god the invisible king-第23节

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sion。　　We　are　tripped　　up　by　forgetfulness；　by　distraction；　by　old　habits；　by　tricks　of　　appearance。　　There　come　dull　patches　of　existence；　those　mysterious　　obliterations　of　one's　finer　sense　that　are　due　at　times　to　the　　little　minor　poisons　one　eats　or　drinks；　to　phases　of　fatigue；　ill…　health　and　bodily　disorder；　or　one　is　betrayed　by　some　unanticipated　　storm　of　emotion；　brewed　deep　in　the　animal　being　and　released　by　　any　trifling　accident；　such　as　personal　jealousy　or　lust；　or　one　is　　relaxed　by　contentment　into　vanity。　　All　these　rebel　forces　of　our　　ill…coordinated　selves；　all　these　〃disharmonies；〃　of　the　inner　　being；　snatch　us　away　from　our　devotion　to　God's　service；　carry　us　　off　to　follies；　offences；　unkindness；　waste；　and　leave　us　　compromised；　involved；　and　regretful；　perplexed　by　a　hundred　　difficulties　we　have　put　in　our　own　way　back　to　God。　This　is　the　personal　problem　of　Sin。　　Here　prayer　avails；　here　God　　can　help　us。　　From　God　comes　the　strength　to　repent　and　make　such　　reparation　as　we　can；　to　begin　the　battle　again　further　back　and　　lower　down。　　From　God　comes　the　power　to　anticipate　the　struggle　　with　one's　rebel　self；　and　to　resist　and　prevail　over　it。

4。　THE　SINS　OF　THE　INSANE

An　extreme　case　is　very　serviceable　in　such　a　discussion　as　this。　It　happens　that　the　author　carries　on　a　correspondence　with　several　　lunatics　in　asylums。　　There　is　a　considerable　freedom　of　notepaper　　in　these　institutions；　the　outgoing　letters　are　no　doubt　censored　or　　selected　in　some　way；　but　a　proportion　at　any　rate　are　allowed　to　go　　out　to　their　addresses。　　As　a　journalist　who　signs　his　articles　and　　as　the　author　of　various　books　of　fiction；　as　a　frequent　NAME；　that　　is；　to　any　one　much　forced　back　upon　reading；　the　writer　is　　particularly　accessible　to　this　type　of　correspondent。　　The　letters　　come；　some　manifesting　a　hopeless　disorder　that　permits　of　no　reply；　　but　some　being　the　expression　of　minds　overlaid　not　at　all　　offensively　by　a　web　of　fantasy；　and　some　（and　these　are　the　more　　touching　ones　and　the　ones　that　most　concern　us　now）　as　sanely　　conceived　and　expressed　as　any　letters　could　be。　　They　are　written　　by　people　living　lives　very　like　the　lives　of　us　who　are　called　　〃sane；〃　except　that　they　lift　to　a　higher　excitement　and　fall　to　a　　lower　depression；　and　that　these　extremer　phases　of　mania　or　　melancholia　slip　the　leash　of　mental　consistency　altogether　and　take　　abnormal　forms。　　They　tap　deep　founts　of　impulse；　such　as　we　of　the　　safer　ways　of　mediocrity　do　but　glimpse　under　the　influence　of　　drugs；　or　in　dreams　and　rare　moments　of　controllable　extravagance。　　　Then　the　insane　become　〃glorious；〃　or　they　become　murderous；　or　they　　become　suicidal。　　All　these　letter…writers　in　confinement　have　　convinced　their　fellow…creatures　by　some　extravagance　that　they　are　　a　danger　to　themselves　or　others。　The　letters　that　come　from　such　types　written　during　their　sane　　intervals；　are　entirely　sane。　　Some；　who　are　probably　unawareI　　think　they　should　knowof　the　offences　or　possibilities　that　　justify　their　incarceration；　write　with　a　certain　resentment　at　　their　position；　others　are　entirely　acquiescent；　but　one　or　two　　complain　of　the　neglect　of　friends　and　relations。　　But　all　are　as　　manifestly　capable　of　religion　and　of　the　religious　life　as　any　　other　intelligent　persons　during　the　lucid　interludes　that　make　up　　nine…tenths　perhaps　of　their　lives。　。　。　。　　Suppose　now　one　of　these　　cases；　and　suppose　that　the　infirmity　takes　the　form　of　some　cruel；　　disgusting；　or　destructive　disposition　that　may　become　at　times　　overwhelming；　and　you　have　our　universal　trouble　with　sinful　　tendency；　as　it　were　magnified　for　examination。　　It　is　clear　that　　the　mania　which　defines　his　position　must　be　the　primary　if　not　the　　cardinal　business　in　the　life　of　a　lunatic；　but　his　problem　with　　that　is　different　not　in　kind　but　merely　in　degree　from　the　problem　　of　lusts；　vanities；　and　weaknesses　in　what　we　call　normal　lives。　　It　　is　an　unconquered　tract；　a　great　rebel　province　in　his　being；　which　　refuses　to　serve　God　and　tries　to　prevent　him　serving　God；　and　　succeeds　at　times　in　wresting　his　capital　out　of　his　control。　　But　　his　relationship　to　that　is　the　same　relationship　as　ours　to　the　　backward　and　insubordinate　parishes；　criminal　slums；　and　disorderly　　houses　in　our　own　private　texture。　It　is　clear　that　the　believer　who　is　a　lunatic　is；　as　it　were；　only　　the　better　part　of　himself。　　He　serves　God　with　this　unconquered　　disposition　in　him；　like　a　man　who；　whatever　else　he　is　and　does；　is　　obliged　to　be　the　keeper　of　an　untrustworthy　and　wicked　animal。　　His　　beast　gets　loose。　　His　only　resort　is　to　warn　those　about　him　when　　he　feels　that　jangling　or　excitement　of　the　nerves　which　precedes　　its　escapes；　to　limit　its　range；　to　place　weapons　beyond　its　reach。　　　And　there　are　plenty　of　human　beings　very　much　in　his　case；　whose　　beasts　have　never　got　loose　or　have　got　caught　back　before　their　　essential　insanity　was　apparent。　　And　there　are　those　uncertifiable　　lunatics　we　call　men　and　women　of　〃impulse〃　and　〃strong　passions。〃　　　If　perhaps　they　have　more　self…control　than　the　really　mad；　yet　it　　happens　oftener　with　them　that　the　whole　intelligent　being　falls　　under　the　dominion　of　evil。　　The　passion　scarcely　less　than　the　　obsession　may　darken　the　whole　moral　sky。　　Repentance　and　atonement；　　nothing　less　will　avail　them　after　the　storm　has　passed；　and　the　　sedulous　preparation　of　defences　and　palliatives　against　the　return　　of　the　storm。　This　discussion　of　the　lunatic's　case　gives　us　indeed；　usefully　　coarse　and　large；　the　lines　for　the　treatment　of　every　human　　weakness　by　the　servants　of　God。　　A　〃weakness；〃　just　like　the　　lunatic's　mania；　becomes　a　particular　charge　under　God；　a　special　　duty　for　the　person　it　affects。　　He　has　to　minimise　it；　to　isolate　　it；　to　keep　it　out　of　mischief。　　If　he　can　he　must　adopt　preventive　　measures。　。　。　。　These　passions　and　weaknesses　that　get　control　of　us　hamper　our　　usefulness　to　God；　they　are　an　incessant　anxiety　and　distress　to　us；　　they　wound　our　self…respect　and　make　us　incomprehensible　to　many　who　　would　trust　us；　they　discredit　the　faith　we　profess。　　If　they　break　　through　and　break　through　again　it　is　natural　and　proper　that　men　　and　women　should　cease　to　believe　in　our　faith；　cease　to　work　with　　us　or　to　meet　us　frankly。　。　。　。　　Our　sins　do　everything　evil　to　us　　and　through　us　except　separate　us　from　God。　Yet　let　there　be　no　mistake　about　one　thing。　　Here　prayer　is　a　　power。　　Here　God　can　indeed　work　miracles。　　A　man　with　the　light　of　　God　in　his　heart　can　defeat　vicious　habits；　rise　again　combative　and　　undaunted　after　a　hundred　falls；　escape　from　the　grip　of　lusts　and　　revenges；　make　head　against　despair；　thrust　back　the　very　onset　of　　madness。　　He　is　still　the　same　man　he　was　before　he　came　to　God；　　still　with　his　libidinous；　vindictive；　boastful；　or　indolent　vein；　　but　now　his　will　to　prevail　over　those　qualities　can　refer　to　an　　exterior　standard　and　an　external　interest；　he　can　draw　upon　a　　strength；　almost　boundless；　beyond　his　own。

