the crown of thorns-第13部分

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hose　agony　the　still　heavens　looked　upon　with　all　their　starry　eyes；whose　tears　moistened　the　bosom　of　the　bare　earth；whose　cry　of　anguish　pierced　the　gloom　of　night。　Now；　too；　when　we　sorrow；　we　know　where　to　find　relief；　we　learn　the　spirit　of　resignation；　and　under　what　conditions　it　may　be　born。　　Thank　God；　then；　for　the　lesson　of　the　lonely　garden　and　the　weeping　Christ…we；　too；　may　be　〃made　perfect　through　suffering。〃

Such；　then；　were　the　circumstances　that　illustrate　the　words　of　the　text。　　Scarcely　had　Jesus　risen　from　his　knees；　and　wakened　the　drowsy　disciples；　when　the　light　of　lanterns　flashed　upon　him；　and　Judas　came　with　a　multitude　to　bear　him　to　that　death　from　which；　but　now；　he　shrunk　with　agony。　　But　he　shrank　no　more。　　The　trial　was　over；the　darkness　had　vanished；an　angel　had　strengthened　him；　and　when　the　impetuous　Peter　drew　his　sword　and　smote　off　the　servant's　ear；　his　master　turned　to　him；　with　the　calm　rebuke；　〃Put　up　thy　sword　into　his　sheath；　the　cup　which　my　Father　hath　given　me；　shall　I　not　drink　it？〃　　Yes；　cold　and　bitter　as　that　cup　was；　pressed　next　to　his　very　lips；　he　had　learned　to　drink　it。　　God　had　given　him　strength；　and　no　more　did　he　falter；　no　more　did　he　groan…save　once；　for　a　moment；　when；　upon　the　cross；　drooping；　and　racked　with　intense　pain；　he　cried　out；　〃My　God；　my　God；　why　hast　thou　forsaken　me？〃　　But　that　passed　away　in　the　triumphant　ejaculation；　〃It　is　finished！〃

Such　was　the　resignation　of　Jesus；　a　trait　in　his　character　which；　like　all　the　rest；　is　not　only　to　be　admired；　but　imitated；not　an　abstract　virtue；　manifested　by　a　being　so　perfect　and　so　enshrined　in　the　sanctity　of　a　divine　nature　that　we　cannot　approach　it；　and　in　our　mortal；　work…day　trials　can　never　feel　it；　but　a　virtue　which　should　be　throned　in　every　heart；　the　strength　and　consolation　of　which　every　suffering　soul　may　experience。　　Nay；　if　there　is　one　virtue　which　is　more　often　needed　than　any　other；　which　lies　at　the　base　of　true　happiness；　and　than　which　there　is　no　surer　seal　of　piety；　it　is　this　virtue　of　resignation。　　And　let　me　proceed　to　say；　that　by　resignation　I　mean　not　cold　and　sullen　apathy；　or　reckless　hardihood；　but　a　sweet　trust　and　humble　acquiescence；　which　show　that　the　soul　has　submitted　itself　to　the　Father　who　knows　and　does　best；　and　that　it　meets　his　dispensations　with　obedience　and　his　mysteries　with　faith。　　The　apathy　and　hardihood　to　which　I　have　alluded　are　very　far　from　the　trust　and　piety　of　a　religious　spirit。　　The　fatalist　acquiesces　in　the　course　of　things　because　he　cannot　help　it。　　He　has　reasoned　to　the　conclusion　that　his　murmuring　and　weeping　will　not　alter　matters　and　he　has　resolved　to　take　things　as　they　come。　　But　here　is　no　resignation　to　the　will　of　God；　but　to　the　necessity　of　things。　　Here　is　no　faith　that　all　things　are　wisely　ordered；　and　that　sorrow　is　but　the　shadow　of　the　Father's　hand。　　No；　here　is　the　simple　belief　that　things　are　as　they　are；　and　cannot　be　altered；…that　an　arbitrary　law　is　the　eternal　rule；　not　a　benevolent　and　holy　purpose；　and　the　philosopher　would　be　just　as　resigned　if　he　believed　all　things　to　be　under　the　guidance　of　a　blind　fate；　whose　iron　machinery　drives　on　to　level　or　exalt；　unintelligent　and　remorseless；　whether　in　its　course　it　brings　about　good　or　evil；…whether　it　gladdens　human　hearts　or　crushes　them。　　Such　resignation　as　this　may　be　quite　common　in　the　world；　manifested　in　various　phases；　and　by　men　of　different　religious　opinions。　　Do　we　not　often　hear　the　expression；　〃Well；　things　are　as　they　are；…we　do　best　to　take　them　as　they　come；〃　and　here　the　matter　ends？　　No　higher　reference　is　made。　　The　things　alluded　to　may　issue　from　the　bosom　of　material　nature；　may　be　sent　into　the　world　by　chance；　or　may　come　from　the　good　Father　of　all；　but　the　minds　of　these　reasoners　reach　not　so　far。　　Now　I　repeat；　there　is　no　religion　and　no　true　philosophy　in　this　method；　certainly　it　is　not　such　resignation　as　Jesus　manifested。　　In　fact；　it　indicates　total　carelessness　as　to　the　discipline　of　life；　and　will　generally　be　found　with　men　in　whose　thoughts　God　is　not；　or　to　whose　conceptions　he　is　the　distant；　inactive　Deity；　not　the　near　and　ever…working　Controller。　　I　cannot　admire　the　conduct　of　that　man　who　when　the　bolt　of　sorrow　falls；　receives　it　upon　the　armor　of　a　rigid　fatalism；　who　wipes　scarcely　a　tear　from　his　hard；　dry　face；　and　says；　〃Well；　it　cannot　be　helped；　things　are　so　ordered。〃　　Below　all　this　there　is　often　a　sulky；　half…angry　sentiment；　as　though　the　victim　felt　the　blow；　but　was　determined　not　to　wince；…as　though　there　was　an　acknowledgment　of　weakness；　but　also　a　display　of　pride；…a　feeling　that　we　cannot　resist　sorrow；　yet　that　sorrow　has　no　business　to　come；　and　now　that　it　has　come　the　sufferer　will　not　yield　to　it。　　This；　evidently；　is　not　resignation；　religious　resignation；　but　only　sullen　acquiescence；　or　reckless　hardihood。

