lecture19-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！








＇312＇　Ibid。；　p。　126。







＇313＇　Op。　cit。；　p。　383；　abridged。















When　the　supplies　came　in　but　slowly；　Muller　always　considered



that　this　was　for　the　trial　of　his　faith　and　patience　When　his



faith　and　patience　had　been　sufficiently　tried；　the　Lord　would



send　more　means。　　〃And　thus　it　has　proved；〃I　quote　from　his



diary〃for　to…day　was　given　me　the　sum　of　2050　pounds；　of　which



2000　are　for　the　building　fund　＇of　a　certain　house＇；　and　50　for



present　necessities。　　It　is　impossible　to　describe　my　joy　in　God



when　I　received　this　donation。　　I　was　neither　excited　nor



surprised；　for　I　LOOK　out　for　answers　to　my　prayers。　　I　BELIEVE



THAT　GOD　HEARS　ME。　　Yet　my　heart　was　so　full　of　joy　that　I　could



only　SIT　before　God；　and　admire　him；　like　David　in　2　Samuel　vii。　



At　last　I　cast　myself　flat　down　upon　my　face　and　burst　forth　in



thanksgiving　to　God　and　in　surrendering　my　heart　afresh　to　him



for　his　blessed　service。〃＇314＇







＇314＇　Ibid。；　p。　323















George　Muller's　is　a　case　extreme　in　every　respect；　and　in　no



respect　more　so　than　in　the　extraordinary　narrowness　of　the　man's



intellectual　horizon。　　His　God　was；　as　he　often　said；　his



business　partner。　　He　seems　to　have　been　for　Muller　little　more



than　a　sort　of　supernatural　clergyman　interested　in　the



congregation　of　tradesmen　and　others　in　Bristol　who　were　his



saints；　and　in　the　orphanages　and　other　enterprises；　but



unpossessed　of　any　of　those　vaster　and　wilder　and　more　ideal



attributes　with　which　the　human　imagination　elsewhere　has



invested　him。　　Muller；　in　short；　was　absolutely　unphilosophical。　



His　intensely　private　and　practical　conception　of　his　relations



with　the　Deity　continued　the　traditions　of　the　most　primitive



human　thought。＇315＇　　When　we　compare　a　mind　like　his　with　such　a



mind　as；　for　example；　Emerson's　or　Phillips　Brooks's；　we　see　the



range　which　the　religious　consciousness　covers。







＇315＇　I　cannot　resist　the　temptation　of　quoting　an　expression　of



an　even　more　primitive　style　of　religious　thought；　which　I　find



in　Arber's　English　Garland；　vol。　vii。　p。　440。　　Robert　Lyde；　an



English　sailor；　along　with　an　English　boy；　being　prisoners　on　a



French　ship　in　1689；　set　upon　the　crew；　of　seven　Frenchmen；



killed　two；　made　the　other　five　prisoners；　and　brought　home　the



ship。　　Lyde　thus　describes　how　in　this　feat　he　found　his　God　a



very　present　help　in　time　of　trouble：







〃With　the　assistance　of　God　I　kept　my　feet　when　they　three　and



one　more　did　strive　to　throw　me　down。　　Feeling　the　Frenchman



which　hung　about　my　middle　hang　very　heavy；　I　said　to　the　boy；



'Go　round　the　binnacle；　and　knock　down　that　man　that　hangeth　on



my　back。'　　So　the　boy　did　strike　him　one　blow　on　the　head　which



made　him　fall。　。　。　。　Then　I　looked　about　for　a　marlin　spike　or



anything　else　to　strike　them　withal。　　But　seeing　nothing；　I　said；



'LORD！　what　shall　I　do？'　　Then　casting　up　my　eye　upon　my　left



side；　and　seeing　a　marlin　spike　hanging；　I　jerked　my　right　arm



and　took　hold；　and　struck　the　point　four　times　about　a　quarter　of



an　inch　deep　into　the　skull　of　that　man　that　had　hold　of　my　left



arm。　　＇One　of　the　Frenchmen　then　hauled　the　marlin　spike　away



from　him。＇　　But　through　GOD'S　wonderful　providence！　it　either



fell　out　of　his　hand；　or　else　he　threw　it　down；　and　at　this　time



the　Almighty　GOD　gave　me　strength　enough　to　take　one　man　in　one



hand；　and　throw　at　the　other's　head：　　and　looking　about　again　to



see　anything　to　strike　them　withal；　but　seeing　nothing；　I　said；



'LORD！　what　shall　I　do　now？'　　And　then　it　pleased　GOD　to　put　me



in　mind　of　my　knife　in　my　pocket。　　And　although　two　of　the　men



had　hold　of　my　right　arm；　yet　GOD　Almighty　strengthened　me　so



that　I　put　my　right　hand　into　my　right　pocket；　drew　out　the　knife



and　sheath；　。　。　。　put　it　between　my　legs　and　drew　it　out；　and



then　cut　the　man's　throat　with　it　that　had　his　back　to　my　breast：　



and　he　immediately　dropt　down；　and　scarce　ever　stirred　after。〃I



have　slightly　abridged　Lyde's　narrative。















There　is　an　immense　literature　relating　to　answers　to　petitional



prayer。　　The　evangelical　journals　are　filled　with　such　answers；



