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addresses-第15章

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share His life; and therefore share its consequences; and one of

these is Joy。  His method of living is one that in the nature of

things produces Joy。  When He spoke of His Joy remaining with us

He meant in part that the causes which produced it should continue

to act。  His followers; (that is to say); by REPEATING His life

would experience its accompaniments。  His Joy; His kind of Joy;

would remain with them。



The medium through which this Joy comes is next explained:  〃He that

abideth in Me; the same bringeth forth much fruit。〃  Fruit first;

Joy next; the one the cause or medium of the other。  Fruit…bearing

is the necessary antecedent; Joy both the necessary consequent and

the necessary accompaniment。  It lay partly in the bearing fruit;

partly in the fellowship which made that possible。  Partly; that

is to say; Joy lay in mere constant living in Christ's presence;

with all that that implied of peace; of shelter; and of love;

partly in the influence of that Life upon mind and character and

will; and partly in the inspiration to live and work for others;

with all that that brought of self…riddance and joy in others'

gain。  All these; in different ways and at different times; are



Sources of pure happiness。



Even the simplest of themto do good to other peopleis an instant

and infallible specific。  There is no mystery about Happiness

whatever。  Put in the right ingredients and it must come out。  He

that abideth in Him will bring forth much fruit; and bringing forth

much fruit is Happiness。  The infallible receipt for Happiness;

then; is to do good; and the infallible receipt for doing good

is to abide in Christ。  The surest proof that all this is a plain

matter of Cause and Effect is that men may try every other conceivable

way of finding happiness; and they will fail。  Only the right cause

in each case can produce the right effect。



Then the Christian experiences are our own making?  In the same

sense in which grapes are our own making and no more。  All fruits

GROWwhether they grow in the soil or in the soul; whether they

are the fruits of the wild grape or of the True Vine。  No man can

MAKE things grow。  He can GET THEM TO GROW by arranging all the

circumstances and fulfilling all the conditions。  But the growing

is done by God。  Causes and effects are eternal arrangements; set

in the constitution of the world; fixed beyond man's ordering。

What man can do is to place himself in the midst of a chain of

sequences。  Thus he can get things to grow。  But the power is the

Spirit of God。



What more need I add but thistest the method by experiment。  Do

not imagine that you have got these things because you know how to

get them。  As well try to feed upon a cookery book。  But I think

I can promise that if you try in this simple and natural way; you

will not fail。  Spend the time you have spent in sighing for fruits

in fulfilling the conditions of their growth。  The fruits will come;

must come。  We have hitherto paid immense attention to EFFECTS; to

the mere experiences themselves; we have described them; extolled

them; advised them; prayed for themdone everything but find out

what CAUSED them。  Henceforth



Let us deal with causes。



〃To be;〃 says Lotze; 〃is to be in relations。〃  About every other

method of living the Christian life there is an uncertainty。  About

every other method of acquiring the Christian experiences there is

a 〃perhaps。〃  But in so far as this method is the way of nature;

it cannot fail。  Its guarantee is the laws of the universeand

these are 〃the Hands of the Living God。〃



The true vine。



〃I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman。  Every branch

in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that

beareth fruit; he purgeth it; that it may bring forth more fruit。

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you。  Abide

in me; and I in you。  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself;

except it abide in the vine; no more can ye; except ye abide in

me。  I am the vine; ye are the branches:  He that abideth in me;

and I in him; the same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without me

ye can do nothing。  If a man abide not in me; he is cast forth as

a branch; and is withered; and men gather them; and cast them into

the fire; and they are burned。  If ye abide in me; and my word abide

in you; ye shall ask what ye will; and it shall be done unto you。

Herein is my Father glorified; that ye bear much fruit; so ye shall

be my disciples。  As the Father hath loved me; so have I loved

you:  continue ye in my love。  If ye keep my commandments; ye shall

abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments;

and abide in his love。  These things have I spoken unto you; that

my joy might remain in you; and that your joy might be full。〃











〃FIRST!〃 An Address to boys。









I have three heads to give you。  The first is 〃Geography;〃 the

second is 〃Arithmetic;〃 and the third is 〃Grammar。〃



I。



First。  Geography tells us where to find places。



Where is the Kingdom of God?  It is said that when a Prussian

officer was killed in the Franco…Prussian war; a map of France was

very often found in his pocket。  When we wish to occupy a country;

we ought to know its geography。  Now; WHERE is the Kingdom of God?

A boy over there says; 〃It is in heaven。〃  No; it is not in heaven。

Another boy says; 〃It is in the Bible。〃  No; it is not in the

Bible。  Another boy says; 〃It must be in the Church;〃 No; it is not

in the Church。  Heaven is only the capital of the Kingdom of God;

the Bible is the guide…book to it; the Church is the weekly parade

of those who belong to it。  If you turn to the seventeenth chapter

of Luke you will find out where the Kingdom of God really is:  〃The

Kingdom of God is within you〃within YOU。  The Kingdom of God is

INSIDE PEOPLE。



I remember once taking a walk by the river near where the Falls of

Niagara are; and I noticed a remarkable figure walking along the

river bank。  I had been some time in America。  I had seen black

men; and red men; and yellow men; and white men; black men; the

Negroes; red men; the Indians; yellow men; the Chinese; white men;

the Americans。  But this man looked quite different in his dress

from anything I had ever seen。  When he came a little closer; I

saw he was wearing a kilt; when he came a little nearer still; I

saw that he was dressed exactly like a Highland soldier。  When he

came quiet near; I said to him:



〃What are you doing here?〃



〃Why should I not be here?〃 he replied; 〃don't you know this is

British soil?  When you cross the river you come into Canada。〃



This soldier was thousands of miles from England; and yet he was

in the Kingdom of England。  Wherever there is an English heart

beating loyal to the Queen of Britain; there is England。  Wherever

there is a boy whose heart is loyal to the Kingdom of God; the

Kingdom of God is within him。



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