the crown of thorns-第16部分

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esolate　chambers。　　We　are　stricken　and　afflicted。　　But　must　this；　should　this；　be　always　and　only　so？　　Are　we　not　looking　merely　at　the　earthly　aspect　of　the　event？　　Has　it　not　a　spiritual　phase　for　us？　　Nay；　do　we　not　begin　to　consider　how　through　our　temporal　affection　an　eternal　good　is　wrought　out　for　us？　　Do　we　begin　to　realize　that　in　our　souls　we　have　derived　profit　from　it　already？　　Do　we　not　begin　to　learn　that　life　is　not　a　holiday　or　a　workday　only；　but　a　discipline；that　God　conducts　that　discipline　in　infinite　wisdom　and　benevolence；mingles　the　draught；　and；　when　he　sees　fit；　infuses　bitterness？　　Not　that　constant　sweet　would　not　please　us　better；　but　that　our　discipline；　which　is　of　more　importance　than　our　indulgence；　will　be　more　effectual　thereby。　　This　is　often　talked　about；　　I　ask；　do　not　we　who　are　called　upon　to　mourn　the　loss　of　children　realize　it；actually　realize　that　that　loss　is　for　our　spiritual　gain？　　If　we　do　not；　we　are　merely　looking　upon　the　earthly　phase　of　our　loss。　　If　we　do　not　realize　this　spiritual　good；　we　may。

Yes；　in　death　the　little　child　has　a　mission　for　us。　　Through　that　very　departure　he　accomplishes　for　us；　perhaps；　what　he　could　not　accomplish　by　his　life。　　These　affections　which　he　has　awakened；　we　have　considered　how　strong　they　are。　　They　are　stronger；　are　they　not；　than　any　attachment　to　mere　things　of　this　earth？　　But　that　child　has　gone　from　us；gone　into　the　unseen；　the　spiritual　world。　　What　then？　　Do　our　affections　sink　back　into　our　hearts；become　absorbed　and　forgotten？　　O；　no！　They　reach　out　after　that　little　one；　they　follow　him　into　the　unseen　and　spiritual　world；thus　is　it　made　a　great　and　vivid　reality　to　us；perhaps　for　the　first　time。　　We　have　talked　of　it；　we　have　believed　in　it；　but　now　that　our　dead　have　gone　into　it；　we　have；　as　it　were；　entered　it　ourselves。　　Its　atmosphere　is　around　us；　chords　of　affection　draw　us　toward　it；　the　faces　of　our　departed　ones　look　out　from　itand　it　is　a　reality。　　And　is　it　not　worth　something　to　make　it　such　a　reality？

We　are　wedded　to　this　world。　　It　is　beautiful；　it　is　attractive；　it　is　real。　　Immortality　is　a　pleasant　thought。　　The　spiritual　land　is　an　object　of　faith。　　But　the　separation　between　this　and　that　is　cold　to　think　of；　and　hard　to　bear。　　It　needs　something　stronger　than　this　earth　to　draw　us　toward　that　spiritual　world；　to　break　some　of　the　thousand　tendrils　that　bind　us　here。　　My　friends；　though　many　powerful　appeals；　many　solid　arguments；　cannot　break　our　affections　from　this　earth；　the　hand　of　a　departed　child　can　do　it。　　The　voice　that　calls　us　to　unseen　realities；　that　bids　us　prepare　for　the　heavenly　land；　that　says　from　heights　of　spiritual　bliss　and　purity；　〃Come　up　hither；〃that　voice　that　we　loved　so　on　earth；　and　gladly　can　we　rise　and　follow　it。

Behold；　then；　what　a　little　child　can　perform　for　us　through　its　death！　　It　makes　real　and　attractive　to　us　that　spiritual　world　to　which　it　has　gone；　and　calls　our　affections　from　earth　to　that　true　life　which　is　the　great　end　of　our　being；　which　is　the　object　of　all　our　discipline；　our　mingled　joy　and　suffering；　here　upon　this　earth。　　That　little　child；　gone　from　its　sufferings　of　early；gone