and　books　are　devoted　to　the　subject；＇316＇　but　for　us　Muller's



case　will　suffice。







＇316＇　As；　for　instance；　In　Answer　to　Prayer；　by　the　Bishop　of



Ripon　and　others；　London；　1898；　Touching　Incidents　and　Remarkable



Answers　to　Prayer；　Harrisburg；　Pa。；　1898　（？）；　H。　L。　Hastings：　



The　Guiding　Hand；　or　Providential　Direction；　illustrated　by



Authentic　Instances；　Boston；　1898（？）。















A　less　sturdy　beggar…like　fashion　of　leading　the　prayerful　life



is　followed　by　innumerable　other　Christians。　　Persistence　in



leaning　on　the　Almighty　for　support　and　guidance　will；　such



persons　say；　bring　with　it　proofs；　palpable　but　much　more　subtle；



of　his　presence　and　active　influence。　　The　following　description



of　a　〃led〃　life；　by　a　German　writer　whom　I　have　already　quoted；



would　no　doubt　appear　to　countless　Christians　in　every　country　as



if　transcribed　from　their　own　personal　experience。　　One　finds　in



this　guided　sort　of　life；　says　Dr。　Hilty







〃That　books　and　words　（and　sometimes　people）　come　to　one's



cognizance　just　at　the　very　moment　in　which　one　needs　them；　that



one　glides　over　great　dangers　as　if　with　shut　eyes；　remaining



ignorant　of　what　would　have　terrified　one　or　led　one　astray；



until　the　peril　is　pastthis　being　especially　the　case　with



temptations　to　vanity　and　sensuality；　that　paths　on　which　one



ought　not　to　wander　are；　as　it　were；　hedged　off　with　thorns；　but



that　on　the　other　side　great　obstacles　are　suddenly　removed；　that



when　the　time　has　come　for　something；　one　suddenly　receives　a



courage　that　formerly　failed；　or　perceives　the　root　of　a　matter



that　until　then　was　concealed；　or　discovers　thoughts；　talents；



yea；　even　pieces　of　knowledge　and　insight；　in　one's　self；　of



which　it　is　impossible　to　say　whence　they　come；　finally；　that



persons　help　us　or　decline　to　help　us；　favor　us　or　refuse　us；　as



if　they　had　to　do　so　against　their　will；　so　that　often　those



indifferent　or　even　unfriendly　to　us　yield　us　the　greatest



service　and　furtherance。　　（God　takes　often　their　worldly　goods；



from　those　whom　he　leads；　at　just　the　right　moment；　when　they



threaten　to　impede　the　effort　after　higher　interests。）







〃Besides　all　this；　other　noteworthy　things　come　to　pass；　of　which



it　is　not　easy　to　give　account。　　There　is　no　doubt　whatever　that



now　one　walks　continually　through　'open　doors'　and　on　the　easiest



roads；　with　as　little　care　and　trouble　as　it　is　possible　to



imagine。







〃Furthermore　one　finds　one's　self　settling　one's　affairs　neither



too　early　nor　too　late；　whereas　they　were　wont　to　be　spoiled　by



untimeliness；　even　when　the　preparations　had　been　well　laid。　In



addition　to　this；　one　does　them　with　perfect　tranquillity　of



mind；　almost　as　if　they　were　matters　of　no　consequence；　like



errands　done　by　us　for　another　person；　in　which　case　we　usually



act　more　calmly　than　when　we　act　in　our　own　concerns。　　Again；　one



finds　that　one　can　WAIT　for　everything　patiently；　and　that　is　one



of　life's　great　arts。　　One　finds　also　that　each　thing　comes　duly；



one　thing　after　the　other；　so　that　one　gains　time　to　make　one's



footing　sure　before　advancing　farther。　　And　then　every　thing



occurs　to　us　at　the　right　moment；　just　what　we　ought　to　do；　etc。；



and　often　in　a　very　striking　way；　just　as　if　a　third　person　were



keeping　watch　over　those　things　which　we　are　in　easy　danger　of



forgetting。







〃Often；　too；　persons　are　sent　to　us　at　the　right　time；　to　offer



or　ask　for　what　is　needed；　and　what　we　should　never　have　had　the



courage　or　resolution　to　undertake　of　our　own　accord。







〃Through　all　these　experiences　one　finds　that　one　is　kindly　and



tolerant　of　other　people；　even　of　such　as　are　repulsive；



negligent；　or　ill…willed；　for　they　also　are　instruments　of　good



in　God's　hand；　and　often　most　efficient　ones。　　Without　these



thoughts　it　would　be　hard　for　even　the　best　of　us　always　to　keep



our　equanimity。　　But　with　the　consciousness　of　divine　guidance；



one　sees　many　a　thing　in　life　quite　differently　from　what　would



otherwise　be　possible。







〃All　these　are　things　that　every　human　being　KNOWS；　who　has　had



experience　of　them；　and　of　which　the　most　speaking　examples　could



be　brought　forward。　　The　highest　resources　of　worldly　wisdom　are



unable　to　attain　that　which；　un