addresses-第5节

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knows　more　than　Sir　Isaac　Newton　knew；　his　knowledge　has　vanished

away。　　You　put　yesterday's　newspaper　in　the　fire：　　its　knowledge　has

vanished　away。　　You　buy　the　old　editions　of　the　great　encyclopaedias

for　a　few　cents：　　their　knowledge　has　vanished　away。　　Look　how　the

coach　has　been　superseded　by　the　use　of　steam。　　Look　how　electricity

has　superseded　that；　and　swept　a　hundred　almost　new　inventions

into　oblivion。　　One　of　the　greatest　living　authorities；　Sir　William

Thompson；　said　in　Scotland；　at　a　meeting　at　which　I　was　present；

〃The　steam…engine　is　passing　away。〃　　〃Whether　there　be　knowledge；

it　shall　vanish　away。〃　　At　every　workshop　you　will　see；　in　the

back　yard；　a　heap　of　old　iron；　a　few　wheels；　a　few　levers；　a　few

cranks；　broken　and　eaten　with　rust。　　Twenty　years　ago　that　was

the　pride　of　the　city。　　Men　flocked　in　from　the　country　to　see　the

great　invention；　not　it　is　superseded；　its　day　is　done。　　And　all

the　boasted　science　and　philosophy　of　this　day　will　soon　be　old。



In　my　time；　in　the　university　of　Edinburgh；　the　greatest　figure

in　the　faculty　was　Sir　James　Simpson；　the　discoverer　of　choloform。

Recently　his　successor　and　nephew；　Professor　Simpson；　was　asked　by

the　librarian　of　the　University　to　go　to　the　library　and　pick　out

the　books　on　his　subject　（midwifery）　that　were　no　longer　needed。

His　reply　to　the　librarian　was　this：



〃Take　every　text…book　that　is　more　than　ten　years　old　and　put　it

down　in　the　cellar。〃



Sir　James　Simpson　was　a　great　authority　only　a　few　years　ago：　　men

came　from　all　parts　of　the　earth　to　consult　him；　and　almost　the

whole　teaching　of　that　time　is　consigned　by　the　science　of　to…day

to　oblivion。　　And　in　every　branch　of　science　it　is　the　same。　　〃Now

we　know　in　part。　　We　see　through　a　glass　darkly。〃　　Knowledge　does

not　last。



Can　you　tell　me　anything　that　is　going　to　last？　　Many　things　Paul

did　not　condescend　to　name。　　He　did　not　mention　money；　fortune；

fame；　but　he　picked　out　the　great　things　of　his　time；　the　things

the　best　men　thought　had　something　in　them；　and　brushed　them

peremptorily　aside。　　Paul　had　no　charge　against　these　things　in

themselves。　　All　he　said　about　them　was　that　they　would　not　last。

They　were　great　things；　but　not　supreme　things。　　There　were　things

beyond　them。　　What　we　are　stretches　past　what　we　do；　beyond　what

we　possess。　　Many　things　that　men　denounce　as　sins　are　not　sins；

but　they　are　temporary。　　And　that　is　a　favorite　argument　of　the

New　Testament。　　John　says　of　the　world；　not　that　it　is　wrong；　but

simply　that　it　〃passeth　away。〃　　There　is　a　great　deal　in　the　world

that　is　delightful　and　beautiful；　there　is　a　great　deal　in　it　that

is　great　and　engrossing；　but





It　will　not　last。





All　that　is　in　the　world；　the　lust　of　the　eye；　the　lust　of　the

flesh；　and　the　pride　of　life；　are　but　for　a　little　while。　　Love　not

the　world　therefore。　　Nothing　that　it　contains　is　worth　the　life

and　consecration　of　an　immortal　soul。　　The　immortal　soul　must　give

itself　to　something　that　is　immortal。　　And　the　only　immortal　things

are　these：　　〃Now　abideth　faith；　hope；　love；　but　the　greatest　of

these　is　love。〃



Some　think　the　time　may　come　when　two　of　these　three　things　will

also　pass　awayfaith　into　sight；　hope　into　fruition。　　Paul　does

not　say　so。　　We　know　but　little　now　about　the　conditions　of　the

life　that　is　to　come。　　But　what　is　certain　is　that　Love　must　last。

God；　the　Eternal　God；　is　Love。　　Covet；　therefore；　that　everlasting

gift；　that　one　thing　which　it　is　certain　is　going　to　stand；　that

one　coinage　which　will　be　current　in　the　Universe　when　all　the

other　coinages　of　all　the　nations　of　the　world　shall　be　useless　and

unhonored。　　You　will　give　yourself　to　many　things；　give　yourself

first　to　Love。　　Hold　things　in　their　proportion。　　HOLD　THINGS

IN　THEIR　PROPORTION。　　Let　at　least　the　first　great　object　of　our

lives　be　to　achieve　the　character　defended　in　these　words；　the

characterand　it　is　he　character　of　Christwhich　is　built　round

Love。



I　have　said　this　thing　is　eternal。　　Did　you　ever　notice　how　continually

John　associates　love　and　faith　with　eternal　life？　　I　was　not　told

when　I　was　a　boy　that　〃God　so　loved　the　world　that　He　gave　His

only…begotten　Son；　that　whosoever　believeth　in　Him　should　have

everlasting　life。〃　　What　I　was　told；　I　remember；　was；　that　God　so

loved　the　world　that；　if　I　trusted　in　Him；　I　was　to　have　a　thing

called　peace；　or　I　was　to　have　rest；　or　I　was　to　have　joy；　or　I　was

