lectures11-13-第7部分

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So　much　for　the　human　love　aroused　by　the　faith…state。　Let　me



next　speak　of　the　Equanimity；　Resignation；　Fortitude；　and



Patience　which　it　brings。







〃A　paradise　of　inward　tranquillity〃　seems　to　be　faith's　usual



result；　and　it　is　easy；　even　without　being　religious　one's　self；



to　understand　this。　　A　moment　back；　in　treating　of　the　sense　of



God's　presence；　I　spoke　of　the　unaccountable　feeling　of　safety



which　one　may　then　have。　　And；　indeed；　how　can　it　possibly　fail



to　steady　the　nerves；　to　cool　the　fever；　and　appease　the　fret；　if



one　be　sensibly　conscious　that；　no　matter　what　one's　difficulties



for　the　moment　may　appear　to　be；　one's　life　as　a　whole　is　in　the



keeping　of　a　power　whom　one　can　absolutely　trust？　　In　deeply



religious　men　the　abandonment　of　self　to　this　power　is



passionate。　　Whoever　not　only　says；　but　FEELS；　〃God's　will　be



done；〃　is　mailed　against　every　weakness；　and　the　whole　historic



array　of　martyrs；　missionaries；　and　religious　reformers　is　there



to　prove　the　tranquil…mindedness；　under　naturally　agitating　or



distressing　circumstances；　which　self…surrender　brings。







The　temper　of　the　tranquil…mindedness　differs；　of　course；



according　as　the　person　is　of　a　constitutionally　sombre　or　of　a



constitutionally　cheerful　cast　of　mind。　　In　the　sombre　it



partakes　more　of　resignation　and　submission；　in　the　cheerful　it



is　a　joyous　consent。　　As　an　example　of　the　former　temper；　I　quote



part　of　a　letter　from　Professor　Lagneau；　a　venerated　teacher　of



philosophy　who　lately　died；　a　great　invalid；　at　Paris：







〃My　life；　for　the　success　of　which　you　send　good　wishes；　will　be



what　it　is　able　to　be。　　I　ask　nothing　from　it；　I　expect　nothing



from　it。　　For　long　years　now　I　exist；　think；　and　act；　and　am



worth　what　I　am　worth；　only　through　the　despair　which　is　my　sole



strength　and　my　sole　foundation。　　May　it　preserve　for　me；　even　in



these　last　trials　to　which　I　am　coming；　the　courage　to　do　without



the　desire　of　deliverance。　　I　ask　nothing　more　from　the　Source



whence　all　strength　cometh；　and　if　that　is　granted；　your　wishes



will　have　been　accomplished。〃＇169＇







＇169＇　Bulletin　de　l'Union　pour　l'Action　Morale；　September；　1894。















There　is　something　pathetic　and　fatalistic　about　this；　but　the



power　of　such　a　tone　as　a　protection　against　outward　shocks　is



manifest。　　Pascal　is　another　Frenchman　of　pessimistic　　



natural　temperament。　　He　expresses　still　more　amply　the　temper　of



self…surrendering　submissiveness：







〃Deliver　me；　Lord；〃　he　writes　in　his　prayers；　〃from　the　sadness



at　my　proper　suffering　which　self…love　might　give；　but　put　into



me　a　sadness　like　your　own。　　Let　my　sufferings　appease　your



choler。　　Make　them　an　occasion　for　my　conversion　and　salvation。　I



ask　you　neither　for　health　nor　for　sickness；　for　life　nor　for



death；　but　that　you　may　dispose　of　my　health　and　my　sickness；　my



life　and　my　death；　for　your　glory；　for　my　salvation；　and　for　the



use　of　the　Church　and　of　your　saints；　of　whom　I　would　by　your



grace　be　one。　　You　alone　know　what　is　expedient　for　me；　you　are



