the crown of thorns-第23节

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rom　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　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　tha