addresses-第14部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



or　ignored　intelligible　law。　　What　is　implied　for　the　soul　here

is　no　more　than　is　everywhere　claimed　for　the　body。　　In　physiology

the　verbs　describing　the　processes　of　growth　are　in　the　passive。

Growth　is　not　voluntary；　it　takes　place；　it　happens；　it　is　wrought

upon　matter。　　So　here。　　〃Ye　must　be　born　again〃we　cannot　be　born

ourselves。　　〃Be　not　conformed　to　this　world；　but　BE　YE　TRANSFORMED〃we

are　subjects　to　transforming　influence；　we　do　not　transform　ourselves。

Not　more　certain　is　it　that　it　is　something　outside　the　thermometer

that　produces　a　change　in　the　thermometer；　that　it　is



Something　outside　the　soul　of　man



that　produces　a　moral　change　upon　him。　　That　he　must　be　susceptible

to　that　change；　that　he　must　be　a　party　to　it；　goes　without　saying；

but　that　neither　his　aptitude　nor　his　will　can　produce　it；　is

equally　certain。



Obvious　as　it　ought　to　seem；　this　may　be　to　some　an　almost　startling

revelation。　　The　change　we　have　been　striving　after　is　not　to

be　produced　by　any　more　striving。　　It　is　to　be　wrought　upon　us　by

the　moulding　of　hands　beyond　our　own。　　As　the　branch　ascends；　and

the　bud　bursts；　and　the　fruit　reddens　under　the　co…operation　of

influences　from　the　outside　air；　so　man　rises　to　the　higher　stature

under　invisible　pressures　from　without。　　the　radical　defect　of　all

our　former　methods　of　sanctification　was　the　attempt　to　generate

from　within　that　which　can　only　be　wrought　upon　us　from　without。

The　radical　defect　of　all　our　former　methods　of　sanctification　was

the　attempt　to　generate　from　within　that　which　can　only　be　wrought

upon　us　from　without。　　According　to　the　first　Law　of　Motion；

every　body　continues　in　its　state　of　rest；　or　of　uniform　motion

in　a　straight　line；　except　in　so　far　as　it　may　be　compelled　BY

IMPRESSED　FORCES　to　change　that　state。　　This　is　also　a　first　law　of

Christianity。　　Every　man's　character　remains　as　it　is；　or　continues

in　the　direction　in　which　it　is　going；　until　it　is　compelled　BY

IMPRESSED　FORCES　to　change　that　state。　　Our　failure　has　been　the

failure　to　put　ourselves　in　the　way　of　the　impressed　forces。　　There

is　a　clay；　and　there　is　a　Potter；　we　have　tried　to　get　the　clay　to

mould　the　clay。



Whence；　then；　these　pressures；　and　where　this　Potter？　　The　answer

of　the　formula　is〃By　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　glory　of　the　Lord

