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06-worship-第5部分
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own fruit; like every other tree。 A great man cannot be hindered of
the effect of his act; because it is immediate。 The genius of life
is friendly to the noble; and in the dark brings them friends from
far。 Fear God; and where you go; men shall think they walk in
hallowed cathedrals。
And so I look on those sentiments which make the glory of the
human being; love; humility; faith; as being also the intimacy of
Divinity in the atoms; and; that; as soon as the man is right;
assurances and previsions emanate from the interior of his body and
his mind; as; when flowers reach their ripeness; incense exhales from
them; and; as a beautiful atmosphere is generated from the planet by
the averaged emanations from all its rocks and soils。
Thus man is made equal to every event。 He can face danger for
the right。 A poor; tender; painful body; he can run into flame or
bullets or pestilence; with duty for his guide。 He feels the
insurance of a just employment。 I am not afraid of accident; as long
as I am in my place。 It is strange that superior persons should not
feel that they have some better resistance against cholera; than
avoiding green peas and salads。 Life is hardly respectable; is
it? if it has no generous; guaranteeing task; no duties or
affections; that constitute a necessity of existing。 Every man's
task is his life…preserver。 The conviction that his work is dear to
God and cannot be spared; defends him。 The lightning…rod that
disarms the cloud of its threat is his body in its duty。 A high aim
reacts on the means; on the days; on the organs of the body。 A high
aim is curative; as well as arnica。 〃Napoleon;〃 says Goethe;
〃visited those sick of the plague; in order to prove that the man who
could vanquish fear; could vanquish the plague also; and he was
right。 'Tis incredible what force the will has in such cases: it
penetrates the body; and puts it in a state of activity; which repels
all hurtful influences; whilst fear invites them。〃
It is related of William of Orange; that; whilst he was
besieging a town on the continent; a gentleman sent to him on public
business came to his camp; and; learning that the King was before the
walls; he ventured to go where he was。 He found him directing the
operation of his gunners; and; having explained his errand; and
received his answer; the King said; 〃Do you not know; sir; that every
moment you spend here is at the risk of your life?〃 〃I run no more
risk;〃 replied the gentleman; 〃than your Majesty。〃 〃Yes;〃 said the
King; 〃but my duty brings me here; and yours does not。〃 In a few
minutes; a cannon…ball fell on the spot; and the gentleman was
killed。
Thus can the faithful student reverse all the warnings of his
early instinct; under the guidance of a deeper instinct。 He learns
to welcome misfortune; learns that adversity is the prosperity of the
great。 He learns the greatness of humility。 He shall work in the
dark; work against failure; pain; and ill…will。 If he is insulted;
he can be insulted; all his affair is not to insult。 Hafiz writes;
At the last day; men shall wear
On their heads the dust;
As ensign and as ornament
Of their lowly trust。
The moral equalizes all; enriches; empowers all。 It is the
coin which buys all; and which all find in their pocket。 Under the
whip of the driver; the slave shall feel his equality with saints and
heroes。 In the greatest destitution and calamity; it surprises man
with a feeling of elasticity which makes nothing of loss。
I recall some traits of a remarkable person whose life and
discourse betrayed many inspirations of this sentiment。 Benedict was
always great in the present time。 He had hoarded nothing from the
past; neither in his cabinets; neither in his memory。 He had no
designs on the future; neither for what he should do to men; nor for
what men should do for him。 He said; ‘I am never beaten until I know
that I am beaten。 I meet powerful brutal people to whom I have no
skill to reply。 They think they have defeated me。 It is so
published in society; in the journals; I am defeated in this fashion;
in all men's sight; perhaps on a dozen different lines。 My leger may
show that I am in debt; cannot yet make my ends meet; and vanquish
the enemy so。 My race may not be prospering: we are sick; ugly;
obscure; unpopular。 My children may be worsted。 I seem to fail in
my friends and clients; too。 That is to say; in all the encounters
that have yet chanced; I have not been weaponed for that particular
occasion; and have been historically beaten; and yet; I know; all the
time; that I have never been beaten; have never yet fought; shall
certainly fight; when my hour comes; and shall beat。' 〃A man;〃 says
the Vishnu Sarma; 〃who having well compared his own strength or
weakness with that of others; after all doth not know the difference;
