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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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