the crown of thorns-第21部分

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　〃cause　and　effect；〃　this　〃experience；〃　what　right　have　we　to　rely　upon　it　for　one　moment　of　the　future？　Not　for　that　moment　has　it　demonstrated　anything；it　demonstrated　for　the　time　being；　and　the　time　being　only；　and　our　confidence　that　it　will　do　so　again　is　faith；　not　sightfaith　in　cause　and　effect；　faith　in　experience；　but　faith　after　all。　Hume；　the　philosopher；　has　illustrated　the　positions　which　have　now　been　taken。　　〃As　to　past　experience；〃　says　he；　〃it　can　be　allowed　to　give　direct　and　certain　information　of　those　precise　objects　only；　and　that　precise　period　of　time　which　fell　under　its　cognizance；　but　why　this　experience　should　be　extended　to　future　times；　and　to　other　objects；　which　for　aught　we　know　may　be　only　in　appearance　similar；　this　is　the　main　question　on　which　I　would　insist。　　The　bread　which　I　formerly　ate　nourished　me；　that　is；　a　body　of　such　sensible　qualities　was；　at　that　time；　endued　with　such　secret　powers；　but　does　it　follow　that　other　bread　must　also　nourish　me　at　another　time；　and　that　like　sensible　qualities　must　also　be　attended　with　like　secret　powers？　The　consequence　seems　nowise　necessary。〃　　And　yet　we　eat　our　bread；　day　by　day；　without　a　doubt　or　a　fear。　　We　sow　the　grain　and　we　reap　the　wheat；　but　for　all　the　work　is　done　in　faith；　and　the　whole　process　is　steeped　in　mystery。　　In　that　scattering　of　the　golden　seed；　what　confidence　is　expressed　in　elements　that　we　cannot　see；　in　beneficent　agencies　that　we　cannot　control；　in　results　that　are　beyond　our　power；　and　that　in　their　growth　and　development　are　full　of　wonder　exceeding　our　wisdom。　　Give　up　faith；　say　that　we　will　act　only　upon　that　which　is　demonstrated　and　known；　say　that　we　will　walk　only　so　far　as　sight　reaches；　and　we　completely　separate　the　present　from　the　future；　and　stop　all　the　mechanism　of　practical　life。

But　if　we　take　a　wider　view　of　things；　and　consider　this　material　universe　in　which　we　live；　the　great　fact　of　mystery　and　the　need　of　faith　will　be　urged　upon　us　by　a　larger　and　more　impressive　teaching。　　The　more　we　learn　of　nature　the　more　clearly　is　revealed　to　us　this　factthat　we　know　less　than　we　thought　we　did；　positively；　we　know　more；　but　relatively　we　know　less；　because　as　we　have　advanced　nature　has　stretched　out　into　wider　and　wider　relations。　　The　department　that　was　unknown　to　us　yesterday　is　explored　to…day。　　Yesterday；　we　thought　it　was　all　that　remained　to　be　explored；　but　the　torch　of　investigation　that　guided　us　through　it　now　flares　out　upon　new　regions　we　did　not　see　before。　　Like　one　who　goes　with　a　candle　into　some　immense　cavern；　presently　a　little　circle　becomes　clear；　the　shadows　vanish　before　him；　and　undefined　forms　grow　distinct。　　he　thinks　he　is　near　the　end；　when　lo！　what　seemed　a　solid　boundary　of　rock　dissolves　and　floats　away　into　a　depth　of　darkness；　the　path　opens　into　an　immense　void；　new　shapes　of　mystery　start　out；　and　he　learns　this　much　that　he　did　not　know　before；　that　instead　of　being　near　the　end；　he　is　only　upon　the　threshold。　　We　do　not　mean　to　imply　by　this　that　we　have　no　positive　knowledge；　or　that　we　do　not　increase　in　knowledge。　　With　every　new　discovery　we　positively　know　more　and　more。　　But　the　new　discovery　reveals　the　fact　that　more　is　yet　to　be　known；　it　lays　open　new　regions；　it　unfolds　new　relations　that　we　had　not　before　suspected。

