the crown of thorns-第20部分

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nd　influence　which　he　leaves　behind　him。　　The　voices　of　the　dead　come　to　us　from　their　works；　from　their　results　and　these　are　all　around　us。

But　I　remark；　in　the　second　place；　that　the　dead　speak　to　us　in　memory　and　association。　　If　their　voices　may　be　constantly　heard　in　their　works；　we　do　not　always　heed　them；　neither　have　we　that　care　and　attachment　for　the　great　congregation　of　the　departed　which　will　at　any　time　call　them　up　vividly　before　us。　　But　in　that　congregation　there　are　those　whom　we　have　known　intimately　and　fondly；　whom　we　cherished　with　our　best　love；　who　lay　close　to　our　bosoms。　　And　these　speak　to　us　in　a　more　private　and　peculiar　manner；in　mementos　that　flash　upon　us　the　whole　person　of　the　departed；　every　physical　and　spiritual　lineamentin　consecrated　hours　of　recollection　that　upon　up　all　the　train　of　the　past；　and　re…twine　its　broken　ties　around　our　hearts；　and　make　its　endearments　present　still。　　Then；　then；　though　dead；　they　speak　to　us。　　It　needs　not　the　vocal　utterance；　nor　the　living　presence；　but　the　mood　that　transforms　the　scene　and　the　hour　supplies　these。　　That　face　that　has　slept　so　long　in　the　grave；　now　bending　upon　us；　pale　and　silent；　but　affectionate　still；that　more　vivid　recollection　of　every　feature；　tone；　and　movement；　that　brings　before　us　the　departed　just　as　we　knew　them　in　the　full　flush　of　life　and　health；that　soft　and　consecrating　spell　which　falls　upon　us；　drawing　in　all　our　thoughts　from　the　present；　arresting；　as　it　were；　the　current　of　our　being；　and　turning　it　back　and　holding　it　still　as　the　flood　of　actual　life　rushes　by　us；while　in　that　trance　of　soul　the　beings　of　the　past　are　shadowedold　friends；　old　days；　old　scenes　recur；　familiar　looks　beam　close　upon　us；　familiar　words　reecho　in　our　ears；　and　we　are　closed　up　and　absorbed　with　the　by…gone；　until　tears　dissolve　the　film　from　our　eyes；　and　some　shock　of　the　actual　wakes　us　from　our　reverie；all　these；　I　say　make　the　dead　to　commune　with　us　as　really　as　though　in　bodily　form　they　should　come　out　from　the　chambers　of　their　mysterious　silence；　and　speak　to　us。　　And　if　life　consists　in　experiences；　and　not　mere　physical　relations；and　if　love　and　communion　belong　to　that　experience；　though　they　take　place　in　meditation；　or　in　dreams；　or　by　actual　contact；then；　in　that　hour　of　remembrance；　have　we　really　lived　with　the　departed；　and　the　departed　have　come　back　and　lived　with　us。　　Though　dead；　they　have　spoken　to　us。　　And　though　memory　sometimes　induces　the　spirit　of　heaviness；though　it　is　often　the　agent　of　conscience；　and　wakens　u　to　chastise；yet；　it　is　wonderful　how；　from　events　that　were　deeply　mingled　with　pain；　it　will　extract　an　element　of　sweetness。　　a　writer；　in　relating　one　of　the　experiences　of　her　sick…room；　has　illustrated　this。　　In　an　hour　of　suffering；　when　no　one　was　near　here；　she　went　out　from　her　bed　and　her　room　to　another　apartment；　and　looked　out　upon　a　glorious　landscape　of　sunrise　and　spring…time。　　〃I　was　suffering　too　much　to　enjoy　this　picture　at　the　moment；〃　she　says；　〃but　how　was　it　at　the　end　of　the　year？　The　pains　of　all　those　hours　were　annihilated；as　completely　vanished　as　if　they　had　never　been；　while　the　momentary　peep　behind　the　window…curtain　made　me　possessor　of　this　radiant　picture　for　evermore。〃　　〃Whence　came　this　wide　difference；〃　she　asks；　〃between　the　good　and　the　evil？　　Because　good　is　indissolubly　connected　with　ideas；with　the　unseen　realities　which　are　indestructible。〃　　And　though　the　illustration　which　she　thus　gives　may　bear　the　impression　of　an　individual　personality；　instead　of　a　universal　truth；　still；　in　the　instance　to　which　I　apply　it；　I　believe　it　will　very　generally　hold　true；　that　memory　leaves　a　pleasant　rather　than　a　painful　impression。　　At　least；　there　is　so　much　that　is　pleasant　mingled　with　it　that　we　would　not　willingly　lose　the　faculty　of　memory；the　consciousness　that　we　can　thus　call　back　the　dead；　and　hear　their　voices；that　we　have　the　power　of　softening　the　rugged　realities　which　only　suggest　our　loss　and　disappointment；　by　transferring　the　scene　and　the　hour　to　the　past　and　the　departed。　　And；　as　our　conceptions　become　more　and　more　spiritual；　we　shall　find　the　real　to　be　less　dependent　upon　the　outward　and　the　visible；we　shall　learn　how　much　life　there　is　in　a　thought；how　veritable　are　the　communions　of　spirit；　and　the　hour　in　which　memory　gives　us　the　vision　of　the　dead　will　be　prized　by　us　as　an　hour　of　actual　experience　and　such　opportunities　will　grow　more　precious　to　us。　　No；　we　would　not　willingly　lose　this　power　of　memory。　One　would　not　say；　〃Let　the　dead　never　come　back　to　me　in　a　thought；　or　a　dream；　let　them　never　glide　before　me　in　the　still　watch　of　meditation；　let　me　see；　let　me　hear　them　no　more；　even　in　fancy；〃not　one　of　us　would　say　this；　and；　therefore；　it　is　evident；　that　whatever　painful　circumstance　memory　or　association　may　recall；even　though　it　cause　us　to　go　out　and　weep　bitterly；there　is　a　sacred　pleasure；　a　tender　melancholy；　that　speaks　to　us　in　these　voices　of　the　dead；　which　we　are　willing　to　cherish　and　repeat。　　It　makes　our　tears　soft　and　sanctifying　as　they　fall；　it　makes　our　hearts　purer　and　better；makes　them　stronger　for　the　conflict　of　life。

