the crown of thorns-第15节

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osperity　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　affliction；　when；　but　now；　they　shrunk　from　it；　is　a　proof　that　God　indeed　has　strengthened　them；　and　that　they　have　had　communion　with　him。　The　unbeliever's　stubbornness　may　endure　to　the　end；　but　no　human　power　could　inspire　this　sudden　and　triumphant　calmness。

And　even　when　the　crisis　is　past；　when　the　sorrow　is　sealed；　it　is　not　rebellion　to　sigh　and　weep。　　Our　Father　has　made　us　so。　　He　has　opened　the　springs　of　love　that　well　up　within　us；　and　can　we　help　mourning　when　they　turn　to　tears　and　blood？　　He　has　made　very　tender　the　ties　that　bind　us　to　happiness；　and　can　we　fail　to　shrink　and　suffer　when　they　are　cut　asunder？　　When　we　have　labored　long　in　the　light　of　hope；　and　lo！　It　goes　out　in　darkness；　and　the　blast　of　disappointment　rushes　upon　us；　can　we　help　being　sad？　　Can　the　mother　prevent　weeping　when　she　kisses　the　lips　of　her　infant　that　shall　prattle　to　her　no　more；　when　she　presses　its　tiny　hand；　so　cold　and　still；…the　little　hand　that　has　rested　upon　her　bosom　and　twined　in　her　hair；　and　even　when　it　is　so　sweet　and　beautiful　that　she　could　strain　it　to　her　heart　forever；　it　is　laid　away　in　the　envious　concealment　of　the　grave？　　Can　the　wife；　or　the　husband；　help　mourning；　when　the　partner　and　counsellor　is　gone；…when　home　is　made　very　desolate　because　the　familiar　voice　sounds　not　there；　and　the　cast…off　garment　of　the　departed　is　strangely　vacant；　and　the　familiar　face　has　vanished；　never　more　to　return？　　Can　the　child　fail　to　lament；　when　the　father；　the　mother；…the　being　who　nurtured　him　in　infancy；　who　pillowed　his　head　in　sickness；　who　prayed　for　him　with　tears　on　his　sinful　wandering；　who　ever　rejoiced　in　his　joy　and　wept　in　his　sorrows；…can　he　fail　to　weep　when　that　venerable　form　lies　all　enshrouded；　and　the　door　closes　upon　it；　and　the　homestead　is　vacant；　and　the　link　that　bound　him　to　childhood　is　in　the　grave？　　Say；　can　we　check　the　gush　of　sorrow　at　any　of　life's　sharp　trials　and　losses？　　No；　nor　are　we　forbidden　to　weep；　nor　would　we　be　human　if　we　did　not　weep；…if；　at　least；　the　spirit　did　not　quiver　when　the　keen　scathing　goes　over　it。　　But　how　shall　we　weep？　　O！　Thou；　who　didst　suffer　in　Gethsemane；　thou　hast　taught　us　how。　　By　thy　sacred　sorrow　and　thy　pious　obedience　thou　has　taught　us；　by　thy　great　agony　and　thy　sublime　victory　thou　has　taught　us。　　We　must　refer　all　to　God。　　We　must　earnestly；　sincerely　say；　〃Thy　will　be　done。〃　　Then　our　prayers　will　be　the　source　of　our　strength。　　Then　our　sorrowing　will　bring　us　comfort。　　〃They　will　be　done；〃　repeat　this；　feel　this；　realize　its　meaning　and　its　relations；　and　you　shall　be　able　to　say；　with　a　rooted　calmness；　〃The　cup　which　my　Father　hath　given　me；　shall　I　not　drink　it？〃

〃The　cup　which　my　Father　hath　given　me；　shall　I　not　drink　it？〃　　Who　shall　be　able　to　say　this　as　Jesus　said　it？　　They　who　struggle　as　he　struggled；…who　obey　as　he　obeyed；…who　trust　as　he　trusted。　　There　are　those　upon　earth　who　have　been　able　to　say　it。　　It　has　made　them　stronger　and　happier。　There　are　those　in　heaven　who　have　been　able　to　say　it。　　They　have　gone　up　from　earthly　communions　to　the　communion　on　high。　　Do　you　not　see　them　there；　walking　so　serenely　by　the　still　waters；　with　palms　about　their　brows？　　Serenely…for　in　their　faces　nothing　is　left　of　their　conflict　but　its　triumph；　nothing　of　their　swollen　agony　but　the　massy　enduring　strength　it　has　imparted。　　They　have　ceased　from　their　trials；　but　first　they　learned　how　to　endure　them。　They　submitted；　but　they　were　not　overwhelmed。　　When　sorrow　came；　each　pious　soul　struggled；　but　trusted；　and　so　was　able　to　meet　the　last　struggle；…was　able　to　say　as　the　shadow　of　death　fell　upon　it；　〃The　cup　which　my　Father　hath　given　me；　shall　I　not　drink　it？〃　　They　were　resigned。　　Behold…theirs　is　the　victory！



The　Mission　of　Little　Children


〃And　Jesus　called　a　little　child　unto　him；　and　set　him　in　the　midst　of　them。〃　　Matthew　xviii。2。


Everything　has　its　mission。　　I　speak　not　now　of　the　office　which　each　part　of　the　great　universe　discharges。　　I　speak　not　of　the　relation　between　these　parts；that　beautiful　ordinance　by　which　the　whole　is　linked　together　in　one　common　life；　by　which　the　greatest　is　dependent　upon　the　least；　and　the　least　shares　in　the　benefactions　of　the　greatest。　　In　this　sense；　everything　has；　strictly；　its　mission。　　But　I　speak　of　the　influence；　the　instruction；　which　everything　has；　or　may　have；　for　the　soul　of　man。　　The　flower；　and　the　star；　the　grass　of　the　field；　the　outspread　ocean；　are　full　of　lessons；　they　perform　a　mission　to　our　spiritual　nature；　if　we　will　receive　it。　　We　may　pass　them　by　as　simply　material　forms；　the　decorations　or　conveniencies（sic）　of　this　our　natural　life。　　But　if　we　will　come　to　them　in　a　religious　spirit；　and　study　all　their　meaning；　they　will　be　to　us　ministers　of　God；　impressive　and　eloquent　as　human　lips；　and　filled　with　truths　instructive　as　any　that　man　can　utter。

Jesus　illustrated　his　teachings　by　these　objects。　　He　made　everything　that　was　at　hand　perform　a　mission　for　the　human　soul。　　The　lilies　of　the　field　were　clothed　with　spiritual　suggestion；