lectures11-13-第6章

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conquered；　and　the　sting　taken　out　of　it　altogether；　by　the



thought　that　God　is　our　loving　and　sleepless　keeper；　and　that



nothing　can　hurt　us　without　his　will。〃＇158＇







＇158＇　The　Mystery　of　Pain　and　Death；　London；　1892；　p。　258。















More　excited　expressions　of　this　condition　are　abundant　in



religious　literature。　　I　could　easily　weary　you　with　their



monotony。　Here　is　an　account　from　Mrs。　Jonathan　Edwards：







〃Last　night；〃　Mrs。　Edwards　writes；　〃was　the　sweetest　night　I



ever　had　in　my　life。　　I　never　before；　for　so　long　a　time



together；　enjoyed　so　much　of　the　light　and　rest　and　sweetness　of



heaven　in　my　soul；　but　without　the　least　agitation　of　body　during



the　whole　time。　　Part　of　the　night　I　lay　awake；　sometimes　asleep；



and　sometimes　between　sleeping　and　waking。　　But　all　night　I



continued　in　a　constant；　clear；　and　lively　sense　of　the　heavenly



sweetness　of　Christ's　excellent　love；　of　his　nearness　to　me；　and



of　my　dearness　to　him；　with　an　inexpressibly　sweet　calmness　of



soul　in　an　entire　rest　in　him。　　I　seemed　to　myself　to　perceive　a



glow　of　divine　love　come　down　from　the　heart　of　Christ　in　heaven



into　my　heart　in　a　constant　stream；　like　a　stream　or　pencil　of



sweet　light。　　At　the　same　time　my　heart　and　soul　all　flowed　out



in　love　to　Christ；　so　that　there　seemed　to　be　a　constant　flowing



and　reflowing　of　heavenly　love；　and　I　appeared　to　myself　to　float



or　swim；　in　these　bright；　sweet　beams；　like　the　motes　swimming　in



the　beams　of　the　sun；　or　the　streams　of　his　light　which　come　in



at　the　window。　　I　think　that　what　I　felt　each　minute　was　worth



more　than　all　the　outward　comfort　and　pleasure　which　I　had



enjoyed　in　my　whole　life　put　together。　　It　was　pleasure；　without



the　least　sting；　or　any　interruption。　　It　was　a　sweetness；　which



my　soul　was　lost　in；　it　seemed　to　be　all　that　my　feeble　frame



could　sustain。　　There　was　but　little　difference；　whether　I　was



asleep　or　awake；　but　if　there　was　any　difference；　the　sweetness



was　greatest　while　I　was　asleep。＇159＇　　As　I　awoke　early　the　next



morning；　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　entirely　done　with　myself。　　I



felt　that　the　opinions　of　the　world　concerning　me　were　nothing；



and　that　I　had　no　more　to　do　with　any　outward　interest　of　my　own



than　with　that　of　a　person　whom　I　never　saw。　The　glory　of　God



seemed　to　swallow　up　every　wish　and　desire　of　my　heart。　。　。　。



After　retiring　to　rest　and　sleeping　a　little　while；　I　awoke；　and



was　led　to　reflect　on　God's　mercy　to　me；　in　giving　me；　for　many



years；　a　willingness　to　die；　and　after　that；　in　making　me　willing



to　live；　that　I　might　do　and　suffer　whatever　he　called　me　to



here。　　I　also　thought　how　God　had　graciously　given　me　an　entire



resignation　to　his　will；　with　respect　to　the　kind　and　manner　of



death　that　I　should　die；　having　been　made　willing　to　die　on　the



rack；　or　at　the　stake；　and　if　it　were　God's　will；　to　die　in



darkness。　　But　now　it　occurred　to　me；　I　used　to　think　of　living



no　longer　than　to　the　ordinary　age　of　man。　　Upon　this　I　was　led



to　ask　myself；　whether　I　was　not　willing　to　be　kept　out　of　heaven



even　longer；　and　my　whole　heart　seemed　immediately　to　reply：　



Yes；　a　thousand　years；　and　a　thousand　in　horror；　if　it　be　most



for　the　honor　of　God；　the　torment　of　my　body　being　so　great；



awful；　and　overwhelming　that　none　could　bear　to　live　in　the



country　where　the　spectacle　was　seen；　and　the　torment　of　my　mind



being　vastly　greater。　　And　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　found　a　perfect



