addresses-第7部分

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love；　not　only　for　our　friends；　but　for　all　humanity。　　Wherever

you　go　and　whatever　you　do；　your　work　will　be　a　failure　unless　you

have　this　element　in　your　life。



These　three　things　go　far　toward　forming　a　well…rounded　life。　　Some

of　us　may　not　have　these　ingredients　in　their　right　proportion；

but　if　you　are　lacking　in　one　or　the　other　of　them；　then　pray　for

it　and　work　for　it　that　your　life　may　be　rounded　and　complete　as

God　intended　it　should　be。











Pax　Vobiscum。









I　once　heard　a　sermon　by　a　distinguished　preacher　upon　〃Rest。〃

It　was　full　of　beautiful　thoughts；　but　when　I　came　to　ask　myself；

〃How　does　he　say　I　can　get　Rest？〃　there　was　no　answer。　　The　sermon

was　sincerely　meant　to　be　practical；　yet　it　contained　no　experience

that　seemed　to　me　to　be　tangible；　nor　any　advice　that　I　could

graspany　advice；　that　is　to　say；　which　could　help　me　to　find　the

thing　itself　as　I　went　about　the　world。



Yet　this　omission　of　what　is；　after　all；　the　only　important　problem；

was　not　the　fault　of　the　preacher。　　The　whole　popular　religion　is

in　the　twilight　here。　　And　when　pressed　for　really　working　specifics

for　the　experiences　with　which　it　deals；　it　falters；　and　seems　to

lose　itself　in　mist。



The　want　of　connection　between　the　great　words　of　religion　and

every…day　life　has　bewildered　and　discouraged　all　of　us。　　Christianity

possesses　the　noblest　words　in　the　language；　its　literature　overflows

with　terms　expressive　of　the　greatest　and　happiest　moods　which　can

fill　the　soul　of　man。　　Rest；　Joy；　Peace；　Faith；　Love；　Lightthese

words　occur　with　such　persistency　in　hymns　and　prayers　that　an

observer　might　think　they　formed　the　staple　of　Christian　experience。

But　on　coming　to　close　quarters　with　the　actual　life　of　most　of　us；

how　surely　would　he　be　disenchanted。　　I　do　not　think　we　ourselves

are　aware　of　how　much　our　religious　life　is



Made　up　of　phrases；



how　much　of　what　we　call　Christian　Experience　is　only　a　dialect

of　the　Churches；　a　mere　religious　phraseology　with　almost　nothing

behind　it　in　what　we　really　feel　and　know。



To　some　of　us；　indeed；　the　Christian　experiences　seem　further　away

than　when　we　took　the　first　steps　in　the　Christian　life。　　That　life

has　not　opened　out　as　we　had　hoped。　　We　do　not　regret　our　religion；

but　we　are　disappointed　with　it。　　There　are　times；　perhaps；　when

wandering　notes　form　a　diviner　music　stray　into　our　spirits；　but

these　experiences　come　at　few　and　fitful　moments。　　We　have　no　sense

of　possession　in　them。　　When　they　visit　us；　it　is　as　surprise。

When　they　leave　us；　it　is　without　explanation。　　When　we　wish　their

return；　we　do　not　know　how　to　secure　it。



All　of　which　means　a　religion　without　solid　base；　and　a　poor　and

flickering　life。　　It　means　a　great　bankruptcy　in　those　experiences

which　give　Christianity　its　personal　solace　and　make　it　attractive

to　the　world；　and　a　great　uncertainty　as　to　any　remedy。　　It　is　as

if　we　knew　everything　about　healthexcept　the　way　to　get　it。



I　am　quite　sure　that　the　difficulty　does　not　lie　in　the　fact　that

men　are　not　in　earnest。　　This　is　simply　not　the　fact。　　All　around

us　Christians　are　wearing　themselves　out　in　trying　to　be　better。

The　amount　of　spiritual　longing　in　the　worldin　the　hearts

