lecture09-第4节

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Professor　Leuba；　in　a　valuable　article　on　the　psychology　of



conversion；＇103＇　subordinates　the　theological　aspect　of　the



religious　life　almost　entirely　to　its　moral　aspect。　　The



religious　sense　he　defines　as　〃the　feeling　of　unwholeness；　of



moral　imperfection；　of　sin；　to　use　the　technical　word；



accompanied　by　the　yearning　after　the　peace　of　unity。〃　　〃The　word



'religion；'〃　he　says；　〃is　getting　more　and　more　to　signify　the



conglomerate　of　desires　and　emotions　springing　from　the　sense　of



sin　and　its　release〃；　and　he　gives　a　large　number　of　examples；　in



which　the　sin　ranges　from　drunkenness　to　spiritual　pride；　to　show



that　the　sense　of　it　may　beset　one　and　crave　relief　as　urgently



as　does　the　anguish　of　the　sickened　flesh　or　any　form　of　physical



misery。







＇103＇　Studies　in　the　Psychology　of　Religious　Phenomena；　American



Journal　of　Psychology；　vii。　309　（1896）。















Undoubtedly　this　conception　covers　an　immense　number　of　cases。　　A



good　one　to　use　as　an　example　is　that　of　Mr。　S。　H。　Hadley；　who



after　his　conversion　became　an　active　and　useful　rescuer　of



drunkards　in　New　York。　　His　experience　runs　as　follows：







〃One　Tuesday　evening　I　sat　in　a　saloon　in　Harlem；　a　homeless；



friendless；　dying　drunkard。　　I　had　pawned　or　sold　everything　that



would　bring　a　drink。　　I　could　not　sleep　unless　I　was　dead　drunk。　



I　had　not　eaten　for　days；　and　for　four　nights　preceding　I　had



suffered　with　delirium　tremens；　or　the　horrors；　from　midnight



till　morning。　　I　had　often　said；　'I　will　never　be　a　tramp。　　I



will　never　be　cornered；　for　when　that　time　comes；　if　ever　it



comes；　I　will　find　a　home　in　the　bottom　of　the　river。'　　But　the



Lord　so　ordered　it　that　when　that　time　did　come　I　was　not　able　to



walk　one　quarter　of　the　way　to　the　river。　　As　I　sat　there



thinking；　I　seemed　to　feel　some　great　and　mighty　presence。　　I　did



not　know　then　what　it　was。　　I　did　learn　afterwards　that　it　was



Jesus；　the　sinner's　friend。　　I　walked　up　to　the　bar　and　pounded



it　with　my　fist　till　I　made　the　glasses　rattle。　　Those　who　stood



by　drinking　looked　on　with　scornful　curiosity。　　I　said　I　would



never　take　another　drink；　if　I　died　on　the　street；　and　really　I



felt　as　though　that　would　happen　before　morning。　　Something　said；



'If　you　want　to　keep　this　promise；　go　and　have　yourself　locked



up。'　　I　went　to　the　nearest　station…house　and　had　myself　locked



up。







〃I　was　placed　in　a　narrow　cell；　and　it　seemed　as　though　all　the



demons　that　could　find　room　came　in　that　place　with　me。　　This　was



not　all　the　company　I　had；　either。　　No；　praise　the　Lord：　　that



dear　Spirit　that　came　to　me　in　the　saloon　was　present；　and



said；　Pray。　　I　did　pray；　and　though　I　did　not　feel　any　great



help；　I　kept　on　praying。　　As　soon　as　I　was　able　to　leave　my　cell



I　was　taken　to　the　police　court　and　remanded　back　to　the　cell。　　I



was　finally　released；　and　found　my　way　to　my　brother's　house；



where　every　care　was　given　me。　　While　lying　in　bed　the



admonishing　Spirit　never　left　me；　and　when　I　arose　the　following



Sabbath　morning　I　felt　that　day　would　decide　my　fate；　and　toward



evening　it　came　into　my　head　to　go　to　Jerry　M'Auley's　Mission。　　I



went。　　The　house　was　packed；　and　with　great　difficulty　I　made　my



way　to　the　space　near　the　platform。　　There　I　saw　the　apostle　to



the　drunkard　and　the　outcastthat　man　of　God；　Jerry　M'Auley。　　He



rose；　and　amid　deep　silence　told　his　experience。　　There　was　a



sincerity　about　this　man　that　carried　conviction　with　it；　and　I



found　myself　saying；　'I　wonder　if　God　can　save　me？'　　I　listened



to　the　testimony　of　twenty…five　or　thirty　persons；　every　one　of



whom　had　been　saved　from　rum；　and　I　made　up　my　mind　that　I　would



be　saved　or　die　right　there。　　When　the　invitation　was　given；　I



knelt　down　with　a　crowd　of　drunkards。　　Jerry　made　the　first



prayer。　　Then　Mrs。　M'Auley　prayed　fervently　for　us。　　Oh；　what　a



conflict　was　going　on　for　my　poor　soul！　　A　blessed　whisper　said；





'Come'；　the　devil　said；　'Be　careful。'　　I　halted　but　a　moment；　and



then；　with　a　breaking　heart；　I　said；　'Dear　Jesus；　can　you　help



me？'　　Never　with　mortal　tongue　can　I　describe　that　moment。　



Although　up　to　that　moment　my　soul　had　been　filled　with



