第 12 节
作者:
点绛唇 更新:2024-04-07 11:54 字数:9322
partly in the influence of that Life upon mind and character and
will; and partly in the inspiration to live and work for others;
with all that that brought of self…riddance and joy in others'
gain。 All these; in different ways and at different times; are
Sources of pure happiness。
Even the simplest of themto do good to other peopleis an instant
and infallible specific。 There is no mystery about Happiness
whatever。 Put in the right ingredients and it must come out。 He
that abideth in Him will bring forth much fruit; and bringing forth
much fruit is Happiness。 The infallible receipt for Happiness;
then; is to do good; and the infallible receipt for doing good
is to abide in Christ。 The surest proof that all this is a plain
matter of Cause and Effect is that men may try every other conceivable
way of finding happiness; and they will fail。 Only the right cause
in each case can produce the right effect。
Then the Christian experiences are our own making? In the same
sense in which grapes are our own making and no more。 All fruits
GROWwhether they grow in the soil or in the soul; whether they
are the fruits of the wild grape or of the True Vine。 No man can
MAKE things grow。 He can GET THEM TO GROW by arranging all the
circumstances and fulfilling all the conditions。 But the growing
is done by God。 Causes and effects are eternal arrangements; set
in the constitution of the world; fixed beyond man's ordering。
What man can do is to place himself in the midst of a chain of
sequences。 Thus he can get things to grow。 But the power is the
Spirit of God。
What more need I add but thistest the method by experiment。 Do
not imagine that you have got these things because you know how to
get them。 As well try to feed upon a cookery book。 But I think
I can promise that if you try in this simple and natural way; you
will not fail。 Spend the time you have spent in sighing for fruits
in fulfilling the conditions of their growth。 The fruits will come;
must come。 We have hitherto paid immense attention to EFFECTS; to
the mere experiences themselves; we have described them; extolled
them; advised them; prayed for themdone everything but find out
what CAUSED them。 Henceforth
Let us deal with causes。
〃To be;〃 says Lotze; 〃is to be in relations。〃 About every other
method of living the Christian life there is an uncertainty。 About
every other method of acquiring the Christian experiences there is
a 〃perhaps。〃 But in so far as this method is the way of nature;
it cannot fail。 Its guarantee is the laws of the universeand
these are 〃the Hands of the Living God。〃
The true vine。
〃I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman。 Every branch
in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that
beareth fruit; he purgeth it; that it may bring forth more fruit。
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you。 Abide
in me; and I in you。 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself;
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye; except ye abide in
me。 I am the vine; ye are the branches: He that abideth in me;
and I in him; the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me
ye can do nothing。 If a man abide not in me; he is cast forth as
a branch; and is withered; and men gather them; and cast them into
the fire; and they are burned。 If ye abide in me; and my word abide
in you; ye shall ask what ye will; and it shall be done unto you。
Herein is my Father glorified; that ye bear much fruit; so ye shall
be my disciples。 As the Father hath loved me; so have I loved
you: continue ye in my love。 If ye keep my commandments; ye shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments;
and abide in his love。 These things have I spoken unto you; that
my joy might remain in you; and that your joy might be full。〃
〃FIRST!〃 An Address to boys。
I have three heads to give you。 The first is 〃Geography;〃 the
second is 〃Arithmetic;〃 and the third is 〃Grammar。〃
I。
First。 Geography tells us where to find places。
Where is the Kingdom of God? It is said that when a Prussian
officer was killed in the Franco…Prussian war; a map of France was
very often found in his pocket。 When we wish to occupy a country;
we ought to know its geography。 Now; WHERE is the Kingdom of God?
