the crown of thorns-第4部分

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d　Deliverer；　Christ　the　Avenger；　sweeping　away　his　foes　with　one　burst　of　miracle；is　to　them；　no　more。　　They　saw　the　multitude　seize　him；　and　no　legions　came　to　rescue；…　…they　saw　him　condemned；　abused；　crucified；　buried；　and　so；　in　no　sense　of　which　they　could　conceive；　was　this　he　who　should　have　redeemed　Israel。　　And　yet　the　suggestion　of　something　still　to　come；　something　connected　with　three　days；　　lingered　in　their　minds。　　And；　in　the　midst　of　their　despondency；　striking　upon　this　very　chord；　the　startling　rumor　reached　them　that　Christ　had　risen　from　the　dead。　　It　was　in　this　mood　that　Jesus　found　the　two　disciples　whose　words　I　have　selected　for　my　text；　　faith　and　doubt；　disappointment　and　hope；　alternating　in　their　minds；　their　Jewish　conceit　laid　prostrate　in　the　dust；　and　yet　the　expectation　of　something；　they　knew　not　what；　now　strangely　confirmed。　　See　how　these　feelings　mingle　in　the　passage　before　us。　　〃What　manner　of　communications；〃　said　the　undiscerned　Saviour；　〃are　these　that　ye　have　one　to　another；　as　ye　walk；　and　are　sad？〃…〃Art　thou　only　a　stranger　in　Jerusalem；〃　says　one　of　them；　〃and　hast　not　known　the　things　which　are　come　to　pass　there　in　these　days？〃　　What　things？　　〃Concerning　Jesus　of　Nazareth；〃　replied　they；　〃which　was　a　prophet　mighty　in　deed　and　word　before　God　and　all　the　people：　and　how　the　chief　priests　and　our　rulers　delivered　him　to　be　condemned　to　death；　and　have　crucified　him。　　But　we　trusted　that　it　had　been　he　which　should　have　redeemed　Israel：　　and　beside　all　this；　to…day　is　the　third　day　since　these　things　were　done。　　Yea；　and　certain　women　also　of　our　company　made　us　astonished；　which　were　early　at　the　sepulchre；　and　when　they　found　not　his　body；　they　came；　saying；　that　they　had　also　seen　a　vision　of　angels；　which　said　that　he　was　alive。　　And　certain　of　them　which　were　with　us　went　to　the　sepulchre；　and　found　it　even　so　as　the　women　had　said：　but　him　they　saw　not。〃

My　hearers；　I　think　we　see；　in　this　instance　the　minds　of　these　disciples　working　as　the　minds　of　men　might　be　expected　to　work　under　like　conditions。　　And　to　me　this　casts　a　complexion　of　genuineness　upon　the　transactions　which；　as　stated　in　the　record；　account　for　these　mental　alternations。　　The　entire　passage　is　alive　with　reality。　The　genuine　emotions　of　humanity　play　and　thrill　together；　there；　in　the　shadow　of　the　cross　and　the　glory　of　the　resurrection。

But；　if　these　feelings　are　thus　natural；　the　experience　itself　indicated　in　that　portion　of　this　verse　which　constitutes　the　text　is　not　entirely　removed　from　our　ordinary　life。　　The　incident　which　occasioned　these　sad　words　was　an　extraordinary　one；　but　its　moral　significance；　as　it　now　comes　before　us；　illustrates　many　a　passage　in　man's　daily　course。　　The　language；　as　we　read　it；　appears　to　be　the　language　of　disappointment；　…it　was　under　the　shadow　of　disappointment；　though　alternating　with　hope；　that　these　disciples　spoke；　and　it　is　to　the　lessons　afforded　by　disappointment　in　the　course　of　life　that　I　now　especially　invite　your　attention。

And　the　precise　point　in　the　text；　bearing　upon　this　subject；　is　the　fact；　that　while　the　disciples　seemed　to　feel　as　though　all　redemption　for　Israel　was　now　hopeless；　that　process　of　redemption　for　Israel；　and　for　the　world；　was　going　on　through　the　agency　of　those　very　events　which　had　filled　them　with　dismay。　　Even　as　they　were　speaking；　in　tones　of　sadness；　about　the　crucified　Christ；　the　living　Christ；　made　perfect　for　his　work　by　that　crucifixion；　was　walking　by　their　side。　　Looking　far　this　side　of　that　shadow　of　disappointment　which　then　brooded　over　them；　we　see　all　this；　that　then　they　did　not　see；　but　now　is　it　with　ourselves；　under　the　frequent　shadows　cast　by　more　ordinary　events？　　This　suggestion　may　afford　us　some　profitable　thoughts。

