the crown of thorns-第2节

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t　the　terms　upon　which　they　are　compelled　to　live。　The　deepest　fancy　in　the　heart　of　the　most　busy　men　is　repose　…　retirement…command　of　time　and　means；　untrammeled　by　any　imperative　claim。　And　yet　who　is　there　that；　thrown　into　such　a　position；　would　find　it　for　his　real　welfare；　and　would　be　truly　happy？　　Perhaps　the　most　restless　being　in　the　world　is　the　man　who　need　do　nothing；　but　keep　still。　　The　old　soldier　fights　all　his　battles　over　again；　and　the　retired　merchant　spreads　the　sails　of　his　thought　upon　new　ventures；　or　comes　uneasily　down　to　snuff　the　air　of　traffic；　and　feel　the　jar　of　wheels。　　I　suppose　there　is　nobody　whose　condition　is　so　deplorable；　so　ghastly；　as　his　whose　lot　many　may　be　disposed　to　envy；a　man　at　the　top　of　this　world's　ease；　crammed　to　repletion　with　what　is　called　〃enjoyment；〃　ministered　to　by　every　luxury；　the　entire　surface　of　his　life　so　smooth　with　completeness　that　there　is　not　a　jut　to　hang；　a　hope　on；　so　obsequiously　gratified　in　every　specific　want　that　he　feels　miserable　from　the　very　lack　of　wanting。　　As　in　such　a　case　there；　can　be　no　religious　lifewhich　never　permits　us　to　rest　in　a　feeling　of　completeness；　which　seldom　abides　with　fulness（sic）　of　possession；　and　never　stops　with　self；　but　always　inspires　to　some　great　work　of　love　and　sacrifice　as　in　such　a　case　there　can　be　no　religious　life；　he　fully　realizes　the　poet's　description　of　the　splendor　and　the　wretchedness　of　him　who


　　　　〃　*　*　built　his　soul　a　costly　pleasure…house　　　　　Wherein　at　ease　for　aye　to　dwell；〃

and　who　said

　　　　〃　*　*　O　soul；　make　merry　and　carouse　　　　　Dear　soul；　for　all　is　well。

　　　　*　*　*　*　*　*　*

　　　　Singing　and　murmuring　in　her　feastful　mirth；　　　　　Joying　to　feel　herself　alive；　　　　　Lord　over　nature；　lord　of　the　visible　earth；　　　　　Lord　of　the　'senses　five

　　　　〃Communing　with　herself：　；　'All　these　are　mine；　　　　　And　let　the　world　have　peace　or　wars；　　　　　'T　is　one　to　me；'　*　*　*　*　*

　　　　*　*　*　*　*　So　three　years　　　　　She　throve；　but　on　the　fourth　she　fell；　　　　　Like　Herod；　when　the　shout　was　in　his　ears；　　　　　Struck　through　with　pangs　of　hell。〃