We　follow　some　tiny　thread　a　little　way；　and　hold　it　secure；　but　it　is　connected　with　another　ligament；　and　this　branches　out　into　a　third；　and　instead　of　exhausting　the　matter；　we　find　ourselves　at　the　root　of　an　infinite　series；　of　an　immense　relationship；　upon　which　we　have　only　just　opened；　and　yet　what　we　have　is　positive　knowledge；　is　something　more　added　to　our　stock。　　The　circle　of　the　known　has　positively　widened；　but　the　horizon　of　the　unknown　has　widened　also；　and；　instead　of　being　to　us　now；　as　it　seemed　some　time　ago；　a　solid　and　ultimate　limit；　it　is　only　an　ethereal　wall；　only　to　us　a　relative　boundary；　and　behind　are　infinite　depths　and　mystery。　　Our　scientific　knowledge　at　the　present　day　reaches　this　grand　resultit　clears　up　the　deception　that　the　system　of　nature　is　mere　flat；　dead　materiality；　a　few　mechanical　laws；　a　few　rigid　forms。　　It　shows　that　these　are　only　the　husks；　the　outer　garments　of　mighty　forces　of　subtile；　far…reaching　agencies；　and　the　most　common；　every…day　truths；　that　seemed　stale　and　exhausted；　become　illuminated　with　infinite　meaning；　and　are　the　blossoms　of　an　infinite　life。

The　wider　our　circle　of　discovery；　the　wider　our　wonder；　the　more　startling　our　conclusions；　the　more　perplexing　our　questions。　　We　have　not　exhausted　the　universe；we　have　just　begun　to　see　its　harmony　of　proportion　and　of　relations；　without　penetrating　a　fathom　into　its　real　life。　　How　and　what　is　that　power　that　works　in　the　shooting　of　a　crystal；　and　binds　the　obedience　of　a　star；　that　shimmers　in　the　northern　Aurora；　and　connects　by　its　attraction　the　aggregated　universe；　that　by　its　unseen　forces；　its　all…prevalent　jurisdiction；　holds　the　little　compass　to　the　north；　blooms　in　the　nebula　and　the　flower；　weaves　the　garment　of　earth　and　the　veil　of　heaven；　darts　out　in　lightning；　spins　the　calm　motion　of　the　planets；　and　presides　mysteriously　over　all　motion　and　all　life？　　And　what　is　life；　and　what　is　death；　and　what　a　thousand　things　that　we　touch；　and　experience；　and　think　we　know　all　about？　　O！　as　science；　as　nature　opens　upon　us；　we　find　mystery　after　mystery；　and　the　demand　upon　the　human　soul　if　for　faith；　faith　in　high；　yes；　in　spiritual　realities；　and　this　materialism　that　would　shut　us　in　to　death　and　sense；　that　denies　all　spirit　and　all　miracle；　is　shattered　like　a　crystal　sphere；　and　the　soul　rushes　out　into　wide　orbits　and　infinite　revolutions；　into　life；　and　light；　and　power；　that　are　of　eternity；that　are　of　God！

Thus　the　scale　is　prepared　for　us　to　rise　from　things　of　sense　to　things　of　spirit；　to　rise　from　faith　in　nature　to　faith　in　Revelation；　from　the　faith　of　LaPlace　to　the　faith　of　Paul。　　No　one　who　has　studied　nature　will　reject　Christianity　because　it　reveals　truths　that　he　cannot　see　with　his　naked　eye；because　it　speaks　of　things　that　he　cannot　comprehend。　　No　one　who　has　considered　the　shooting　of　a　green　blade　will　dogmatically　deny　its　miracles。　　No　one　who　has　found　in　the　natural　world　the　intelligent　wisdom　that　pervades　all　things；　will　wonder　that　he　discovers　a　revelation　of　perfect　love　in　Jesus　Christ。　　〃We　walk　by　faith；　not　by　sight；〃　said　Paul。　　So　says　every　Christian；　and　it　is　of　all　things　the　most　rational。　　Faith　in　something　higher　and　greater　than　we　can　see；　faith　in　something　above　this　narrow　scene；　faith　in　something　beyond　this　present　life；　faith　in　realities　that　are　not　of　time　or　sense；　from　all　that　we　have　now　considered　we　claim　such　faith　to　be　most　rational；　most　natural。　　God；　spirit；　immortality；　instead　of　being　inconsistent　with　what　we　know；　are　what　we　most　legitimately　deduce　from　it；what　we　might　expect　from　the　light　that　trembles　behind　the　curtain　of　mystery　which　bounds　all　our　sensuous　knowledge。　　We　do　believe；　the　veriest　skeptic　believes　in　something　behind　that　curtain　of　mystery；　nor　can　he　withhold　his　faith　because　it　attaches　to　that　which　is　unseen　and　incomprehensible；　without；　as　has　already　been　shown；　cutting　every　nerve　that　binds　us　to　practical　life；　and　smothering　every　suggestion　that　speaks　from　outward　nature。　　If　he　do　not　believe　in　a　God；　then；　or　in　Christ；　or　in　immortality；　let　him　not　sneer　at　others　because　they　walk　by　faith　and　not　by　sight；　for　he　also　must　do　so；　though　his　faith　be　not　in　such　high　truths；　such　spiritual　realities。

