。



Note　the　expression；　〃cause　restlessness。〃　　RESTLESSNESS　HAS　A　CAUSE。

Clearly；　then；　any　one　who　wished　to　get　rid　of　restlessness　would

proceed　at　once　to　deal　with　the　cause。　　If　that　were　not　removed；

a　doctor　might　prescribe　a　hundred　things；　and　all　might　be　taken

in　turn；　without　producing　the　least　effect。　　Things　are　so　arranged

in　the　original　planning　of　the　world　that　certain　effects　must

follow　certain　causes；　and　certain　causes　must　be　abolished　before

certain　effects　can　be　removed。　　Certain　parts　of　Africa　are

inseparably　linked　with　the　physical　experience　called　fever；　this

fever　is　in　turn　infallibly　linked　with　a　mental　experience　called

restlessness　and　delirium。　　To　abolish　the　mental　experience　the

radical　method　would　be　to　abolish　the　physical　experience；　and

the　way　of　abolishing　the　physical　experience　would　be　to　abolish

Africa；　or　to　cease　to　go　there。



Now　this　hold　good　for　all　other　forms　of　Restlessness。　　Every　other

form　and　kind　of　Restlessness　in　the　world　had　a　definite　cause；

and　the　particular　kind　of　Restlessness　can　only　be　removed　by

removing　the　allotted　cause。



All　this　is　also　true　of　Rest。　　Restlessness　has　a　cause：　　must

not　REST　have　a　cause？　　Necessarily。　　If　it　were　a　chance　world　we

would　not　expect　this；　but；　being　a　methodical　world；　it　cannot　be

otherwise。　　Rest；　physical　rest；　moral　rest；　spiritual　rest；　every

kind　of　rest　has　a　cause；　as　certainly　as　restlessness。　　Now　causes

are　discriminating。　　There　is　one　kind　of　cause　for　every　particular

effect　and　no　other；　and　if　one　particular　effect　is　desired；　the

corresponding　cause　must　be　set　in　motion。　　It　is　no　use　proposing

finely　devised　schemes；　or　going　through　general　pious　exercises

in　the　hope　that　somehow　Rest　will　come。　　The　Christian　life　is

not　casual；　but　causal。　　All　nature　is　a　standing　protest　against

the　absurdity　of　expecting　to　secure　spiritual　effects；　or　any

effects；　without　the　employment　of　appropriate　causes。　　The　Great

Teacher　dealt