willingness；　quietness；　and　alacrity　of　soul　in　consenting　that



it　should　be　so；　if　it　were　most　for　the　glory　of　God；　so　that



there　was　no　hesitation；　doubt；　or　darkness　in　my　mind。　　The



glory　of　God　seemed　to　overcome　me　and　swallow　me　up；　and　every



conceivable　suffering；　and　everything　that　was　terrible　to　my



nature；　seemed　to　shrink　to　nothing　before　it。　　This　resignation



continued　in　its　clearness　and　brightness　the　rest　of　the　night；



and　all　the　next　day；　and　the　night　following；　and　on　Monday　in



the　forenoon；　without　interruption　or　abatement。〃＇160＇







＇159＇　Compare　Madame　Guyon：　　〃It　was　my　practice　to　arise　at



midnight　for　purposes　of　devotion。　。　。　。　It　seemed　to　me　that



God　came　at　the　precise　time　and　woke　me　from　sleep　in　order　that



I　might　enjoy　him。　　When　I　was　out　of　health　or　greatly　fatigued；



he　did　not　awake　me；　but　at　such　times　I　felt；　even　in　my　sleep；



a　singular　possession　of　God。　　He　loved　me　so　much　that　he　seemed



to　pervade　my　being；　at　a　time　when　I　could　be　only　imperfectly



conscious　of　his　presence。　　My　sleep　is　sometimes　brokena　sort



of　half　sleep；　but　my　soul　seems　to　be　awake　enough　to　know　God；



when　it　is　hardly　capable　of　knowing　anything　else。〃　　T。　C。



Upham：　　The　Life　and　Religious　Experiences　of　Madame　de　la　Mothe



Guyon；　New　York；　1877；　vol。　i。　p。　260。







＇160＇　I　have　considerably　abridged　the　words　of　the　original；



which　is　given　in　Edwards's　Narrative　of　the　Revival　in　New



England。















The　annals　of　Catholic　saintship　abound　in　records　as　ecstatic　or



more　ecstatic　than　this。　　〃Often　the　assaults　of　the　divine



love；〃　it　is　said　of　the　Sister　Seraphique　de　la　Martiniere；



〃reduced　her　almost　to　the　point　of　death。　　She　used　tenderly　to



complain　of　this　to　God。　　'I　cannot　support　it；'　she　used　to　say。







'Bear　gently　with　my　weakness；　or　I　shall　expire　under　the



violence　of　your　love。'〃＇161＇







＇161＇　Bougaud：　　Hist。　de　la　Bienheureuse　Marguerite　Marie；　1894；



p。　125。















Let　me　pass　next　to　the　Charity　and　Brotherly　Love　which　are　a



usual　fruit　of　saintliness；　and　have　always　been　reckoned



essential　theological　virtues；　however　limited　may　have　been　the



kinds　of　service　which　the　particular　theology　enjoined。



Brotherly　love　would　follow　logically　from　the　assurance　of　God's



friendly　presence；　the　notion　of　our　brotherhood　as　men　being　an



immediate　inference　from　that　of　God's　fatherhood　of　us　all。　



When　Christ　utters　the　precepts：　　〃Love　your　enemies；　bless　them



that　curse　you；　do　good　to　them　that　hate　you；　and　pray　for　them



which　despitefully　use　you；　and　persecute　you；〃　he　gives　for　a



reason：　　〃That　ye　may　be　the　children　of　your　Father　which　is　in



heaven：　　for　he　maketh　his　sun　to　rise　on　the　evil　and　on　the



good；　and　sendeth　rain　on　the　just　and　on　the　unjust。〃　　One



might　therefore　be　tempted　to　explain　both　the　humility　as　to



one's　self　and　the　charity　towards　others　which　characterize



spiritual　excitement；　as　results　of　the　all…leveling　character　of



theistic　belief。　　But　these　affections　are　certainly　not　mere



derivatives　of　theism。　　We　find　them　in　Stoicism；　in　Hinduism；



and　in　Buddhism　in　the　highest　possible　degree。　They　HARMONIZE



with　paternal　theism　beautifully；　but　they　harmonize　with　all



reflection　whatever　upon　the　dependence　of　mankind　on　general



causes；　and　we　must；　I　think；　consider　them　not　subordinate　but



coordinate　parts　of　that　great　complex　excitement　in　the　study　of



which　we　are　engaged。　Religious　rapture；　moral　enthusiasm；



ontological　wonder；　cosmic　emotion；　are　all　unifying　states　of



mind；　in　which　the　sand　and　grit　of　the　selfhood　incline　to



disappear；　and　tenderness　to　rule。　　The　best　thing　is　to　describe



the　condition　integrally　as　a　characteristic　affection　to　which



our　nature　is　liable；　a　region　in　which　we　find　ourselves　at



home；　a　sea　in　which　we　swim；　but　not　to　pretend　to　explain　its



parts　by　deriving　them　too　cleverly　from　one　another。　　Like　love



or　fear；　the　faith…state　is　a　natural　psychic　complex；　and



carries　charity　wit