addresses-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



great　purpose　or　a　mightier　love　can　justify　the　waste。



It　is　more　difficult；　I　have　said；　not　to　seek　our　own　at　all

than；　having　sought　it；　to　give　it　up。　　I　must　take　that　back。　　It

is　only　true　of　a　partly　selfish　heart。　　Nothing　is　a　hardship　to

Love；　and　nothing　is　hard。　　I　believe　that　Christ's　〃yoke〃　is　easy。

Christ's　yoke　is　just　His　way　of　taking　life。　　And　I　believe　it　is

an　easier　way　than　any　other。　　I　believe　it　is　a　happier　way　than

any　other。　　The　most　obvious　lesson　in　Christ's　teaching　is　that

there　is　no　happiness　in　having　and　getting　anything；　but　only　in

giving。　　I　repeat；　THERE　IS　NO　HAPPINESS　IN　HAVING　OR　IN　GETTING；

BUT　ONLY　IN　GIVING。　　Half　the　world　is　on　the　wrong　scent　in　the

pursuit　of　happiness。　　They　think　it　consists　in　having　and　getting；

and　in　being　served　by　others。　　It　consists　in　giving；　and　in

serving　others。　　〃He　that　would　be　great　among　you；〃　said　Christ；

〃let　him　serve。〃　　He　that　would　be　happy；　let　him　remember　that

there　is　but　one　way〃it　is　more　blessed；　it　is　more　happy；　to

give　than　to　receive。〃



The　next　ingredient　is　a　very　remarkable　one：　　GOOD　TEMPER。　　〃Love

is　not　provoked。〃



Nothing　could　be　more　striking　than　to　find　this　here。　　We

are　inclined　to　look　upon　bad　temper　as　a　very　harmless　weakness。

We　speak　of　it　as　a　mere　infirmity　of　nature；　a　family　failing；　a

matter　of　temperament；　not　a　thing　to　take　into　very　serious　account

in　estimating　a　man's　character。　　And　yet　here；　right　in　the　heart

of　this　analysis　of　love；　it　finds　a　place；　and　the　Bible　again　and

again　returns　to　condemn　it　as　one　of　the　most　destructive　elements

in　human　nature。



The　peculiarity　of　ill　temper　is　that　it　is　the　vice　of　the　virtuous。

It　is　often　the　one　blot　on　an　otherwise　noble　character。　　You

know　men　who　are　all　but　perfect；　and　women　who　would　be　entirely

perfect；　but　for　an　easily　ruffled；　quick…tempered；　or　〃touchy〃

disposition。　　This　compatibility　of　ill　temper　with　high　moral

character　is　one　of　the　strangest　and　saddest　problems　of　ethics。

The　truth　is；　there　are　two　great　classes　of　sinssins　of　the　BODY

and　sins　of　the　DISPOSITION。　　The　Prodigal　Son　may　be　taken　as　a

type　of　the　first；　the　Elder　Brother　of　the　second。　　Now；　society

has　no　doubt　whatever　as　to　which　of　these　is　the　worse。　　Its　brand

falls；　without　a　challenge；　upon　the　Prodigal。　　But　are　we　right？

We　have　no　balance　to　weigh　one　another's　sins；　and　coarser　and

finer　are　but　human　words；　but　faults　in　the　higher　nature　may　be

less　venal　than　those　in　the　lower；　and　to　the　eye　of　Him　who　is

Love；　a　sin　against　Love　may　seem　a　hundred　times　more　base。　　No

form　of　vice；　not　worldliness；　not　greed　of　gold；　not　drunkenness

itself；　does　more　to　un…Christianize　society　than　evil　temper。　　For

embittering　life；　for　breaking　up　communities；　for　destroying　the

most　sacred　relationships；　for　devastating　homes；　for　withering　up

men　and　women；　for　taking　the　bloom　of　childhood；　in　short；





For　sheer　gratuitous　misery…producing　power





this　influence　stands　alone。



Look　at　the　Elder　Brothermoral；　hard…working；　patient；　dutifullet

him　get　all　credit　for　his　virtueslook　at　this　man；　this　baby；

sulking　outside　his　own　father's　door。　　〃He　was　angry；〃　we　read；

〃and　would　not　go　in。〃　　Look　at　the　effect　upon　the　father；　upon　the

servants；　upon　the　happiness　of　the　guests。　　Judge　of　the　effect

upon　the　Prodigaland　how　many　prodigals　are　kept　out　of　the

Kingdom　of　God　by　the　unlovely　character　of　those　who　profess　to

be　inside。　　Analyze；　as　a　study　in　Temper；　the　thunder…cloud　itself

as　it　gathers　upon　the　Elder　Brother's　brow。　　What　is　it　made　of？

Jealousy；　anger；　pride；　uncharity；　cruelty；　self…righteousness；

touchiness；　doggedness；　sullennessthese　are　the　ingredients　of

this　dark　and　loveless　soul。　　In　varying　proportions；　also；　these

are　the　ingredients　of　all　ill　temper。　　Judge　if　such　sins　are　of

the　disposition　are　not　worse　to　live　in；　and　for　others　to　live

with；　than　the　sins　of　the　body。　　Did　Christ　indeed　not　answer　the

question　Himself　when　He　said；　〃I　say　unto　you　that　the　publicans

and　the　harlots　go　into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven　before　you〃？　　There