The　Christian's　faith　is　an　Infinite　Father　and　an　immortal　life；　and　though　he　cannot　see　them；　cannot　come　in　material　contact　with　them；　he　believes　them　to　be　the　greatest　of　all　realities；　and　he　sees　them　by　faith；　a　medium　as　legitimate　as　that　of　sight。　　They　are　mysteries；　but　everything　contains　a　mystery；　they　demand　of　him　what　every　day's；　every　hour's　events　demand　of　himfaith。　　Let　us　understand；　however；　that　faith　is　not　the　surrendering　of　our　minds　to　that　which　is　irrational　and　inconsistent。　　These　terms　should　not　be　confounded　with　the　mysterious　and　the　incomprehensible。　　That　the　earth　moves　and　yet　stands　still　is　not　a　proposition　that　demands　faith。　　It　is　in　the　province　of　reason　to　say　that　it　cannot　move　and　stand　still　at　the　same　time。　　It　is　an　inconsistency。　　But　how　the　earth　moves　on　its　axis；　what　is　that　law　that　makes　it　move；　is　an　incomprehensibility。　　An　incomprehensibility　is　one　thing；　an　inconsistency　is　another　thing。　　The　one　conflicts　with　our　reason；　the　other　is　beyond　it。　　In　that　which　conflicts　with　our　reason　we　cannot　have　faith；　but　as　to　that　which　is　beyond　it　we　exercise　faith　every　day；　for　we　literally　walk　by　faith　and　not　by　sight。

Who　shall　say；　then；　that　God；　immortality；　and　those　high　truths　revealed　by　Jesus；　are　inconsistent？　　Do　they　not　conform　to　the　highest　reason？　　Do　not　our　deepest　intuitions　demand　that　these　revelations　should　be　true？　　Consult　your　nature；　examine　your　own　heart；　consider　what　you　are；　what　you　want；　what　you　feel；　deeply　want；　keenly　feel；　and　then　say　whether　the　Revelation　of　a　God；　a　Father；　and　an　immortal　life；　satisfies　you　as　nothing　else　can。　　Take　them　away；　and　would　there　not　be　a　dreary　and　overwhelming　void？　　And　because　you　have　not　seen　God；　because　you　have　not　realized　immortality；　because　they　reach　beyond　your　present　vision；　because　the　grave　shuts　you　in；　because　they　are　high　and　transcendent　truths；　will　you　reject　them？　　Do　so；　and　try　to　walk　by　sight　alone。　　With　that　nature　of　yours；　so　full　of　love；　with　that　intellect　of　yours　so　limitless　in　capacity；　you　are　apparently　a　child　of　the　elements；　a　thing　of　physical　nature；　born　of　the　dust；　and　returning　to　it。　　With　desires　that　reach　out　beyond　the　stars；　with　faculties　that　in　this　life　just　begin　to　bud；　with　affections　whose　bleeding　tendrils　cling　around　the　departed；　wrestle　with　death；　and　say　to　the　grave；　〃Give　up　the　dead！　they　are　not　thine；　but　mine；　I　feel　they　must　be　mine　forever；〃　with　all　these　desires；　capacities；　affections；　you　walkso　far　as　mere　sight　helps　youamong　graves　and　decay；　with