we　are　changed。〃　　But　this　is　not　very　clear。　　What　is　the　〃glory〃

of　the　Lord；　and　how　can　mortal　man　reflect　it；　and　how　can　that

act　as　an　〃impressed　force〃　in　moulding　him　to　a　nobler　form？　　The

word　〃glory〃the　word　which　has　to　bear　the　weight　of　holding

these　〃impressed　forces〃is　a　stranger　in　current　speech；　and　our

first　duty　is　to　seek　out　its　equivalent　in　working　English。　　It

suggests　at　first　a　radiance　of　some　kind；　something　dazzling　or

glittering；　some　halo　such　as　the　old　masters　loved　to　paint　round

the　head　of　their　Ecce　Homos。　　But　that　is　paint；　mere　matter；　the

visible　symbol　of　some　unseen　thing。　　What　is　that　unseen　thing？　　It

is　that　of　all　unseen　things　the　most　radiant；　the　most　beautiful；

the　most　Divine；　and　that　is　CHARACTER。　　On　earth；　in　Heaven；

there　is　nothing　so　great；　so　glorious　as　this。　　The　word　has　many

meanings；　in　ethics　it　can　have　but　one。　　Glory　is　character；　and

nothing　less；　and　it　can　be　nothing　more。　　The　earth　is　〃full　of

the　glory　of　the　Lord；〃　because　it　is　full　of　His　character。　　The

〃Beauty　of　the　Lord〃　is　character。　　〃The　Glory　of　the　Only

Begotten〃　is　character；　the　character　which　is　〃fullness　of　grace

and　truth。〃　　And　when　God　told　His　people　HIS　NAME；　He　simply　gave

them　His　character；　His　character　which　was　Himself：　　〃And　the　Lord

proclaimed　the　name　for　the　Lord。。。the　Lord；　the　Lord　God；　merciful

and　gracious；　long…suffering　and　abundant　in　goodness　and　truth。〃

Glory　then　is　not　something　intangible；　or　ghostly；　or　transcendental。

If　it　were　this；　how　could　Paul　ask　men　to　reflect　it？　　Stripped

of　its　physical　enswathement　it　is　Beauty；　moral　and　spiritual

Beauty；　Beauty　infinitely　real；　infinitely　exalted；　yet　infinitely

near　and　infinitely　communicable。



With　this　explanation　read　over　the　sentence　once　more　in

paraphrase：　　We　all　reflecting　as　a　mirror　the　character　of　Christ

are　transformed　into　the　same　Image　from　character　to　characterfrom

a　poor　character　to　a　better　one；　from　a　better　one　to　a　little

better　still；　from　that　to　one　still　more　complete；　until　by　slow

degrees　the　Perfect　Image　is　attained。　　Here



The　solution　of　the　problem　of　sanctification



is　compressed　into　a　sentence：　　Reflect　the　character　of　Christ。

You　will　be　changed；　in　spite　of　yourself　and　unknown　to　yourself；

into　the　same　image　from　character　to　character。



（I。）　　All　men　are　reflectorsthat　is



The　first　law



on　which　this　formula　is　based。　　One　of　the　aptest　descriptions　of

a　human　being　is　that　he　is　a　mirror。　　As　we　sat　at　table　to…night

the　world　in　which　each　of　us　lived　and　moved　through　this　day　was

focused　in　the　room。　　What　we　saw　when　we　looked　at　one　another　was

not　one　another；　but　one　another's　world。　　We　were　an　arrangement

of　mirrors。　　The　scenes　we　saw　were　all　reproduced；　the　people　we

met　walked　to　and　fro；　they　spoke；　they　bowed；　they　passed　us　by；

did　everything　over　again　as　if　it　had　been　real。　　When　we　talked；

we　were　but　looking　at　our　own　mirror　and　describing　what　flitted

across　it；　our　listening　was　not　hearing；　but　seeingwe　but　looked

on　our　neighbor's　mirror。



All　human　intercourse　is　a　seeing　of　reflections。　　I　meet　a　stranger

in　a　railway　carriage。　　The　cadence　of　his　first　words　tell　me　he

is　English　and　comes　from　Yorkshire。　　Without　knowing　it　he　has

reflected　his　birthplace；　his　parents；　and　the　long　history　of　their

race。　　Even　physiologically　he　is　a　mirror。　　His　second　sentence

records　that　he　is　a　politician；　and　a　faint　reflection　in　the　way

he　pronounces　THE　TIMES　reveals　his　party。　　In　his　next　remarks　I

see　reflected　a　whole　world　of　experiences。　　The　books　he　has　read；

the　people　he　has　met；　the　companions　he　keeps；　the　influences

that　have　played　upon　him　and　made　him　the　man　he　isthese　are

