the crown of thorns-第19节

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life；　is　unalloyed　by　sharp　interruptions；　or　by　any　stain。　　That　communion　now；　though　saddened；　is　tender；　and　without　reproach。

And　even　if　we　remember　that　while　they　lived　our　relations　with　them　were　all　beautiful；　shall　we　not　believe　that　when　they　were　taken　away　their　earthly　mission　for　us　was　fulfilled？　　Was　not　their　departure　as　essential　a　work　of　the　divine　beneficence　as　their　bestowal？　　Who　knows　but　if　they　had　overstayed　the　appointed　hour；　our　relations　with　them　might　have　changed？some　new　element　of　discontent　and　unhappiness　been　introduced；　which　would　have　entirely　altered　the　character　of　our　recollections？　At　least；　to　repeat　what　I　have　just　suggested；　what　Christian　doubts　that　their　taking　awaythis　change　from　living　communion　to　the　communion　of　memorywas　for　an　end　as　wise　and　kind　as　were　all　the　love　and　intercourse　so　long　vouchsafed　to　us？

Vital；　the；　for　the　Christian；　is　this　relation　which　we　have　with　the　dead　by　memory。　　We　linger　upon　it；　and　find　in　it　a　strange　and　sweet　attraction。　　and　is　not　much　of　this　because；　though　we　may　be　unconscious　of　it；　the　current　of　faith　subtilely　intermingles　with　our　grief；　and　gives　its　tone　to　our　communion？　　We　cannot　consider　the　departed　as　lost　to　us　forever。　　The　suggestion　of　rupture　holds　a　latent　suggestion　of　reunion。　　The　hues　of　memory　are　colored　by　the　reflection　of　hope。　　Religion　transforms　the　condition　of　the　departed　for　us；　and　we　consider　them　not　as　dead；　but　sleeping。

II。　　There　is　another　relation　which　we　have　with　the　dead；the　relation　of　spiritual　existence。　　We　live　with　them；　not　only　by　communion　with　the　past；　by　images　of　memory；　but　by　that　fine；　mysterious　bond　which　links　us　to　all　souls；　　and　in　which　we　live　with　them　now　and　forever。　　The　faith　that　has　converted　death　into　a　sleep　has　also　transformed　the　whole　idea　of　life。　If　the　one　is　but　a　halt　in　the　eternal　march；a　slumbrous　rest　preceeding　a　new　morning；the　other　is　but　the　flow　of　one　continuous　stream；　mated　awhile　with　the　flesh；　but　far　more　intimately　connected　with　all　intelligences　in　the　universe　of　God。　　What　are　the　conditions　of　our　communion　with　the　livingthose　with　whom　we　come　in　material　contact？　　The　eye；　the　lip；　the　hand；　are　but　symbols；　interpretations；behind　these　it　is　only　spirit　that　communes　with　spirit；　even　in　the　market　or　the　street。　　But　not　to　enter　into　so　subtle　a　discussion；　of　what　kind　are　some　of　the　best　communions　which　we　have　on　earth？　　We　take　up　some　wise　and　virtuous　book；　and　enter　into　the　author's　mind。　　Seas　separate　us　from　him；he　knows　us　not；　he　never　hears　our　names。　　But　have　we　not　a　close　relation　to　him？　　Is　there　not　a　strong　bond　of　spiritual　communion　between　us？　　Nay；　may　not　the　intercourse　we　thus　have　with　him　be　better　and　truer　than　any　which　we　could　have　from　actual　contact；from　local　acquaintance？　　Then；　some　icy　barrier　of　etiquette　might　separate　us；some　coldness　of　temperament　upon　his　part；some　spleen　or　disease；　we　might　be　shocked　by　some　temporary　deformity；　some　little　imperfection　might　betray　itself。　　But　here；　in　his　book；　which　we　read　three　thousand　miles　away　from　him；　we　receive　his　noblest　thoughts；his　best　spiritual　revelations；　and　we　know　him；　and　commune　with　him　most　intimately；　not　through　local　but　through　spiritual　affinities。

And　how　pleasing　is　the　though　that　not　even　death　interrupts　this　relation。　　Years；　as　well　as　milesages　may　separate　us　from　the　great　and　good　man；　but　we　hold　with　him　still　that　living　communion　of　the　spirit。　　Our　best　life　may　flow　to　us　from　this　communion。　　Some　of　our　richest　spiritual　treasures　have　been　deposited　in　this　intercourse　of　thought。　　Some　of　our　noblest　hopes　and　resolutions　have　been　animated　by　those　whose　lips　have　long　since　been　sealed；whose　very　monuments　have　crumbled。

A　dear　friend　goes　away　from　us　to　a　foreign　land。　　We　watch　the　receeding　sail；　and　feel　that　that　is　a　bond　between　us；　until　it　fades　away　in　the　far　blue　horizon。　　Then　it　is　a　consolation　to　walk　by　the　shore　of　that　sea；　and　to　realize　that　the　same　waters　lave　the　other　shore；　where　he　dwells；to　watch　some　star；　and　know　that　at　such　an　hour　his　eye　and　thought　are　also　directed　to　it。　　Thus　the　soul　will　not　entertain　the　idea　of　absolute　separation；　but　makes　all　those　material　objects　agents　for　its　affinities。　　But　how　much　nearer　does　that　absent　one　come　to　us；　when　we　know　that　at　such　an　hour　we　both　are　kneeling　in　prayer；　and　that　our　spirits　meet；　as　it　were；　around　the　footstool　of　God！