of　unnumbered　thousands　of　men　and　women　in　whom　we　should　never

suspect　it；　among　the　wise　and　thoughtful；　among　the　young　and

gay；　who　seldom　assuage　and　never　betray　their　thirstthis　is　one

of　the　most　wonderful　and　touching　facts　of　life。　　It　is　not　more

heart　that　is　needed；　but　more　light；　not　more　force；　but　a　wiser

direction　to　be　given　to　very　real　energies　already　there。



The　usual　advice　when　one　asks　for　counsel　on　these　questions　is；

〃Pray。〃　　But　this　advice　is　far　from　adequate。　　I　shall　qualify　the

statement　presently；　but　let　me　urge　it　here；　with　what　you　will

perhaps　call　daring　emphasis；　that　to　pray　for　these　things　is　not

the　way　to　get　them。　　No　one　will　get　them　without　praying；　but

that　men　do　not　get　them　by　praying　is　a　simple　fact。　　We　have　all

prayed；　and　sincerely　prayed；　for　such　experiences　as　I　have　named；

prayed；　believing　that　that　was　the　way　to　get　them。　　And　yet　have

we　got　them？　　The　test　is　experience。　　I　dare　not　limit　prayer；

still　less　the　grace　of　God。　　If　you　have　got　them　in　this　way；

it　is　well。　　I　am　speaking　to　those；　be　they　few　or　many；　who　have

not　got　them；　to　ordinary　men　in　ordinary　circumstances。　　But　if　we

have　not　got　them；　it　by　no　means　follows　that　prayer　is　useless。

The　correct　conclusion　is　only　that　it　is　useless；　or　inadequate

rather；　for　this　particular　purpose。　　To　make　prayer　the　sole

resort；　the　universal　panacea　for　every　spiritual　ill；　is　as　radical

a　mistake　as　to　prescribe　only　one　medicine　for　every　bodily　trouble。

The　physician　who　does　the　last　is　a　quack；　the　spiritual　advisor

who　dies　the　first　is



Grossly　ignorant　of　his　profession。



To　do　nothing　but　pray　is　a　wrong　done　to　prayer　itself；　and　can

only　end　in　disaster。　　It　is　as　if　one　tried　to　live　only　with　the

lungs；　as　if　one　assimilated　only　air　and　neglected　solid　food。

The　lungs　are　a　first　essential；　the　air　is　a　first　essential；　but

the　body　has　many　members；　given　for　different　purposes；　secreting

different　things；　and　each　has　a　method　of　nutrition　as　special　to

itself　as　its　own　activity。　　While　prayer；　then；　is　the　characteristic

sublimity　of　the　Christian　life；　it　is　by　no　means　the　only　one。

And　those　who　make　it　the　sole　alternative；　and　apply　it　to　purposes

for　which　it　was　never　meant；　are　really　doing　the　greatest　harm

to　prayer　itself。　　To　couple　the　word　〃inadequate〃　with　this　might

word　is　not　to　dethrone　prayer；　but　to　exalt　it。



What　dethrones　prayer



is　unanswered　prayer。　　When　men　pray　for　things　which　do　not　come

that　waypray　with　sincere　belief　that　prayer；　unaided　and　alone；

will　compass　what　they　askthen；　not　getting　what　they　ask；　they

often　give　up　prayer。



This　is　the　natural　history　of　much　atheism；　not　only　an　atheism　of

atheists；　but　a　more　terrible　atheism　of　Christians；　an　unconscious

atheism；　whose　roots　have　struck　far　into　many　souls　whose

last　breath　would　be　spent　in　denying　it。　　So；　I　repeat；　it　is　a

mistaken　Christianity　which　allow　men　to　cherish　a　blind　belief　in

the　omnipotence　of　prayer。　　Prayer；　certainly；　when　the　appropriate

conditions　are　fulfilled；　is　omnipotent；　but　not　blind　prayer。

Blind　prayer　is　superstition。　　Prayer；　in　its　true　sense；　contains

the　sane　recognition　that　while　man　prays　in　faith；　GOD　ACTS　BY　LAW。