all　registered　there　by　a　pen　which　lets　nothing　pass；　and　whose

writing　can



Never　be　blotted　out。



What　I　am　reading　in　him　meantime　he　is　also　reading　in　me；　and

before　the　journey　is　over　we　could　half　write　each　other's　lives。

Whether　we　like　it　or　not；　we　live　in　glass　houses。　　The　mind；　the

memory；　the　soul；　is　simply　a　vast　chamber　paneled　with　looking…glass。

And　upon　this　miraculous　arrangement　and　endowment　depends　the

capacity　of　mortal　souls　to　〃reflect　the　character　of　the　Lord。〃



（2）。　　But　this　is　not　all。　　If　all　these　varied　reflections

from　our　so…called　secret　life　are　patent　to　the　world；　how　close

the　writing；　complete　the　record　within　the　soul　itself！　　For　the

influences　we　meet　are　not　simply　held　for　a　moment　on　the　polished

surface　and　thrown　off　again　into　space。　　Each　is　retained　where

first　it　fell；　and　stored　up　in　the　soul　forever。



This　law　of　assimilation



is　the　second；　and　by　far　the　most　impressive　truth　which　underlies

the　formula　of　sanctificationthe　truth　that　men　are　not　only

mirrors；　but　that　these　mirrors；　so　far　from　being　mere　reflectors

of　the　fleeting　things　they　see；　transfer　into　their　own　inmost

substance；　and　hold　in　permanent　preservation　the　things　that　they

reflect。



No　one　knows　how　the　soul　can　hold　these　things。　　No　one　knows

how　the　miracle　is　done。　　No　phenomenon　in　nature；　no　process　in

chemistry；　no　chapter　in　necromancy　can　ever　help　us　to　begin　to

understand　this　amazing　operation。　　For；　think　of　it；　the　past　is

not　only　FOCUSED　there；　in　a　man's　soul；　it　IS　there。　　How　could

it　be　reflected　from　there　if　it　were　not　there？　　All　things　that

he　has　ever　seen；　known；　felt；　believed　of　the　surrounding　world

are　now　within　him；　have　become　part　of　him；　in　part　are　himhe

has　been　changed　into　their　image。　　He　may　deny　it；　he　may　resent

it；　but　they　are　there。　　They　do　not　adhere　to　him；　they　are

transfused　through　him。　　He　cannot　alter　or　rub　them　out。　　They

are　not　in　his　memory；　they　are　in　HIM。　　His　soul　is　as　they　have

filled　it；　made　it；　left　it。　　These　things；　these　books；　these

events；　these　influences　are　his　makers。　　In　their　hands　are　life

and　death；　beauty　and　deformity。　　When　once　the　image　or　likeness

of　any　of　these　is　fairy　presented　to　the　soul；　no　power　on　earth

can　hinder　two　things　happeningit　must　be　absorbed　into　the　soul

and　forever　reflected　back　again　from　character。



Upon　these　astounding　yet　perfectly　obvious　psychological　facts；

Paul　bases　his　doctrine　of　sanctification。　　He　sees　that　character

is　a　thing　built　up　by　slow　degrees；　that　it　is　hourly　changing

for　better　or　for　worse　according　to　the　images　which　flit　across

it。　　One　step　further　and　the　whole　length　and　breadth　of　the

application　of　these　ideas　to　the　central　problem　of　religion　will

stand　before　us。



II。　　The　alchemy　of　influence。



If　events　change　men；　much　more　persons。　　No　man　can　meet　another　on

the　street　without　making　some　mark　upon　him。　　We　say　we　exchange

words　when　we　meet；　what　we　exchange　is　souls。　　And　when　intercourse

is　very　close　and　very　frequent；　so　complete　is　this　exchange　that

recognizable　bits　of　the　one　soul　begin　to　show　in　the　other's

nature；　and　the　second　is　conscious　of　a　similar　and　growing　debt

to　the　first。



Now；　we　become　like　those　whom　we　habitually　reflect。　　I　could

prove　from　science　that　applies　even　to　the　physical　framework　of

animalsthat　they　are　influenced　and　organically　changed　by　the

environment　in　which　they　life。



This　mysterious　approximating　of　two　souls；　who　has　not　witnessed？

Who　has　not　watched　some　old　couple　come　down　life's　pilgrimage

hand　in　hand；　with　such　gentle　trust　and　joy　in　one　another　that

their　very　faces　wore　the　self…same　look？　　These　were　not　two

souls；　it