The　truth　is；　there　is　no　one　place；　however　we　may　envy　it；　which　would　be　indisputably　good　for　us　to　occupy；　much　less　for　us　to　remain　in。　The　zest　of　life；　like　the　pleasure　which　we　receive　from　a　work　of　art；　or　from　nature；　comes　from　undulations　from　inequalities；　not　from　any　monotony；　even　though　it　be　the　monotony　of　seeming　perfection。　The　beauty　of　the　landscape　depends　upon　contrasts；　and　would　be　lost　in　one　common　surface　of　splendor。　　　The　grandeur　of　the　waves　is　in　the　deep　hollows；　as　well　as　the　culminating　crests；　and　the　bars　of　the　sunset　glow　on　the　background　of　the　twilight。　　The　very　condition　of　a　great　thing　is　that　it　must　be　comparatively　a　rare　thing。　　We　speak　of　summer　glories；　and　yet　who　would　wish　it　to　be　always　summer？　　who　does　not　see　how　admirably　the　varied　seasons　are　fitted　to　our　appetite　for　change？　　It　may　seem　as　if　it　would　be　pleasant　to　have　it　always　sunshine；　and　yet　when　fruit　and　plant　are　dying　from　lack　of　moisture；　and　the　earth　sleeps　exhausted　in　the　torrid　air；　who　ever　saw　a　summer　morning　more　beautiful　than　that　when　the　clouds　muster　their　legions　to　the　sound　of　the　thunder；　and　pour　upon　us　the　blessing　of　the　rain？　　We　repine　at　toil；　and　yet　how　gladly　do　we　turn　in　from　the　lapse　of　recreation　to　the　harness　of　effort！　　We　sigh　for　the　freedom　and　glory　of　the　country；　but；　in　due　time；　just　as　fresh　and　beautiful　seem　to　us　the　brick　walls　and　the　busy　streets　where　our　lot　is　cast；　and　our　interests　run。　　There　is　no　condition　in　life　of　which　we　can　say　exclusively　〃It　is　good　for　us　to　be　here。〃　　Our　course　is　appointed　through　vicissitude；our　discipline　is　in　alternations；　and　we　can　build　no　abiding　tabernacles　along　the　way。

But；　I　observe；　in　the　second　place；　that　there　are　those　who　may　discard　the　notion　of　retaining　any　particular　condition　of　life　and　yet　they　would　preserve　unbroken　some　of　its　relations。　They　may　not　keep　the　freshness　of　youth；　or　prevent　the　intrusion　of　trouble；　or　shut　out　the　claims　of　responsibility；　or　the　demands　for　effort；　they　may　not　achieve　anything　of　this　kind；　and　they　do　not　wish　to　achieve　it；　but　they　would　build　a　tabernacle　to　LOVE；　and　keep　the　objects　of　dear　affection　safe　within　its　enclosure。　〃Joy；　sorrow；　poverty；　riches；　youth；　decay；　let　these　come　as　they　must；〃　say　they；　〃in　the　flow　of　Providence；　but　let　the　heart's　sanctuaries　remain　unbroken；　and　let　us　in　all　this　chance　find　the　presence　and　the　ministration　of　those　we　love。〃　　And；　common　as　the　sight　is；　we　must　always　contemplate　with　a　fresh　sadness　this　sundering　of　family　bonds；　this　cancelling（sic）　of　the　dear　realities　of　home；　this　stealing　in　of　the　inevitable　gloom；　this　vacating　of　the　chair；　the　table；　and　the　bed；　this　vanishing　of　the　familiar　face　into　darkness；　this　passage　from　communion　to　memory；　this　diminishing　of　love's　orb　into　narrower　phases；　into　a　crescent；　into　a　shadow。　　Surely；　however　broad　the　view　we　take　of　the　universe；　a　real　woe；　a　veritable　experience　of　suffering；　amidst　this　boundless　benificence；　reaching　as　deep　as　the　heart's　core；　is　this　old　and　common　sorrow；　　the　sorrow　of　woman　for　her　babes；　and　of　man　for　his　helpmate；　and　of　age　for　its　prop；　and　of　the　son　for　the　mother　that　bore　him；　and　of　the　heart　for　the　hearts　that　once　beat　in　sympathy；　and　of　the　eyes　that　hide　vacancies　with　tears。　　When　these　old　stakes　are　wrenched　from　their　sockets；　and　these　intimate　cords　are　snapped；　one　begins　to　feel　his　own　tent　shake　and　flap　in　the　wind　that　comes　from　eternity；　and　to　realize　that　there　is　no　abiding　tabernacle　here。

