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addresses-第4章

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For sheer gratuitous misery…producing power





this influence stands alone。



Look at the Elder Brothermoral; hard…working; patient; dutifullet

him get all credit for his virtueslook at this man; this baby;

sulking outside his own father's door。  〃He was angry;〃 we read;

〃and would not go in。〃  Look at the effect upon the father; upon the

servants; upon the happiness of the guests。  Judge of the effect

upon the Prodigaland how many prodigals are kept out of the

Kingdom of God by the unlovely character of those who profess to

be inside。  Analyze; as a study in Temper; the thunder…cloud itself

as it gathers upon the Elder Brother's brow。  What is it made of?

Jealousy; anger; pride; uncharity; cruelty; self…righteousness;

touchiness; doggedness; sullennessthese are the ingredients of

this dark and loveless soul。  In varying proportions; also; these

are the ingredients of all ill temper。  Judge if such sins are of

the disposition are not worse to live in; and for others to live

with; than the sins of the body。  Did Christ indeed not answer the

question Himself when He said; 〃I say unto you that the publicans

and the harlots go into the Kingdom of Heaven before you〃?  There

is really no place in heaven for a disposition like this。  A man

with such a mood could only make heaven miserable for all the people

in it。  Except; therefore; such a man be





Born again;





he cannot; simply CANNOT; enter the kingdom of heaven。



You will see then why Temper is significant。  It is not in what

it is alone; but in what it reveals。  This is why I speak of it

with such unusual plainness。  It is a test for love; a symptom; a

revelation of an unloving nature at bottom。  It is the intermittent

fever which bespeaks unintermittent disease within; the occasional

bubble escaping to the surface which betrays some rottenness

underneath; a sample of the most hidden products of the soul dropped

involuntarily when off one's guard; in a word; the lightning form

of a hundred hideous and un…Christian sins。  A want of patience; a

want of kindness; a want of generosity; a want of courtesy; a want

of unselfishness; are all instantaneously symbolized in one flash

of Temper。



Hence it is not enough to deal with the Temper。  We must go to the

source; and change the inmost nature; and the angry humors will die

away of themselves。  souls are made sweet not by taking the acid

fluids out; but by putting something ina great Love; a new Spirit;

the Spirit of Christ。  Christ; the Spirit of Christ; interpenetrating

ours; sweetens; purifies; transforms all。  This only can eradicate

what is wrong; work a chemical change; renovate and regenerate;

and rehabilitate the inner man。  Will…power does not change men。

Time does not change men。





Christ does。





Therefore; 〃Let that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus。〃



Some of us have not much time to lose。  Remember; once more; that

this is a matter of life or death。  I cannot help speaking urgently;

for myself; for yourselves。  〃Whoso shall offend one of these little

ones; which believe in me; it were better for him that a millstone

were hanged about his neck; and that he were drowned in the depth

of the sea。〃  That is to say; it is the deliberate verdict of the

Lord Jesus that it is better not to live than not to love。  IT IS

BETTER NOT TO LIVE THAN NOT TO LOVE。



GUILELESSNESS and SINCERITY may be dismissed almost without a word。

Guilelessness is the grace for suspicious people。  The possession

of it is





The great secret of personal influence。





You will find; if you think for a moment; that the people who

influence you are people who believe in you。  In an atmosphere of

suspicion men shrivel up; but in that atmosphere they expand; and

find encouragement and educative fellowship。



It is a wonderful thing that here and there in this hard; uncharitable

world there should still be left a few rare souls who think no

evil。  this is the great unworldliness。  Love 〃thinketh no evil;〃

imputes no motive; sees the bright side; puts the best construction

on every action。  What a delightful state of mind to live in!  What

a stimulus and benediction even to meet with it for a day!  To

be trusted is to be saved。  And if we try to influence or elevate

others; we shall soon see that success is in proportion to their

belief of our belief in them。  The respect of another is the first

restoration of the self…respect a man has lost; our ideal of what

he is becomes to him the hope and pattern of what he may become。



〃Love rejoiceth not in unrighteousness; but rejoiceth with the

truth。〃  I have called this SINCERITY from the words rendered in

the Authorized Version by 〃rejoiceth in the truth。〃  And; certainly;

were this the real translation; nothing could be more just; for he

who loves will love Truth not less than men。  He will rejoice in

the Truthrejoice not in what he has been taught to believe; not

in this church's doctrine or in that; not in this ism or in that

ism; but 〃in THE TRUTH。〃  He will accept only what is real; he

will strive to get at facts; he will search for TRUTH with a humble

and unbiased mind; and cherish whatever he finds at any sacrifice。

But the more literal translation of the Revised Version calls for

just such a sacrifice for truth's sake here。  For what Paul really

meant is; as we there read; 〃Rejoiceth not in unrighteousness; but

rejoiceth with the truth;〃 a quality which probably no one English

wordand certainly not SINCERITYadequately defines。  It includes;

perhaps more strictly; the self…restraint which refuses to make

capital out of others' faults; the charity which delights not in

exposing the weakness of others; but 〃covereth all things〃; the

sincerity of purpose which endeavors to see things as they are;

and rejoices to find them better than suspicion feared or calumny

denounced。



So much for the analysis of Love。  Now the business of our lives

is to have these things fitted into our characters。  That is the

supreme work to which we need to address ourselves in this world;

to learn Love。  Is life not full of opportunities for learning

Love?  Every man and woman every day has a thousand of them。  The

world is not a playground; it is a schoolroom。  Life is not a

holiday; but an education。  And





The one eternal lesson





for us all is HOW BETTER WE CAN LOVE。



What makes a man a good cricketer?  Practice。  What makes a man

a good artist; a good sculptor; a good musician?  Practice。  What

makes a man a good linguist; a good stenographer?  Practice。  What

makes a man a good man?  Practice。  Nothing else。  There is nothing

capricious about religion。  We do not get the soul in different

ways; under different laws; from those in which we get the body

and the mind。  If a man does not exercise his arm he develops no

biceps muscle; and if a man does not exercise his soul; he acquires

no muscle in his soul; no st
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