〃Gentle　and　undefiled；　with　blessings　on　its　head；〃

has　it　indeed　become　a　very　angel　of　God　for　us；　and　is　it　calling　us　to　a　more　spiritual　life；　and　does　it　win　us　to　heaven？　　Is　its　memory　around　us　like　a　pure　presence　into　which　no　thought　of　sin　can　readily　enter？　　Or　is　it　with　us；　even　yet；　a　spiritual　companion　of　our　ways？　　From　being　the　guarded　and　the　guided；　has　it　risen　in　infant　innocence；　yet　in　the　knowledge　and　majesty　of　the　immortal　life；　to　be　the　guard　and　the　guide？　　Does　it；　indeed；　make　our　hearts　softer　and　purer；　and　cause　us　to　think　more　of　duty；　and　live　more　holy；　thus　clothing　ourselves　to　go　and　dwell　with　it？　　Does　it；　by　its　death；　accomplish　all　this？　　O！　most　important；　most　glorious　mission　of　all；　if　we　only　heed　it；　if　we　only　accept　it。　　Then　shall　we　behold　already　the　wisdom　and　benevolence　of　our　Father　breaking　through　the　cloud　that　overshadows　us。　　Already　shall　we　see　that　the　tie；　which　seemed　to　be　dropped　and　broken；　God　has　taken　up　to　draw　us　closer　to　himself；　and　that　it　is　interwoven　with　his　all…gracious　plan　for　our　spiritual　profit　and　perfection。　　And　we　can　anticipate　how　it　will　all　be　reconciled；　when　his　own　hand　shall　wipe　away　our　tears；　and　the　bliss　of　reunion　shall　extract　the　last　drop　of　bitterness　from　〃the　cup　that　our　Father　had　given　us。〃



Our　Relations　to　the　Departed


〃She　is　not　dead；　but　sleepeth。〃　　Luke　viii。52

A　Great　peculiarity　of　the　Christian　religion　is　its　transforming　or　transmuting　power。　　I　speak　not　now　of　the　regeneration　which　accomplishes　in　the　individual　soul；　but　of　the　change　it　works　upon　things　without。　　It　applies　the　touchstone　to　every　fact　of　existence；　and　exposes　its　real　value。　　Looking　through　the　lens　of　spiritual　observation；　it　throws　the　realities　of　life　into　a　reverse　perspective　from　that　which　is　seen　by　the　sensual　eye。　Objects　which　the　world　calls　great　it　renders　insignificant；　and　makes　near　and　prominent　things　which　the　frivolous　put　off。　Thus　the　Christian；　among　other　men；　often　appears　anomalous。　Often；　amidst　the　congratulations　of　the　world；　he　detects　reason　for　mourning；　and　is　penetrated　with　sorrow。　　On　the　contrary；　where　others　shrink；　he　walks　undaunted；　and　converts　the　scene　of　dread　and　suffering　into　an　ante…chamber　of　heaven。　　In　this　light；　the　Apostle　Paul　speaks　of　himself　and　others；　〃As　sorrowful；　yet　always　rejoicing；　as　poor；　yet　making　many　rich；　as　having　nothing；　and　yet　possessing　all　things。〃　　Indeed；　all　the　beatitudes　are　based　upon　this　peculiarity；　for　the　true　blessing；　the　inward；　everlasting　riches；　are　for　those　who；　in　the　world's　eye；　are　poor；　and　mourning；　and　persecuted。　　Jesus　himself　weeps　amid　triumphant　psalms　and　sounding　hosannas；　while　on　the　cross　he　utters　the　prayer　of　forgiveness；　and　the　ejaculation　of　peace。

No　wonder；　then；　that　the　believer　views　the　ghastliest　fact　of　all　in　a　consoling　and　even　a　beautiful　aspect；　and　death　itself　becomes　but　sleep。　　Well　was　that　trait　of　our　religion　which　I　have　now　suggested　illustrated　at　the　bed…side　of　Jairus'　daughter。　　Well　did　that　noisy；　lamenting　group　represent　the　worldly　who　read　only　the　material　fact；　or　that　flippant　skepticism　which　laughs　all　supernatural　truth　to　scorn。　　And　well　did　Jesus　represent　the　spirit　of　his　doctrine；　and　its　transforming　power；　when　he　exclaimed；　〃She　is　not　dead；　but　sleepeth。〃

Yes！　beautifully　has　Christianity　transformed　death。　　To　the　eye　of　flesh　it　was　the　final　direction　of　our　fate；the　consummate　riddle　in　this　mystery　of　being；the　wreck　of　all　our　hopes；

