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lecture19-第4部分

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'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
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