is　really　no　place　in　heaven　for　a　disposition　like　this。　　A　man

with　such　a　mood　could　only　make　heaven　miserable　for　all　the　people

in　it。　　Except；　therefore；　such　a　man　be





Born　again；





he　cannot；　simply　CANNOT；　enter　the　kingdom　of　heaven。



You　will　see　then　why　Temper　is　significant。　　It　is　not　in　what

it　is　alone；　but　in　what　it　reveals。　　This　is　why　I　speak　of　it

with　such　unusual　plainness。　　It　is　a　test　for　love；　a　symptom；　a

revelation　of　an　unloving　nature　at　bottom。　　It　is　the　intermittent

fever　which　bespeaks　unintermittent　disease　within；　the　occasional

bubble　escaping　to　the　surface　which　betrays　some　rottenness

underneath；　a　sample　of　the　most　hidden　products　of　the　soul　dropped

involuntarily　when　off　one's　guard；　in　a　word；　the　lightning　form

of　a　hundred　hideous　and　un…Christian　sins。　　A　want　of　patience；　a

want　of　kindness；　a　want　of　generosity；　a　want　of　courtesy；　a　want

of　unselfishness；　are　all　instantaneously　symbolized　in　one　flash

of　Temper。



Hence　it　is　not　enough　to　deal　with　the　Temper。　　We　must　go　to　the

source；　and　change　the　inmost　nature；　and　the　angry　humors　will　die

away　of　themselves。　　souls　are　made　sweet　not　by　taking　the　acid

fluids　out；　but　by　putting　something　ina　great　Love；　a　new　Spirit；

the　Spirit　of　Christ。　　Christ；　the　Spirit　of　Christ；　interpenetrating

ours；　sweetens；　purifies；　transforms　all。　　This　only　can　eradicate

what　is　wrong；　work　a　chemical　change；　renovate　and　regenerate；

and　rehabilitate　the　inner　man。　　Will…power　does　not　change　men。

Time　does　not　change　men。





Christ　does。





Therefore；　〃Let　that　mind　be　in　you　which　was　also　in　Christ　Jesus。〃



Some　of　us　have　not　much　time　to　lose。　　Remember；　once　more；　that

this　is　a　matter　of　life　or　death。　　I　cannot　help　speaking　urgently；

for　myself；　for　yourselves。　　〃Whoso　shall　offend　one　of　these　little

ones；　which　believe　in　me；　it　were　better　for　him　that　a　millstone

were　hanged　about　his　neck；　and　that　he　were　drowned　in　the　depth

of　the　sea。〃　　That　is　to　say；　it　is　the　deliberate　verdict　of　the

Lord　Jesus　that　it　is　better　not　to　live　than　not　to　love。　　IT　IS

BETTER　NOT　TO　LIVE　THAN　NOT　TO　LOVE。



GUILELESSNESS　and　SINCERITY　may　be　dismissed　almost　without　a　word。

Guilelessness　is　the　grace　for　suspicious　people。　　The　possession

of　it　is





The　great　secret　of　personal　influence。





You　will　find；　if　you　think　for　a　moment；　that　the　people　who

influence　you　are　people　who　believe　in　you。　　In　an　atmosphere　of

suspicion　men　shrivel　up；　but　in　that　atmosphere　they　expand；　and

find　encouragement　and　educative　fellowship。



It　is　a　wonderful　thing　that　here　and　there　in　this　hard；　uncharitable

world　there　should　still　be　left　a　few　rare　souls　who　think　no

evil。　　this　is　the　great　unworldliness。　　Love　〃thinketh　no　evil；〃

imputes　no　motive；　sees　the　bright　side；　puts　the　best　construction

on　every　action。　　What　a　delightful　state　of　mind　to　live　in！　　What

a　stimulus　and　benediction　even　to　meet　with　it　for　a　day！　　To

be　trusted　is　to　be　saved。　　And　if　we　try　to　influence　or　elevate

others；　we　shall　soon　see　that　success　is　in　proportion　to　their

belief　of　our　belief　in　them。　　The　respect　of　another　is　the　first

restoration　of　the　self…respect　a　man　has　lost；　our　ideal　of　what

he　is　becomes　to　him　the　hope　and　pattern　of　what　he　may　become。



〃Love　rejoiceth　not　in　unrighteousness；　but　rejoiceth　with　the

truth。〃　　I　have　called　this　SINCERITY　from　the　words　rendered　in

the　Authorized　Version　by　〃rejoiceth　in　the　truth。〃　　And；　certainly；

were　this　the　real　translation；　nothing　could　be　more　just；　for　he

who　loves　will　love　Truth　not　less　than　men。　　He　will　rejoice　in

the　Truthrejoice　not　in　what　he　has　been　taught　to　believe；　not

in　this　church's　doctrine　or　in　that；　not　in　this　ism　or　in　that

ism；　but　〃in　THE　TRUTH。〃　　He　will　accept　only　what　is　real；　he

will　strive　to　get　at　facts；　he　will　search　for　TRUTH　with　a　humble

and　unbiased　mind；　and　cherish　whatever　he　finds　at　any　sacrifice。

But　the　more　literal　translation　of　the　Revised　Version　calls　for

just　such　a　sacrifice　for　truth's　sake　here。　　For　what　Paul　really

meant　is；　as　we　there　read；　〃Rejoiceth　not　in　unrighteousness；　but

rejoiceth　with　the　truth；〃　a　quality　which　probably　no　one　English

wordand　certainly　not　SINCERITYadequately　defines。　　It　includes；

perhaps　more　strictly；　the　self…restraint　which　refuses　to　make

capital　out　of　others'　faults；　the　charity　which　delights　not　in

exposing　the　weakness　of　others；　but　〃covereth　all　things〃；　the

sincerity　of　purpose　which　endeavors　to　see　things　as　they　are；

and　rejoices　to　find　them　better　than　suspicion　feared　or　calumny

denounced。



So　much　for　the　analysis　of　Love。　　Now　the　business　of　our　li