〃The　simple　senses　crowned　his　head；　　　　　Omega！　thou　art　Lord；　they　said；　　　　　We　find　no　motion　in　the　dead。〃

Ever；　though　with　higher　desires　and　better　gleamings；　the　mind　has　struggled　and　sunk　before　this　fact　of　decay；　and　this　awful　silence　of　nature；　while　in　the　waning　light　of　the　soul；　and　among　the　ashes　of　the　sepulchre；　skepticism　has　built　its　dreary　negation。　　And　though　the　mother　could　lay　down　her　child　without　taking　hints　which　God　gave　her　from　every　little　flower　that　sprung　on　that　grassy　bed；though　the　unexhausted　intellect　has　reasoned　that　we　ought　to　live　again；　and　the　affections；　more　oracular；　swelling　with　the　nature　of　their　great　source；　have　prophesied　that　we　shall；never；　until　the　revelation　of　Christ　descended　into　our　souls；　and　illuminated　all　our　spiritual　vision；　have　we　been　able　to　say　certainly　of　death；　it　is　a　sleep。　　This　has　made　its　outward　semblance　not　that　of　cessation；　but　of　progressionnot　an　end；　but　a　changeconverting　its　rocky　couch　to　a　birth…chamber；　over…casting　its　shadows　with　beams　of　eternal　morning；　while　behind　its　cold　unconsciousness　the　unseen　spirit　broods　into　higher　life。　　〃He　fell　asleep；〃　says　the　sacred　chronicler；　speaking　of　bloody　Stephen。　　〃Our　friend　Lazarus　sleepeth；〃　said　Christ　to　his　disciples；　and　yet　again；　as　here　in　the　text；　the　beautiful　synonyme　is　repeated；　〃She　is　not　dead；　but　sleepeth。〃

But　I　proceed　to　remark；　if　the　Christian　religion　thus　transforms　death；　or；　in　other　words；　abolishes　the　idea　of　its　being　annihilation；　or　an　end；　then　it　gives　us　a　new　view　of　our　relations　to　the　departed。　　What　are　these　relations？　　The　answers　to　this　question　will　form　the　burden　of　the　present　discourse。

I。　　There　is　the　relation　of　memory。　　It　is　true；　we　may　argue　that　this　relation　exists　whether　the　Christian　view　of　death　be　correct　or　not；so　long　have　those　who　are　now　gone　actually　lived　with　us；so　vivid　are　their　images　among　the　realities　of　the　soul；though　the　grave　should　forever　shut　them　from　our　communion。　　But　this　relation　of　memory　has　peculiar　propriety　and　efficacy　when　associated　with　a　Christian　faith。　　If　the　dead　live　no　more；　what　would　memory　be　to　us　but　a　spectre　and　a　sting？　　Should　we　not　then　seek　to　repress　those　tender　recollections；to　close　our　eyes　to　those　pale；　sad　visions　of　departed　love？　　Should　we　not　invoke　the　glare　and　tumult　of　the　world　to　distract　or　absorb　our　thoughts？　　Would　we　not　say；　〃Let　it　come；　the　pleasure；　the　occupation　of　the　hour；　that　we　may　think　no　more　of　the　dead；　plucked　from　us　forever；let　us　drive　thoughtlessly　down　this　swift　current　of　life；　since　thought　only　harrows　us；let　us　drive　thoughtlessly　down；　enjoying　all　we　can；　until　we　too　lie　by　the　side　of　those　departed　ones；　like　them　to　moulder　in　everlasting　unconsciousness。〃　　I　don　not　say　that　this　would　always　be　the　case　without　religious　hope；　but　it　is　a　very　natural　condition　of　the　feelings　in　such　circumstances；it　is　the　most　humane　alternative　that　would　then　be　left。　　At　least；　no　one　so　well　as　the　Christian　can　go　into　the　inner　chambers　of　memory；　feel　the　strength　of　its　sad　yet　blissful　associations；　and　calmly　invoke　the　communion　of　the　dead。

I　speak　not　now　of　what　occurs　in　those　first　bitter　days　of　grief；　when　the　heart's　wound　bleeds　afresh　at　every　touch；when　we　are　continually　surprised　by　the　bleak　fact　that　the　loved　one　is　actually　dead。　　But　I　speak　of　those　after　seasons；　those　Indian