Thus　we　see　that　even　in　life　there　are　spiritual　relations　which　bind　us　to　our　fellows；　and　that　often　these　are　dearer　and　stronger　than　those　of　local　contact。　　Why　should　we　suppose　that　death　cuts　off　all　such　affinities？　　It　does　not　cut　them　off。　It　only　removes　the　loved　from　our　converse　and　our　sight；　but　if；　when　absent　in　some　distant　land　of　this　earth；　we　are　conscious　of　still　holding　relations　to　them；　do　we　not　retain　the　same　though　they　have　vanished　into　that　mysterious　and　unseen　land　which　lies　beyond　the　grave？　　〃She　is　not　dead；　but　sleepeth。〃　　Christianity　has　taught　us　to　look　away　from　the　ghastly　secrets　of　the　sepulchre；　and　not　consider　that　changing　clay　as　the　friend　we　mourn；　but　as　only　the　cast…off　and　mouldering　garment。　　It　has　kindled　within　us　a　lively　appreciation　of　the　continued　existence　of　those　who　have　gone　from　us；　taught　us　to　feel　that　the　thoughts；　the　love；　the　real　life　of　the　departed；　all；　in　fact；　that　communed　with　us　here　below；　still　lives　and　acts。　　And　our　relations　to　them　are　relations　which　we　bear；　not　to　abstractions　of　memory；　to　phantoms　of　by…gone　joy；　but　to　spiritual　intelligences；　whose　current　of　being　flows　on　uninterrupted；　with　whose　current　of　being　our　own　mingles。　　I　know　not　how　it　is　with　others；　but　to　me　there　is　inexpressible　consolation　in　this　thought。

But　I　would　suggest　that；　as　spiritual　beings；　we　bear　even　a　closer　relation　to　the　departed。　　I　said　that　Christianity　has　transformed　the　whole　idea　of　life。　　It　has　shown　that　we　are　essentially　spirits；　and　that　our　highest　relations　are　spiritual。　　If　so；　it　seems　an　arrogant　assumption　to　deny　that　any　intercourse　may　exist　between　ourselves　and　the　spiritual　world。　　Possessing　as　we　do　this　mysterious　nature；　throbbing　with　the　attraction　of　the　eternal　sphere；　who　shall　say　that　it　touches　no　spiritual　confines；that　it　has　communion　only　with　the　beings　that　we　see？　　It　is　a　dull　atheism　which　repudiates　all　such　intimations　as　superstitious　or　absurd。　　To　speak　more　distinctly；　I　allude　to　the　consoling　thought　which　springs　up　almost　intuitively；　that　the　departed　may；　at　times；　see　us；　and　be　present　with　us；　though　we　do　not　recognize　them。　　For　wise　and　good　reasons；　our　senses　may　so　constrain　us　that　we　cannot　perceive　these　spiritual　beings。　　But　the　same　reasons　do　not　exist　to　shut　them　from　beholding　and　visiting　us。　　The　most　essential　idea　of　the　immortal　state　is　that　it　yields　certain　prerogatives　which　we　cannot　possess　in　our　mortal　condition。　may　it　not　be；　therefore；　that　while　it　is　our　lot　to　be　restricted　to　sensuous　vision；　and　to　behold　only　material　forms；　it　is　their　privilege；　having　received　the　spiritual　sight；　to　see　both　spiritual　and　material　things？

Nor　need　we　imagine　that　immortality　implies　distance　from　us；that　change　of　state　requires　any　great　change　of　place。　Looking　through　this　earthly　glass；　we　see　but　darkly；　but　when　death　shatters　it　we　may　behold　close　around　us　the　friends　we　have　loved；　and　find　their　spiritual　peculiarity　is　not　incompatible　with　such　near　residence。　　The　homes　of　departed　spirits　may　be　all　around　us；these　spirits　themselves　may　be　ever　hovering　near；　unseen　in　our　blindness　of　the　senses。　　At　all　events；　we　deem　it　one　of　the　grand　distinctions　of　spirit　that　it　is　not　confined　to　one　region　of　space；　but　may　pass；　quick　as　its　own　intelligence；　from　sphere　to　sphere。　　And　while　I　would　rebuke　rash　speculation；　I　would　also　rebuke　the　cold　materialism　which　unhesitatingly　rejects　an　idea　like　this　which　I　have　now　suggested。

I　maintain；　moreover；　that　such　speculation　is　not　all　idle。　　It　serves　to　quicken　within　us　the　thought　of　how　near　the　dead　may　be　to　us；　to　purify　that　thought；　and　to　breathe　upon　our　fevered　hearts　a　consoling　hope。　　And　when　I　combine　its　intrinsic　reasonableness　with　the　spirit　and　spiritualism　of　Christianity；　and　that　intuitive　suggestion　which　springs　up　in　so　many　souls；　I　can　urge　but　faint　objection　to　those　who　entertain　it；　and　would；　if　possible；　share　and　diffuse　the　comfort　which　it　gives。　Nearer；　than；　than　we　imagineclose　as　in　mortal　contact；　and　more　intimatelymay　be　those　whom　we；　with　earthly　vision　behold　no　more；　visiting　us　in　hours　of　loneliness；　and　affording　unseen　companionship；　watching　us　in　the　stillness　of　slumber；　and　reflecting　themselves　in　our　dreams。

But；　whether　we　indulge　this　notion　or　not；　let　us　realize　the　relation　which　we　have　with　the　departed　by　the　ties　of　mutual　spirituality。　　Let　us　not　coldly　restrict　or　weaken　this　relation。　　If　the　material　world　is　full　of　inexplicable　things；if　we　cannot　explain　the　secret　affinities　of　the　star　and　th