I　need　hardly　say；　in　the　first　place；　that　man　is　continually　inspired　by　expectation。　　Every　effort　he　makes　is　made　in　the　conviction　of　possibility　and　the　light　of　hope。　　This　is　the　heart　of　ambition　and　the　spring　of　toil。　It　is　the　balm　which　he　applies　to　the　wounds　of　misfortune。　It　is　the　key　with　which　he　tries　the　wards　of　nature。　　And　from　the　morning　of　life　to　its　last　twilight　he　is　always　looking。　forward。　　The　saddest　spectacle　of　allsadder　even　than　pain；　and　bereavement；　and　death　is　a　man　void　of　hope。　　The　most　abject　people　is　a　hopeless　people；　in　whose　hearts　the　memories　of　the　past；　and　the　pulses　of　endeavor；　and　the　courage　of　faith　are　dead；　and　who　crouch　by　their　own　thresholds　and　the　crumbling　tombstones　of　their　fathers；　and　take　the　tyrant's　will；　without　an　incentive；　and　without　even　a　dream。　　The　most　intense　form　in　which　misery　can　express　itself　is　in　the　phrase；　〃I　have　nothing　to　live　for。〃　　And　he　who　can　actually　say；　and　who　really　feels　this；　is　dead；　and　covered　with　the　very　pall　and　darkness　of　calamity。　　But　few；　indeed；　are　they　who　can；　with　truth；　say　this。

But　if　hope　or　expectation　is　such　a　vital　element　of　human　experience；　so　does　disappointment　have　its　part　in　the　mechanism　of　things；　and；　as　we　shall　presently　see；　its　wise　and　beneficial　part。　　For；　after　all；　how　few　things　correspond　with　the　forecast　of　expectation！　　To　be　sure；　some　results　transcend　our　hope；　but　how　many　fall　below　it；　balk　it；　　turn　out　exactly　opposite　to　it。！　　Among　those　who　meet　with　disappointments　in　life；　there　are　those　who　are　expecting　impossibilities；　　whose　expectations　are　inordinate；　　are　more　than　the　nature　of　things　will　admit；　or　who　are　looking　for　a　harvest　where　they　have　planted　no　seed。　　They　carry　the　dreams　of　youth　in　among　the　realities　of　the　world；　and　its　vanishing　visions　leave　them　naked　and　discouraged。　　The　light　of　romance；　that　glorified　all　things　in　the　future；　recedes　as　they　advance；　and　they　come　upon　rugged　paths　of　fact　upon　plain　toil　and　daily　care；　upon　the　market　and　the　field；　and　upon　men　as　they　are　in　their　weakness；　and　their　selfishness；　and　their　mutual　distrust。　　Or　they　belong；　it　may　be；　to　that　class　who　are　too　highly　charged　with　hope；　whose　sanguine　notions　never　go　by　induction；　but　by　leaps；　who　never　calculate　the　difficulties；　but　only　see　the　thing　complete　and　rounded　in　imagination；　men　with　plenty　of　poetry；　and　no　arithmetic；　whose　theories　work　miracles；　but　whose　attempts　are　failures。　　It　is　pleasant；　sometimes；　to　meet　with　people　like　these；　who；　clothed　in　the　scantiest　garments；　and　with　only　a　crust　upon　their　tables；　at　the　least　touch　of　suggestion；　mount　into　a　region　of　splendor。　Their　poverty　all　fades　away；　　the　bare　walls；　the　tokens　of　stern　want；　the　dusty　world；　are　all　transfigured　with　infinite　possibilities。　　Achievement　is　only　a　word；　and　fortune　comes　in　at　a　stride。　　The　palace　of　beauty　rises；　fruits　bloom　in　waste　places；　gold　drops　from　the　rocks；　and　the　entire　movement　of　life　becomes　a　march　of　jubilee。　　And　they　are　so　certain　this　time；　the　plan　they　now　have　is　so　sure　to　succeed！　　I　repeat；　it　is　pleasant；　sometimes；　to　have　intercourse　with　such　men；　who　throw　bloom　and　marvelousness　upon　the　actualities　of　the　world；　from　the　reservoirs　of　their　sanguine　invention。　　At　least；　it　is　pleasant　to　think　how　this　faculty　of　unfailing　enthusiasm　enables　them　to　bear　defeat；　and　to　look　away　from　the　cold　face　of　necessity；　　to　think　that；　while　so　many　are　trudging　after　the　sounding　wheels　and　the　monotonous　jar　of　life；　and　lying　down　by　the　way　to　die；　these　men　are　marching　buoyantly　to　a　tune　inside。　　And　yet　this　is　pleasant　only　from　a　hasty　point　of　view。　　These　people　meet　with　disappointment；　of　course；　and　it　is　sad　to　think　how　many　lives　have　come　to　absolutely　nothing；　and　are　all　strewn　over；　from　boyhood　to　the　grave；　with　the　fragments　of　splendid　schemes。　　It　is　sad　to　think　how　all　their　visionary　Balbecs　and　Palmyras　have　been　reared　in　a　real　desert；　　the　desert　of　an　existence　producing　no　substantial　thing。　　And　among　these　vanishing　dreams；　and　on　that　melancholy　waste；　they　learn；　at　last；　the　meaning　of　their　disappointment。　　And。　from　their　experience；　we　too　may　learn；　that　we　are　placed　here　to　be　not　merely　ideal　artists；　but　actual　toilers；　not　cadets　of　hope；　but　soldiers　of　endeavor。