the　sovereign　master；　do　with　me　according　to　your　will。　　Give　to



me；　or　take　away　from　me；　only　conform　my　will　to　yours。　　I　know



but　one　thing；　Lord；　that　it　is　good　to　follow　you；　and　bad　to



offend　you。　　Apart　from　that；　I　know　not　what　is　good　or　bad　in



anything。　　I　know　not　which　is　most　profitable　to　me；　health　or



sickness；　wealth　or　poverty；　nor　anything　else　in　the　world。　



That　discernment　is　beyond　the　power　of　men　or　angels；　and　is



hidden　among　the　secrets　of　your　Providence；　which　I　adore；　but



do　not　seek　to　fathom。〃＇170＇







＇170＇　B。　Pascal：　　Prieres　pour　les　Maladies；　Sections　xiii。；



xiv。；　abridged。















When　we　reach　more　optimistic　temperaments；　the　resignation　grows



less　passive。　　Examples　are　sown　so　broadcast　throughout　history



that　I　might　well　pass　on　without　citation。　　As　it　is；　I　snatch



at　the　first　that　occurs　to　my　mind。　　Madame　Guyon；　a　frail



creature　physically；　was　yet　of　a　happy　native　disposition。　　She



went　through　many　perils　with　admirable　serenity　of　soul。　　After



being　sent　to　prison　for　heresy







〃Some　of　my　friends；〃　she　writes；　〃wept　bitterly　at　the　hearing



of　it；　but　such　was　my　state　of　acquiescence　and　resignation　that



it　failed　to　draw　any　tears　from　me。　。　。　。　There　appeared　to　be



in　me　then；　as　I　find　it　to　be　in　me　now；　such　an　entire　loss　of



what　regards　myself；　that　any　of　my　own　interests　gave　me　little



pain　or　pleasure；　ever　wanting　to　will　or　wish　for　myself　only



the　very　thing　which　God　does。〃　　In　another　place　she　writes：　



〃We　all　of　us　came　near　perishing　in　a　river　which　we　found　it



necessary　to　pass。　　The　carriage　sank　in　the　quicksand。　Others



who　were　with　us　threw　themselves　out　in　excessive　fright。　　But　I



found　my　thoughts　so　much　taken　up　with　God　that　I　had　no



distinct　sense　of　danger。　　It　is　true　that　the　thought　of　being



drowned　passed　across　my　mind；　but　it　cost　no　other　sensation　or



reflection　in　me　than　thisthat　I　felt　quite　contented　and



willing　it　were　so；　if　it　were　my　heavenly　Father's　choice。〃　



Sailing　from　Nice　to　Genoa；　a　storm　keeps　her　eleven　days　at　sea。







〃As　the　irritated　waves　dashed　round　us；〃　she　writes；　〃I　could



not　help　experiencing　a　certain　degree　of　satisfaction　in　my



mind。　　I　pleased　myself　with　thinking　that　those　mutinous



billows；　under　the　command　of　Him　who　does　all　things　rightly；



might　probably　furnish　me　with　a　watery　grave。　　Perhaps　I　carried



the　point　too　far；　in　the　pleasure　which　I　took　in　thus　seeing



myself　beaten　and　bandied　by　the　swelling　waters。　Those　who　were



with　me　took　notice　of　my　intrepidity。〃＇171＇







＇171＇　From　Thomas　C。　Upham's　Life　and　Religious　Opinions　and



Experiences　of　Madame　de　la　Mothe　Guyon；　New　York；　1877；　ii。　48；



i。　141；　413；　abridged。















The　contempt　of　danger　which　religious　enthusiasm　produces　may　be



even　more　buoyant　still。　　I　take　an　example　from　that　charming



recent　autobiography；　〃With　Christ　at　Sea；〃　by　Frank　Bullen。　　A



couple　of　days　after　he　went　through　the　conversion　on　shipboard



of　which　he　there　gives　an　account







〃It　was　blowing　stiffly；〃　he　writes；　〃and　we　were　carrying　a