5。　BELIEVE；　AND　YOU　ARE　SAVED

But　be　a　sin　great　or　small；　it　cannot　damn　a　man　once　he　has　found　　God。　　You　may　kill　and　hang　for　it；　you　may　rob　or　rape；　the　moment　　you　truly　repent　and　set　yourself　to　such　atonement　and　reparation　　as　is　possible　there　remains　no　barrier　between　you　and　God。　　　Directly　you　cease　to　hide　or　deny　or　escape；　and　turn　manfully　　towards　the　consequences　and　the　setting　of　things　right；　you　take　　hold　again　of　the　hand　of　God。　　Though　you　sin　seventy　times　seven　　times；　God　will　still　forgive　the　poor　rest　of　you。　　Nothing　but　　utter　blindness　of　the　spirit　can　shut　a　man　off　from　God。　There　is　nothing　one　can　suffer；　no　situation　so　unfortunate；　that　　it　can　shut　off　one　who　has　the　thought　of　God；　from　God。　　If　you　　but　lift　up　your　head　for　a　moment　out　of　a　stormy　chaos　of　madness　　and　cry　to　him；　God　is　there；　God　will　not　fail　you。　　A　convicted　　criminal；　frankly　penitent；　and　neither　obdurate　nor　abject；　　whatever　the　evil　of　his　yesterdays；　may　still　die　well　and　bravely　　on　the　gallows　to　the　glory　of　God。　　He　may　step　straight　from　that　　death　into　the　immortal　being　of　God。　This　persuasion　is　the　very　essence　of　the　religion　of　the　true　God。　　　There　is　no　sin；　no　state　that；　being　regretted　and　repented　of；　can　　stand　between　God　and　man。

CHAPTER　THE　SEVENTH　THE　IDEA　OF　A　CHURCH

1。　THE　WORLD　DAWN

As　yet　those　who　may　be　counted　as　belonging　definitely　to　the　new　　religion　are　few　and　scattered　and　unconfessed；　their　realisations　　are　still　uncertain　and　incomplete。　　But　that　is　no　augury　for　the　　continuance　of　this　state　of　affairs　even　for　the　next　few　decades。　　　There　are　many　signs　that　the　revival　is　coming　very　swiftly；　it　may　　be　coming　as　swiftly　as　the　morning　comes　after　a　tropical　night。　　　It　may　seem　at　present　as　though　nothing　very　much　were　happening；　　except　for　the　fact　that　the　old　familiar　constellations　of　theology　　have　become　a　little　pallid　and　lost　something　of　their　multitude　of　　points。　　But　nothing　fades　of　itself。　　The　deep　stillness　of　the　　late　night　is　broken　by　a　stirring；　and　the　morning　star　of　　creedless　faith；　the　last　and　brightest　of　the　stars；　the　star　that　　owes　its