I　remark；　finally；　that　the　dead　speak　to　us　in　those　religious　suggestionsthose　consolations；　invitations；　and　hopeswhich　the　bereaved　spirit　indulges。　　Our　meditations；　concerning　them　naturally　draw　us　more　closely　to　these　spiritual　realities　which　lie　beyond　the　grave；　and　beget　in　us　those　holier　sentiments　which　we　need。　　That　such　is　the　tendency　of　these　recollections　experience　assures　us。　　They　open　for　us　a　new　order　of　thought；　they　bring　us　in　contact　with　the　loftiest　but　most　neglected　truths。　　Even　the　hardest　heart　feels　this　influence。　　It　is　softened　by　the　stroke　of　bereavement　and；　for　the　time　being；　a　chastening　influence　falls　upon　it；　and　it　always　thinks　of　the　dead　with　tenderness　and　awe。　　They　speak　to　our　affections　with　an　irresistible　influence；　they　soothe　our　turbulent　passions　with　their　mild　and　holy　calmness；　they　rebuke　us　in　their　spiritual　majesty　for　our　sensuality　and　our　sin。　　They　have　departed；　but　they　are　not　silent。　　Though　dead；　they　speak　to　us。　　Sweet　and　sanctifying　is　their　communion　with　us。　　They　utter　words　of　warning；　too；　and　speak　to　us　by　the　silent　eloquence　of　example。　　By　this　they　bid　us　imitate　all　that　was　good　in　their　lives；　all　that　is　dear　to　remember。　　By　this；　too；　they　tell　us　that　we　are　passing　swiftly　from　the　earth；　and　hastening　to　join　their　number。　　A　little　while　ago；　and　they　were　as　we　are；a　little　while　hence；　and　we　shall　be　as　they。　Our　work；　like　theirs；　will　be　left　behind　to　speak　for　us。　　How　important；　then；　that　we　consider　what　work　we　do！　　They　assure　us　that　nothing　is　perpetual　here。　　They　bid　us　not　fasten　our　affections　upon　earth。　　In　long　procession　they　pass　us　by；　with　solemn　voices　telling　of　their　love　and　hatred；　their　interests　and　cares；　their　work　and　device；all　abandoned　now　and　passed　away；　as　little　worth　as　the　dust　that　blows　across　their　graves。　Upon　all　that　was　theirs；　upon　every　memorial　of　them；　broods　a　melancholy　dimness　and　silence。　　They　recede　more　and　more　from　the　associations　of　the　living。　　New　tides　of　life　roll　through　the　cities　of　their　habitation；　and　upon　the　foot…worn　pavements　of　their　traffic　other　feet　are　busy。　　Their　lovely　labor；　or　their　stately　pomp；　is　forgotten。　　No　one　weeps　or　cares　for　them。　　Their　solicitous　monuments　are　unheeded。　　The　companions　of　their　youth　have　rejoined　them。　　The　young；　who　scarcely　remembered　them；　are　giving　way　to　another　generation。　　The　places　that　knew　them　know　them　no　longer。　　〃This；　this；〃　their　solemn　voices　preach　to　us；　〃is　the　changeableness　of　earth；　and　the　emptiness　of　its　pursuits！〃　　They　urge　us　to　seek　the　noblest　end；　the　unfailing　treasure。　　They　bid　us　to　find　our　hope　and　our　rest；　our　only　constant　joy　in　Him；　who　alone；　amid　this　mutability　and　decay；　is　permanent；in　God！