But　ought　we　really　to　wish　that　these　relations　might　remain　unbroken；　and　to　murmur　because　it　is　not　so？　　We　shall　be　able　to　answer　this　question　in　the　negative；　I　think；　　however　hard　it　may　be　to　do　so；　　when　we　consider；　in　the　first　place；　that　this　breaking　up　and　separation　are　inevitable。　　For　we　may　be　assured　that　whatever　in　the　system　of　things　is　inevitable　is　beneficent。　　The　dissolution　of　these　bonds　comes　by　the　same　law　as　that　which　ordains　them；　and　we　may　be　sure　that　the　one　though　it　plays　out　of　sight；　and　is　swallowed　up　in　mystery　is　as　wise　and　tender　in　its　purpose　as　the　other。　　It　is　very　consoling　to　recognize　the　Hand　that　gave　in　the　Hand　that　takes　a　friend；　and　to　know　that　he　is　borne　away　in　the　bosom　of　Infinite　Gentleness；　as　he　was　brought　here。　　It　is　the　privilege　of　angels；　and　of　a　faith　that　brings　us　near　the　angels；　to　always　behold　the　face　of　our　Father　in　Heaven；　and　so　we　shall　not　desire　the　abrogation　of　this　law　of　dissolution　and　separation。　　We　shall　strengthen　ourselves　to　contemplate　the　fact　that　the　countenances　we　love　must　change；　and　the　ties　that　are　closest　to　our　hearts　will　break；　　and　we　shall　feel　that　it　ought　to　be；　because　it　must　be；　　because　it　is　an　inevitability　in　that　grand　and　bounteous　scheme　in　which　stars　rise　and　set；　and　life　and　death　play　into　each　other。

But；　even　within　the　circle　of　our　own　knowledge；　there　is　that　which　may　reconcile　us　to　these　separations；。　and　prevent　the　vain　wish　of　building　perpetual　tabernacles　for　our　human　love。　　For　who　is　prepared；　at　any　time；　to　say　that　it　was　not　better　for　the　dear　friend；　and　better　for　ourselves；　that　he　should　go；　rather　than　stay；　better　for　the　infant　to　die　with　flowers　upon　its　breast；　than　to　live　and　have　thorns　in　its　heart；　better　to　kiss　the　innocent　lips　that　are　still　and　cold；　than　to　see　the　living　lips　that　are　scorched　with　guilty　passion；　better　to　take　our　last　look　of　a　face　while　it　is　pleasant　to　rememberserene　with　thought；　and　faith；　and　many　charities　than　to　see　it　toss　in　prolonged　agony；　and　grow　hideous　with　the　wreck　of　intellect？　　And；　as　spiritual　beings；　placed　here　not　to　be　gratified；　but　to　be　trained；　surely　we　know　that　often　it　is　the　drawing　up　of　these　earthly　ties　that　draws　up　our　souls；　that　a　great　bereavement　breaks　the　crust　of　our　mere　animal　consciousness；　and　inaugurates　a　spiritual　faith；　and　we　are　baptized　into　eternal　life　through　the　cloud　and　the　shadow　of　death。

But；　once　more；　I　remark；　that　there　are　those　who　may　say；　〃We　do　not　ask　for　any　permanence　in　the　conditions　of　life；　we　do　not　ask　that　even　its　dearest　relationships　should　be　retained；　but　give；　0！　give　us　ever　those　highest　brightest　moods　of　faith　and　of　truth；　which　constitute　the　glory　of　religion；　and　lift　us　above　the　conflict　and　the　sin　of　the　world！　　No　truly　religious　mind　can　fail　to　perceive　the　gravitation　of　its　thoughts　and　desires；　and　the　contrast　between　its　usual　level　and　its　best　moments　of　contemplation　and　prayer。　　And　it　。　may　indeed　seem　well　to　desire　the　prolongation　of　these　experiences；　to　desire　to　live　ever　in　that　unworldly　radiance；　close　to　the　canopy　of　God；　in　company　with　the　great　and　the　holy；　in　company　with　the　apostles　and　with　Jesus；　on　some　Mount　of　Transfiguration；　in　garments　whiter　than　snow；　and　with　faces　bright　as　the　sun；　and　the　hard；　bad；　trying　world　far　distant　and　far　below。　　Does　not　the　man　of　spiritual　sensitiveness　envy　those　sainted　ones　who　have　grown　apart；　in　pure