press　of　canvas　to　get　north　out　of　the　bad　weather。　　Shortly



after　four　bells　we　hauled　down　the　flying…jib；　and　I　sprang　out



astride　the　boom　to　furl　it。　　I　was　sitting　astride　the　boom　when



suddenly　it　gave　way　with　me。　　The　sail　slipped　through　my



fingers；　and　I　fell　backwards；　hanging　head　downwards　over　the



seething　tumult　of　shining　foam　under　the　ship's　bows；　suspended



by　one　foot。　　But　I　felt　only　high　exultation　in　my　certainty　



of　eternal　life。　　Although　death　was　divided　from　me　by　a　hair's



breadth；　and　I　was　acutely　conscious　of　the　fact；　it　gave　me　no



sensation　but　joy。　　I　suppose　I　could　have　hung　there　no　longer



than　five　seconds；　but　in　that　time　I　lived　a　whole　age　of



delight。　　But　my　body　asserted　itself；　and　with　a　desperate



gymnastic　effort　I　regained　the　boom。　　How　I　furled　the　sail　I



don't　know；　but　I　sang　at　the　utmost　pitch　of　my　voice　praises　to



God　that　went　pealing　out　over　the　dark　waste　of　waters。〃＇172＇







＇172＇　Op。　cit。；　London；　1901；　p。　230。















The　annals　of　martyrdom　are　of　course　the　signal　field　of　triumph



for　religious　imperturbability。　　Let　me　cite　as　an　example　the



statement　of　a　humble　sufferer；　persecuted　as　a　Huguenot　under



Louis　XIV：







〃They　shut　all　the　doors；〃　Blanche　Gamond　writes；　〃and　I　saw　six



women；　each　with　a　bunch　of　willow　rods　as　thick　as　the　hand



could　hold；　and　a　yard　long。　　He　gave　me　the　order；　'Undress



yourself；'　which　I　did。　　He　said；　'You　are　leaving　on　your　shift；



you　must　take　it　off。'　　They　had　so　little　patience　that　they



took　it　off　themselves；　and　I　was　naked　from　the　waist　up。　They



brought　a　cord　with　which　they　tied　me　to　a　beam　in　the　kitchen。　



They　drew　the　cord　tight　with　all　their　strength　and　asked　me；



'Does　it　hurt　you？'　and　then　they　discharged　their　fury　upon　me；



exclaiming　as　they　struck　me；　'Pray　now　to　your　God。'　　It　was　the



Roulette　woman　who　held　this　language。　　But　at　this　moment　I



received　the　greatest　consolation　that　I　can　ever　receive　in　my



life；　since　I　had　the　honor　of　being　whipped　for　the　name　of



Christ；　and　in　addition　of　being　crowned　with　his　mercy　and　his



consolations。　　Why　can　I　not　write　down　the　inconceivable



influences；　consolations；　and　peace　which　I　felt　interiorly？　　To



understand　them　one　must　have　passed　by　the　same　trial；　they　were



so　great　that　I　was　ravished；　for　there　where　afflictions　abound



grace　is　given　superabundantly。　　In　vain　the　women　cried；　'We



must　double　our　blows；　she　does　not　feel　them；　for　she　neither



speaks　nor　cries。'　　And　how　should　I　have　cried；　since　I　was



swooning　with　happiness　within？〃＇173＇







＇173＇　Claparede　et　Goty：　　Deux　Heroines　de　la　Foi；　Paris；　1880；



p。　112。















The　transition　from　tenseness；　self…responsibility；　and　worry；　to



equanimity；　receptivity；　and　peace；　is　the　most　wonderful　of　all



those　shiftings　of　inner　equilibrium；　those　changes　of　the



personal　centre　of　energy；　which　I　have　analyzed　so　often；　and



the　chief　wonder　of　it　is　that　it　so　often　comes　about；　not　by



doing；　but　by　simply　relaxing　and　throwing　the　burden　down。　　This



abandonment　of　self