Well；　then；　is　it　for　us　to　listen　to　the　voices　of　the　dead。　　By　so　doing；　we　are　better　fitted　for　life；　and　for　death。　　From　that　audience　we　go　purified　and　strengthened　into　the　varied　discipline　of　our　mortal　state。　　We　are　willing　to　stay；　knowing　that　the　dead　are　so　near　us；　and　that　our　communion　with　them　may　be　so　intimate。　　We　are　willing　to　go；　seeing　that　we　shall　not　be　widely　separated　from　those　we　leave　behind。　　We　will　toil　in　our　lot　while　God　pleases；　and　when　he　summons　us　we　will　calmly　depart。　　When　the　silver　cord　becomes　untwined；　and　the　golden　bond　broken；when　the　wheel　of　action　stands　still　in　the　exhausted　cistern　of　our　life；may　we　lie　down　in　the　light　of　that　faith　which　makes　so　beautiful　the　face　of　the　dying　Christian；　and　has　converted　death's　ghastly　silence　to　a　peaceful　sleep；　may　we　rise　to　a　holier　and　more　visible　communion；　in　the　land　without　a　sin　and　without　a　tear；　where　the　dead　shall　be　closer　to　us　than　in　this　life；　where　not　the　partition　of　a　shadow；　or　a　doubt；　shall　come　between。



Mystery　and　Faith



〃For　we　walk　by　faith；　not　by　sight。〃　　II　Corinthians　v。　7。

It　needs　only　common　experience；　and　but　little　of　that；　to　convince　us　that　this　life　is　full　of　mystery；　and　at　every　step　we　take　demands　of　us　faith。　　For　at　every　step　we　take　we　literally　walk　by　faith；　in　every　work　we　do　we　must　have　confidence　in　something　which　is　not　by　sight；　in　something　which　is　not　yet　demonstrated。　　Skepticism　carried　to　its　ultimate　consequences　is　the　negation　of　everything。　　It　closes　up　the　issues　of　all　knowledge；　and　sunders　every　ligament　that　binds　us　to　practical　life。　　We　must　have　faith　in　something　or　we　stand　on　no　promises；　we　can　predicate　nothing。　　It　may　be　said　that　in　the　experience　of　the　past　we　have　a　guide　for　the　future；　but　then；　must　we　not　have　faith　in　experience？　　Do　we　not　trust　something　which　is　not　yet　demonstrated　when　we　say　〃This　cause　which　produced　that　effect　yesterday　will　produce　a　similar　effect　today　or　tomorrow？〃　　How　do　we　knowpositively　know；　that　it　will　produce　that　effect；　and　what　are　the　grounds　of　our　knowledge？　　This　boasted　〃cause　and　effect；〃　this　〃experience；〃　what　right　have　we　to　rely　upon　it　for　one　moment　of　the　fut