But　there　are　disappointments　in　life　that　succeed　reasonable　expectation；　and　these　are　the　hardest　of　all　to　bear。　　I　say　the　expectation　is　reasonable；　and　yet；　very　possibly；　the　bitterness　of　the　disappointment　comes　from　neglecting　to　consider　the　infirmity　of　all　earthly　things。　　It　is　hard　when；　not　dreaming；　but　trying　our　best；　we　fail。　　It　is　hard　to　bear　the　burden　and　heat　of　the　day；　through　all　life's　prime；　and　yet；　with　all　our　toil；　to　earn　no　repose　for　its　evening　hours。　　It　is　hard　to　accumulate　a　little　gain；　baptizing　every　dollar　with　our　honest　sweat；　and　then　have　it　stricken　from　our　grasp　by　the　band　of　calamity　or　of　fraud。　　It　is　hard；　when　we　have　placed　our　confidence　in　man's　honor；　or　his　friendship；　to　find　that　we　are　fools；　and　that　we　have　been　led　in　among　rocks　and　serpents。　　And　hard　indeed　is　it　to　see　those　who　were　worthy　our　love　and　our　faith　drop　by　our　side；　and　leave　us　alone。　　This　dear　child；　the　blossom　of　so　many　hopes；　　hard　is　it　to　see　him　die　　to　fold　all　our　expectation　in　his　little　shroud；　and　lay　it　away　forever。　　We　thought　it　had　been　he　who　should　have　comforted　and　blessed　us；　in　whose　life　we　could　have　retraced　the　cycle　of　our　own　happiest　experience；　whose　unfolding　faculties　would　have　been　a　renewal　of　our　knowledge；　and　his　manhood　not　merely　the　prop　but　the　refreshing　of　our　age。　　This　companion　of　our　lot；　　this　wedded　wife　of　our　heart；　…　why　taken　away　now？　　She　has　shared　our　early　struggles；　and　tempered　our　anxiety　with　cheerful　assurance。　　She　has　tasted　the　bitterness；　we　thought　she　would　have　been　a　partner　of　the　joy。　　She　has　borne　our　fretfulness；　and　helped　our　perplexity；　and　shed　a　serene　light　into　our　gloom；　We　thought　she　would　have　been　with　us　when　we　could　pay　the　debt　of　faithfulness；　when　the　cares　of　business　did　not　press　and　disturb　us　so。　　We　thought　it　was　she　whose　voice；　sweet　with　the　music　of　old；　deep　memories；　would　have　consoled　us　far　along；　and　that；　in　some　calm　evening　of　life；　when　all　the　tumult　of　the　world　was　still