is easily overcome by his enemies。〃
‘I spent;' he said; ‘ten months in the country。 Thick…starred
Orion was my only companion。 Wherever a squirrel or a bee can go
with security; I can go。 I ate whatever was set before me; I touched
ivy and dogwood。 When I went abroad; I kept company with every man
on the road; for I knew that my evil and my good did not come from
these; but from the Spirit; whose servant I was。 For I could not
stoop to be a circumstance; as they did; who put their life into
their fortune and their company。 I would not degrade myself by
casting about in my memory for a thought; nor by waiting for one。 If
the thought come; I would give it entertainment。 It should; as it
ought; go into my hands and feet; but if it come not spontaneously;
it comes not rightly at all。 If it can spare me; I am sure I can
spare it。 It shall be the same with my friends。 I will never woo
the loveliest。 I will not ask any friendship or favor。 When I come
to my own; we shall both know it。 Nothing will be to be asked or to
be granted。' Benedict went out to seek his friend; and met him on the
way; but he expressed no surprise at any coincidences。 On the other
hand; if he called at the door of his friend; and he was not at home;
he did not go again; concluding that he had misinterpreted the
intimations。
He had the whim not to make an apology to the same individual
whom he had wronged。 For this; he said; was a piece of personal
vanity; but he would correct his conduct in that respect in which he
had faulted; to the next person he should meet。 Thus; he said;
universal justice was satisfied。
Mira came to ask what she should do with the poor Genesee woman
who had hired herself to work for her; at a shilling a day; and; now
sickening; was like to be bedridden on her hands。 Should she keep
her; or should she dismiss her? But Benedict said; ‘Why ask? One
thing will clear itself as the thing to be done; and not another;
when the hour comes。 Is it a question; whether to put her into the
street? Just as much whether to thrust the little Jenny on your arm
into the street。 The milk and meal you give the beggar; will fatten
Jenny。 Thrust the woman out; and you thrust your babe out of doors;
whether it so seem to you or not。'
In the Shakers; so called; I find one piece of belief; in the
doctrine which they faithfully hold; that encourages them to open
their doors to every wayfaring man who proposes to come among them;
for; they say; the Spirit will presently manifest to the man himself;
and to the society; what manner of person he is; and whether he
belongs among them。 They do not receive him; they do not reject him。
And not in vain have they worn their clay coat; and drudged in their
fields; and shuffled in their Bruin dance; from year to year; if they
have truly learned thus much wisdom。
Honor him whose life is perpetual victory; him; who; by
sympathy with the invisible and real; finds support in labor; instead
of praise; who does not shine; and would rather not。 With eyes open;
he makes the choice of virtue; which outrages the virtuous; of
religion; which churches stop their discords to burn and exterminate;
for the highest virtue is always against the law。
Miracle comes to the miraculous; not to the arithmetician。
Talent and success interest me but moderately。 The great class; they
who affect our imagination; the men who could not make their hands
meet around their objects; the rapt; the lost; the fools of ideas;
they suggest what they cannot execute。 They speak to the ages; and
are heard from afar。 The Spirit does not love cripples and
malformations。 If there ever was a good man; be certain; there was
another; and will be more。
And so in relation to that future hour; that spectre clothed
with beauty at our curtain by night; at our table by day; the
apprehension; the assurance of a coming change。 The race of mankind
have always offered at least this implied thanks for the gift of
existence; namely; the terror of its being taken away; the
insatiable curiosity and appetite for its continuation。 The whole
revelation that is vouchsafed us; is; the gentle trust; which; in our
experience we find; will cover also with flowers the slopes of this
chasm。
Of immortality; the soul; when well employed; is incurious。 It
is so well; that it is sure it will be well。 It asks no questions of
the Supreme Power。 The son of Antiochus asked his father; when he
would join battle? 〃Dost thou fear;〃 replied the King; 〃that thou
only in all the army wilt not hear the trumpet?〃 'Tis a higher thing
to confide; that; if it is best we should live; we shall live;
'tis higher to have this conviction; than to have the lease of
indefinite centuries and millenniums and aeons。 Higher than the
question of our duration is the question of our deserving。
Immortality will come to such
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