What　that　means　in　the　immediate　connection　we　shall　see　presently。



What；　then；　is　the　remedy？　　It　is　impossible　to　doubt　that　there

is　a　remedy；　and　it　is　equally　impossible　to　believe　that　it　is

a　secret。　　The　idea　that　some　few　men；　by　happy　chance　or　happier

temperament；　have　been　given　the　secretas　if　there　were　some　sort

of　knack　or　trick　of　itis　wholly　incredible　and　wrong。　　Religion

must　be　for　all；　and　the　way　into　its　loftiest　heights　must　be　by

a　gateway　through　which　the　peoples　of　the　world　may　pass。



I　shall　have　to　lead　up　to　this　gateway　by　a　very　familiar　path。

But　as　this　path　is　strangely　unfrequented　where　it　passes　into

the　religious　sphere；　I　must　ask　your　forbearance　for　dwelling　for

a　moment　upon　the　commonest　of　commonplaces。



I。　Effects　Require　Causes



Nothing　that　happens　in　the　world　happens　by　chance。　　God　is　a　God

of　order。　　Everything　is　arranged　upon　definite　principles；　and

never　at　random。　　the　world；　even　the　religious　world；　is　governed

by　law。　　Character　is　governed　by　law。　　Happiness　is　governed　by

law。　　The　Christian　experiences　are　governed　by　law。　　Men；　forgetting

this；　expect　Rest；　Joy；　Peace；　Faith　to　drop　into　their　souls　from

the　air　like　snow　or　rain。　　But　in　point　of　fact　they　do　not　do　so；

and　if　they　did；　they　would　no　less　have　their　origin　in　previous

activities　and　be　controlled　by　natural　laws。　　Rain　and　snow　do

drop　from　the　air；　but　not　without　a　long　previous　history。　　They

are　the　mature　effects　of　former　causes。　　Equally　so　are　Rest　and

Peace　and　Joy。　　They；　too；　have　each　a　previous　history。　　Storms　and

winds　and　calms　are　not　accidents；　but　brought　about　by　antecedent

circumstances。　　Rest　and　Peace　are　but　calms　in　man's　inward　nature；

and　arise　through　causes　as　definite　and　as　inevitable。



Realize　it　thoroughly；　it　is　a　methodical；　not　an　accidental　world。

If　a　housewife　turns　out　a　good　cake；　it　is　the　result　of　a　sound

receipt；　carefully　applied。　　She　cannot　mix　the　assigned　ingredients

and　fire　them　for　the　appropriate　time　without　producing　the

result。　　It　is　not　she　who　has　made　the　cake；　it　is　nature。　　She

brings　related　things　together；　sets　causes　at　work；　these　causes

bring　about　the　result。　　she　is　not　a　creator；　but　an　intermediary。

She　does　not　expect　random　causes　to　produce　specific　effectsrandom

ingredients　would　only　produce　random　cakes。　　So　it　is　in　the　making

of　Christian　experiences。　　Certain　lines　are　followed；　certain

effects　are　the　result。　　These　effects　cannot　but　be　the　result。

But　the　result　can　never　take　place　without　the　previous　cause。

To　expect　results　without　antecedents　is　to　expect　cakes　without

ingredients。　　That　impossibility　is　precisely



The　almost　universal　expectation。



Now　what　I　mainly　wish　to　do　is　to　help　you　firmly　to　grasp　this

simple　principle　of　Cause　and　Effect　in　the　spiritual　world。　　And

instead　of　applying　the　principle　generally　to　each　of　the　Christian

experiences　in　turn；　I　shall　examine　its　application　to　one　in

some　little　detail。　　The　one　I　shall　select　is　Rest。　　And　I　think

any　one　who　follows　the　application　in　this　single　instance　will

be　able　to　apply　it　for　himself　to　the　others。



Take　such　a　sentence　as　this：　　African　explorers　are　subject　to

fevers　which　cause　restlessness　and　delirium。



Note　the　expression；　〃cause　restlessness。〃