A boy over there says; 〃It is in heaven。〃 No; it is not in heaven。
Another boy says; 〃It is in the Bible。〃 No; it is not in the
Bible。 Another boy says; 〃It must be in the Church;〃 No; it is not
in the Church。 Heaven is only the capital of the Kingdom of God;
the Bible is the guide…book to it; the Church is the weekly parade
of those who belong to it。 If you turn to the seventeenth chapter
of Luke you will find out where the Kingdom of God really is: 〃The
Kingdom of God is within you〃within YOU。 The Kingdom of God is
INSIDE PEOPLE。
I remember once taking a walk by the river near where the Falls of
Niagara are; and I noticed a remarkable figure walking along the
river bank。 I had been some time in America。 I had seen black
men; and red men; and yellow men; and white men; black men; the
Negroes; red men; the Indians; yellow men; the Chinese; white men;
the Americans。 But this man looked quite different in his dress
from anything I had ever seen。 When he came a little closer; I
saw he was wearing a kilt; when he came a little nearer still; I
saw that he was dressed exactly like a Highland soldier。 When he
came quiet near; I said to him:
〃What are you doing here?〃
〃Why should I not be here?〃 he replied; 〃don't you know this is
British soil? When you cross the river you come into Canada。〃
This soldier was thousands of miles from England; and yet he was
in the Kingdom of England。 Wherever there is an English heart
beating loyal to the Queen of Britain; there is England。 Wherever
there is a boy whose heart is loyal to the Kingdom of God; the
Kingdom of God is within him。
What is the Kingdom of God? Every Kingdom has its exports; it
products。 Go down the river here and you will find ships coming
in with cotton; you know they come from America。 You will find
ships with tea; you know they are from China。 Ships with wool;
you know they come from Australia。 Ships with sugar; you know they
come from Java。
What comes from the Kingdom of God? Again; we must refer to our
Guide…book。 Turn to Romans; and we shall find what the Kingdom
of God is。 I will read it: 〃The Kingdom of God is righteousness;
peace; joy〃three things。 〃The Kingdom of God is righteousness;
peace; joy。〃 Righteousness; of course is just doing what is right。
Any boy who does what is RIGHT has the Kingdom of God within him。
Any boy who; instead of being quarrelsome; lives at peace with
the other boys; has the Kingdom of God within him。 Any boy whose
heart is filled with joy because he does what is right; has the
Kingdom of God within him。 The Kingdom of God is not going to
religious meetings; and hearing strange religious experiences; the
Kingdom of God is doing what is rightliving at peace with all
men; being filled with joy in the Holy Ghost。
Boys; if you are going to be Christians; be Christians as boys; and
not as your grandmothers。 A grandmother has to be a Christian as
a grandmother; and that is the right and the beautiful thing for her;
but if you cannot read your Bible by the hours as your grandmother
can; or delight in meetings as she can; don't think you are
necessarily a bad boy。 When you are your grandmother's age you will
have your grandmother's kind of religion。 Meantime; be a Christian
as a boy。 Live a boy's life。 Do the straight thing; seek the
kingdom of righteousness and honor and truth。 Keep the peace with
the boys about you; and be filled with the joy of being a loyal;
and simple; and natural; and boy…like servant of Christ。
You can very easily tell a house; or a workshop; or an office where
the Kingdom of God is NOT。 The first thing you see in that pace
is that the 〃straight thing〃 is not always done。 Customers do not
get fair play。 You are in danger of learning to cheat and to lie。
Better a thousand times to starve than to stay in a place where
you cannot do what is right。
Or; when you go into your workshop; you find everybody sulky; touchy;
and ill…tempered; everybody at daggers…drawn with everybody else;
some of the men not on speaking terms with some of the others; and
the whole FEEL of the place miserable and unhappy。 The Kingdom of
God is not thee; for IT is peace。 It is the Kingdom of the Devil
that is anger; and wrath and malice。
If you want to get the Kingdom of God into your workshop; or
into your home; let the quarreling be stopped。 Live in peace and
harmony and brotherliness with everyone。 For the Kingdom of God
is a kingdom of brothers。 It is a great Society; founded by Jesus
Christ; of al