In　a　certain　sense　it　is　true　that　we　do　well　to　take　things　as　they　come；…that　we　cannot　help　the　eternal　laws　that　control　events。　　But　we　must　go　behind　this　truth。　　Whence　do　events　come；　and　for　what　purpose　do　they　come？　　What　is　life；　and　for　what　end　are　all　its　varied　dispensations？　Religion　points　us　up　beyond　the　cloud　of　materialism；　and　behind　the　mechanism　of　nature；　to　an　Infinite　Spirit；　to　a　God；　to　a　Father。　　All　things　are　moved　by　infinite　Love。　Life　is　not　merely　a　phenomenon；　it　is　a　Lesson。　　Its　events　do　not　come　and　go；　in　a　causeless；　arbitrary　manner；　they　are　meant　for　our　discipline　and　our　good。　　In　whatever　aspect　they　come；　then；　let　their　appropriate　lesson　be　heeded。　　This　is　the　religious　view　of　life；　and　is　wide　apart　from　the　philosophy　that　lets　events　happen　as　they　will；　as　though　we　were　in　the　setting　of　a　heady　current；　and　were　borne　along　among　other　matters　that　now　help　us；　now　jar　and　wound　us；…that　happen　without　order　and　without　object；　all；　like　ourselves；　driven　along　and　taking　things　as　they　come。　　In　the　religious　view；　all　things　stream　from　God's　throne；　and　whatever　sky　hangs　over　them；　the　infinite　One　is　present；　prosperity　is　the　sunshine　that　he　has　sent；　and　Faith；　as　she　weeps；　beholds　a　bow　in　the　clouds。