to　have　safety。　　But　I　had　to　find　out　for　myself　that　whosoever

trusteth　in　Himthat　is；　whosoever　loveth　Him；　for　trust　is　only

the　avenue　to　Lovehath





Everlasting　life。





The　Gospel　offers　a　man　a　life。　　Never　offer　a　man　a　thimbleful　of

Gospel。　　Do　not　offer　them　merely　joy；　or　merely　peace；　or　merely

rest；　or　merely　safety；　tell　them　how　Christ　came　to　give　men　a　more

abundant　life　than　they　have；　a　life　abundant　in　love；　and　therefore

abundant　in　salvation　for　themselves；　and　large　in　enterprise　for

the　alleviation　and　redemption　of　the　world。　　Then　only　can　the

Gospel　take　hold　of　the　whole　of　a　man；　body；　soul　and　spirit；　and

give　to　each　part　of　his　nature　its　exercise　and　reward。　　Many　of

the　current　Gospels　are　addressed　only　to　a　part　of　man's　nature。

They　offer　peace；　not　life；　faith；　not　Love；　justification；　not

regeneration。　　And　men　slip　back　again　from　such　religion　because

it　has　never　really　held　them。　　Their　nature　was　not　all　in　it。　　It

offered　no　deeper　and　gladder　life…current　than　the　life　that　was

lived　before。　　Surely　it　stands　to　reason　that　only　a　fuller　love

can　compete　with　the　love　of　the　world。



To　love　abundantly　is　to　live　abundantly；　and　to　love　forever　is

to　live　forever。　　Hence；　eternal　life　is　inextricably　bound　up　with

love。　　We　want　to　live　forever　for　the　same　reason　that　we　want　to

live　to…morrow。　　Why　do　we　want　to　live　to…morrow？　　Is　it　because

there　is　some　one　who　loves　you；　and　whom　you　want　to　see　to…morrow；

and　be　with；　and　love　back？　　There　is　no　other　reason　why　we　should

live　on　than　that　we　love　and　are　beloved。　　It　is　when　a　man　has

no　one　to　love　him　that　he　commits　suicide。　　So　long　as　he　has

friends；　those　who　love　him　and　whom　he　loves；　he　will　live；　because

to　live　is　to　love。　　Be　it　but　the　love　of　a　dog；　it　will　keep　him

in　life；　but　let　that　go；　he　has　no　contact　with　life；　no　reason

to　live。　　He　dies　by　his　own　hand。



Eternal　life　also　is　to　know　God；　and　God　is　love。　　This　is　Christ's

own　definition。　　Ponder　it。　　〃This　is　life　eternal；　that　they　might

know　Thee　the　only　true　God；　and　Jesus　Christ　whom　Thou　hast　sent。〃

Love　must　be　eternal。　　It　is　what　God　is。　　On　the　last　analysis；

then；　love　is　life。　　Love　never　faileth；　and　life　never　faileth；

so　long　as　there　is　love。　　That　is　the　philosophy　of　what　Paul

is　showing　us；　the　reason　why　in　the　nature　of　things　love　should

be　the　supreme　thingbecause　it　is　going　to　last；　because　in　the

nature　of　things　it　is　an　Eternal　Life。　　It　is　a　thing　that　we　are

living　now；　not　that　we　get　when　we　die；　that　we　shall　have　a　poor

chance　of　getting　when　we　die　unless　we　are　living　now。





No　worse　fate





can　befall　a　man　in　this　world　than　to　live　and　grow　old　alone；

unloving　and　unloved。　　To　be　lost　is　to　live　in　an　unregenerate

condition；　loveless　and　unloved；　and　to　be　saved　is　to　love；　and

he　that　dwelleth　in　love　dwelleth　already　in　God。　　For　God　is　Love。



Now　I　have　all　but　finished。　　How　many　of　you　will　join　me　in

reading　this　chapter　once　a　week　for　the　next　three　months？　　A　man

did　that　once　and　it　changed　his　whole　life。　　Will　you　do　it？　　It

is　for　the　greatest　thing　in　the　world。　　You　might　begin　by　reading

it　every　day；　especially　the　verses　which　describe　the　perfect

character。　　〃Love　suffereth　long；　and　is　kind；　love　envieth　not；

love　vaunteth　not　itself。〃　　Get　these　ingredients　into　your　life。

Then　everything　that　you　do　is　eternal。　　It　is　worth　doing。　　It

is　worth　giving　time　to。　　No　man　can　become　a　saint　in　his　sleep；

and　to　fulfill　the　condition　required　demands　a　certain　amount　of

prayer　and　meditation　and　time；　just　as　improvement　in　any　direction；

bodily　or　mental；　requires　preparation　and　care。　　Address　yourselves

to　that　one　thing；　at　any　cost　have　this　transcendent　character

exchanged　for　yours。



You　will　find　as　you　look　back　upon　your　life　that　the　moments　that

stand　out；　the　moments　when　you　have　really　lived；　are　the　moments

when　you　have　done　things　in　a　spirit　of　love。　　As　memory　scans

the　past；　above　and　beyond　all　the　transitory　pleasures　of　life；

there　leap　forward　those　supreme　hours　when　you　have　been　enabled

to　do　unnoticed　kindnesses　to　those　round　about　you；　things　too

trifling　to　speak　about；　but　which　you　feel　have　entered　into　your

eternal　life。　　I　have　seen　almost　all　he　beautiful　things　God　has

made；　I　have　enjoyed　almost　every　pleasure　that　He　has　planned　for

man；　and　yet　as　I　look　back　I　see