indescribable　gloom；　I　felt　the　glorious　brightness　of　the



noonday　sun　shine　into　my　heart。　　I　felt　I　was　a　free　man。　　Oh；



the　precious　feeling　of　safety；　of　freedom；　of　resting　on　Jesus！



I　felt　that　Christ　with　all　his　brightness　and　power　had　come



into　my　life；　that；　indeed；　old　things　had　passed　away　and　all



things　had　become　new。







〃From　that　moment　till　now　I　have　never　wanted　a　drink　of



whiskey；　and　I　have　never　seen　money　enough　to　make　me　take　one。　



I　promised　God　that　night　that　if　he　would　take　away　the　appetite



for　strong　drink；　I　would　work　for　him　all　my　life。　　He　has　done



his　part；　and　I　have　been　trying　to　do　mine。〃＇104＇







＇104＇　I　have　abridged　Mr。　Hadley's　account。　　For　other



conversions　of　drunkards；　see　his　pamphlet；　Rescue　Mission　Work；



published　at　the　Old　Jerry　M'Auley　Water　Street　Mission；　New　York



City。　　A　striking　collection　of　cases　also　appears　in　the



appendix　to　Professor　Leuba's　article。















　Dr。　Leuba　rightly　remarks　that　there　is　little　doctrinal



theology　in　such　an　experience；　which　starts　with　the　absolute



need　of　a　higher　helper；　and　ends　with　the　sense　that　he　has



helped　us。　　He　gives　other　cases　of　drunkards'　conversions　which



are　purely　ethical；　containing；　as　recorded；　no　theological



beliefs　whatever。　　John　B。　Gough's　case；　for　instance；　is



practically；　says　Dr。　Leuba；　the　conversion　of　an



atheistneither　God　nor　Jesus　being　mentioned。＇105＇　But　in　spite



of　the　importance　of　this　type　of　regeneration；　with　little　or　no



intellectual　readjustment；　this　writer　surely　makes　it　too



exclusive。　　It　corresponds　to　the　subjectively　centered　form　of



morbid　melancholy；　of　which　Bunyan　and　Alline　were　examples。　　But



we　saw　in　our　seventh　lecture　that　there　are　objective　forms　of



melancholy　also；　in　which　the　lack　of　rational　meaning　of　the



universe；　and　of　life　anyhow；　is　the　burden　that　weighs　upon



oneyou　remember　Tolstoy's　case。＇106＇　So　there　are　distinct



elements　in　conversion；　and　their　relations　to　individual　lives



deserve　to　be　discriminated。＇107＇







＇105＇　A　restaurant　waiter　served　provisionally　as　Gough's



'Saviour。'　　General　Booth；　the　founder　of　the　Salvation　Army；



considers　that　the　first　vital　step　in　saving　outcasts　consists



in　making　them　feel　that　some　decent　human　being　cares　enough　for



them　to　take　an　interest　in　the　question　whether　they　are　to　rise



or　sink。







＇106＇　The　crisis　of　apathetic　melancholyno　use　in　lifeinto



which　J。　S。　Mill　records　that　he　fell；　from　which　he　emerged　by



the　reading　of　Marmontel's　Memoirs　（Heaven　save　the　mark！）　and



Wordsworth's　poetry；　is　another　intellectual　and　general



metaphysical　case。　See　Mill's　Autobiography；　New　York；　1873；　pp。



141；　148。







＇107＇　Starbuck；　in　addition　to　〃escape　from　sin；〃　discriminates



〃spiritual　illumination〃　as　a　distinct　type　of　conversion



experience。　Psychology　of　Religion；　p。　85。















Some　persons；　for　instance；　never　are；　and　possibly　never　under



any　circumstances　could　be；　converted。　　Religious　ideas　cannot



become　the　centre　of　their　spiritual　energy。　　They　may　be



excellent　persons；　servants　of　God　in　practical　ways；　but　they



are　not　children　of　his　kingdom。　　They　are　either　incapable　of



imagining　the　invisible；　or　else；　in　the　language　of　devotion；



they　are　life…long　subjects　of　〃barrenness〃　and　〃dryness。〃　　　



Such　inaptitude　for　religious　faith　may　in　some　cases　be



intellectual　in　its　origin。　　Their　religious　faculties　may　be



checked　in　their　natural　tendency　to　expand；　by　beliefs　about　the



world　that　are　inhibitive；　the　pessimistic　and　materialistic



beliefs；　for　example；　within　which　so　many　good　souls；　who　in



former　times　would　have　freely　indulged　their　religious



propensities；　find　themselves　nowadays；　as　it　were；　frozen；　or



the　agnostic　vetoes　upon　faith　as　something　weak　and　shameful；



under　which　so　many　of　us　today　lie　cowering；　afraid　to　use　our



instincts。　　In　many　persons　such　inhibitions　are　never　overcome。　



To　the　end　of　their　days　they　refuse　to　believe；　their　personal



energy　never　gets　to　its　religious　centre；　and　the　latter　remains



inactive　in　perpetuity。







In　other　persons　the　trouble　is　profounder。　　There　are　men



anaesthetic　on　the　religious　side；