The　religious　man　takes　things　as　they　come；　but　how？　　In　a　reverent　and　filial　spirit；　a　spirit　that　obeys　and　trusts　because　God　has　ordained。　　He　refers；　behind　the　event；　to　the　will　that　declares　it。　　And　yet；　this　will　be　no　formal　lifeless　resignation。　　He　will　not　be　stripped　of　his　manhood；　or　become　unnatural　in　his　religion。　　His　resignation　will　not　be　the　cold　assent　of　reason；　or　the　mere　rote　and　repetition　of　the　lips。　　No；　it　will　be　born　in　struggling　and　in　sorrow。　　Religion　is　not　a　process　that　makes　our　nature　callous　to　all　fierce　heats　or　drenching　storms。　　Neither　is　he　the　most　religious　man　who　is　calmest　in　the　keen　crisis　of　trouble。　　I　say　in　the　crisis　of　trouble…for　to　human　vision　there　always　is　a　crisis。　　We　cannot　penetrate　to　the　secret　determinations　of　God；　and　in　the　season　of　care　and　affliction　there　is　a　time　when　the　issue　is　uncertain；…when　we　cannot　say　it　is　sealed。　　What　shall　we　do　then？　　Is　human　agency　nothing？　　Grant　that　we　are　driving　down　a　stream；…can　we　use　no　effort？　　Is　there　not　a　time　when　deeds；　struggles；　prayers；　are　of　some　avail？…when　the　spirit；　in　its　intense　agony；　with　swollen　strength　and　surging　tears；　heaves　against　the　catastrophe；　if　yet；　perchance；　it　may　ward　it　off？　　Truly；　there　is　such　a　time；　and　the　humblest　disciple　of　Christ　may　weep　as　he　also　wept。　　But　let　him　also　strive　as　Christ　strove。　　Let　him　not　dash　his　grief　in　rebellious　billows　to　the　throne；　let　not　his　groans　arise　in　resentful　murmurs；　let　the　remembrance　of　what　God　is　and　why　he　does；　be　with　him；　and　let　the　filial；　reverent　trust　steal　in；…〃Not　my　will；　but　thine　be　done。〃　　That　reference　to　God；　that　obedience　to　him；　rising　from　the　very　depths　of　sorrow；　and　clung　to　without　faltering；　is　RESIGNATION。　　It　shall　bestow　peace　and　victory　in　the　end。　　O！　how　different　from　that　sullen　fatalism　that　lets　things　come　as　they　will。　　To　such　a　soul　things　do　come　as　they　will；　and　it　hardens　under　them；…they　do　come　as　they　will；　but　it　sees　not；　cares　not；　why　they　come。　　No　thought　goes　up　beyond　the　cloud　to　God；…no　strength　is　born　that　shall　make　life's　trials　lighter；…no　love　and　faith　that　will　seek　the　Father's　hand　in　the　darkest　hour；　and　shed　an　enduring　light　over　the　thorny　path　of　affliction；　and　upon　the　bosom　of　the　grave。　　Look　at　these　two。　　Outwardly；　their　calmness　may　be　the　same。　　Nay；　the　one　may　evince　emotion　and　tears；　while　the　other　shall　stand　rigid　in　the　hour　of　calamity；　with　a　bitter　smile；　or　a　frown　of　endurance。　　But　in　the　one　is　strength；　in　the　other　rigidity；　in　the　one　is　power　to　triumph　over　sorrow；　in　the　other　only　nervous　capacity　to　resist　it。　　The　one　is　man　hardened　to　indifference；　sullen　because　of　irreligion；　upon　whom　some　sorrow　will　one　day　fall　that　will　peel　him　to　the　quick；　and　he　will　not　know　where　to　flee　for　healing。　The　other　is　man　contending　against　evil；　yet　not　against　God；…man　with　all　the　tenderness　and　strength　of　his　nature；　impressible　yet　unconquerable；　walking　with　feet　that　bleed　among　the　wounding　thorns；　and　a　heart　that　shrinks　from　the　heavy　woe；　yet；　all　lacerated　as　he　is；　able　to　walk　through；　because　he　holds　by　the　hand　of　Omnipotence。　　The　one　is　the　unbending　tree；　peeled　by　the　lightning　and　stripped　by　the　North　wind；　lifting　its　gnarled　head　in　sullen　defiance　to　the　storm；　which；　when　the　storm　does　overcome　it；　shall　be　broken。　　The　other　also　is　rooted　in　strength；　and　meets　the　rushing　blast　with　a　lofty　front。　　But　as　〃it　smiles　in　sunshine；　so　it　bends　in　storm；〃　trustful　and　obedient；　yet　firm　and　brave；　and　nothing　shall　overwhelm　it。

I　trust　I　have　succeeded　in　impressing　upon　you　the　difference　between　Christian　resignation　and　mere　hardihood；　or　indifference。　　Resignation　is　born　of　discipline；　and　lives　only　in　a　truly　religious　soul。　　We　have　seen　that　it　is　not　incompatible　with　tenderness；　nay；　it　is　more　valuable；　because　it　springs　up　in　natures　that　have　thus　suffered　and　wept。　　To　see　them　become　calm　and　pass　with　unfaltering　step　through　the　valley　of　afflicti