The Jewish proverbs recognise that God makes one fundamental demand from men, namely Honesty of purpose—the very quality or attitude of soul which, as we have just seen, is so essential to the growth of moral character:
All the ways of a man are right in his own eyes,
But God weigheth the heart (Pr. 212).
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He that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, his offering is made in mockery; and the mockeries of wicked men are not well-pleasing (E. 3418).
Ben Sirach says of a sinner, confident in his wrong-doing because no man seeth him—But he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, beholding9 all the ways of men, and looking into secret places (E. 2319).
The Most High hath no pleasure in the offerings of the ungodly, neither is He pacified11 for sins by the multitude of sacrifices (E. 3419; cp. Pr. 2127).
It does not seem probable that the Almighty12 will be any the better impressed, should the wicked offer up hymns15 instead of sacrifices. Motive16 is still the criterion of worship: take heed17 how ye praise or pray, lest your words be no more than the sound of a voice; take heed how ye hear, lest, judging a sermon, you fail to hear God’s judgment18 of you; and above all remember that the chief act of worship, without which all else is in vain, must be rendered at home and in the city’s streets, for—said a Wise-man on whom the spirit of the prophets had descended—to do justice and equity19 is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice (Pr. 213). A plain commandment, but there is none greater: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
And to them that are fain to keep the commandment God giveth gifts. “But” says one, “how know you that they are God’s gifts? Is there a God to give? Faith is very difficult to attain.” Certainly faith is difficult to the sophisticated in this and every age; but to the Wise it has always seemed natural, and never impossible. Said a young Russian modernist, “I find it difficult not to believe in God.” So much in passing; we shall return to the question a little later. Meantime, however, let us turn to what cannot{275} be denied, the reality of the gifts and the axiomatic20 truth of the assertion that they are from God in the sense that they are the consequence of believing God is and is good.
To believe in the true God, the high and holy and merciful God of Israel’s noblest thinkers, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, certainly gives men confidence and courage, not because the dangers and difficulties of life are removed, but because our strength being increased, it becomes possible to overcome them: The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe (Pr. 1810). Through the new spirit that is ours, life is lifted to a higher plane where we feel that, when sorrow and pain and sin have had their say, still the Lord reigneth; God is greater than His foes21: Whoso feareth the Lord shall not be afraid and shall not play the coward; for God is his hope (E. 3414).
To them that seek Him God gives illumination. Evil men understand not justice, but they that seek the Lord understand it altogether (Pr. 285)—which does not mean that the pious are omniscient22, but does mean that to follow after truth and goodness enlightens, whereas to seek evil and pursue it makes men blind. Accordingly it is said, There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord (Pr. 2130), and the truth of that great saying has been repeatedly displayed in the rise and fall of mighty13 nations and empires, as well as in the lives of individuals. Selfishness is always short-sighted, snatching greedily at shadows and missing the best there is in life. Again, The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but He blesseth the habitation of the righteous (Pr. 333); and that is true because it is seldom that such things as passion, hatred23, cruelty and haunting moral fears are absent from the former, and, whatever the good man’s house may lack, it will generally have love, joy, peace and all the fruits of the Spirit.{276}
One remarkable24 proverb claims that When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him (Pr. 167); and the value of the saying is perhaps increased in that, regarded pedantically25, the claim breaks down, whereas on a wider consideration it seems to be subtly and profoundly true. Thus, our truthfulness26 may not prevent some particular individual (our enemy) from deceiving us by a lie, but it helps many, who might become false and some day deceive us, to persevere27 in truthfulness; and if all men really were liars28, heaven help our race! Our honesty may not prevent a thief from breaking through and stealing, but it does make it easier for other men to be honest and so helps to reduce dishonesty in the world; and if all men were deceivers, peaceful trade would cease. Mercy begets29 mercy; the kindness of all true men who love God and follow Christ is making the world more kind. In a word, the effect of righteous example is magnificently great. What matter then if the truth be superlatively phrased? Let us affirm it boldly: “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Here is a verse that sums up the whole topic:—
The eyes of the Lord are upon them that love Him,
A mighty protection and strong stay,
A cover from the hot blast and a shelter from the noonday,
A guard from stumbling, and a succour from falling.
He raiseth up the soul, and enlighteneth the eyes;
The gifts are good. But is there a Giver, a God who cares? Why not so believe? It is neither impossible nor incredible. In the last chapter we shall touch further upon the great question. For the moment our concern is only with the answer to it that we find in the Jewish proverbs. That answer is boldly affirmative. Let us begin, however,{277} with a rather hesitant saying; A man’s goings are of the Lord, how then can he understand his ways? (Pr. 2024). Possibly the author intended not to assert God’s guidance but only to complain of the baffling character of our fortunes. If so, we will have none of it. If there be no God at all, at least let us struggle to determine our path with such intelligence as we can muster32. In the following, however, there is no dubiety about the affirmation of faith: A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps (Pr. 169). Hard doctrine33! theoretically possible perhaps, but is it probable? Certainly it is hard to believe, almost incredible, so long as it is considered merely from the critic’s chair. But the sublime34 hope that God careth for men displays an astonishing vitality35; and the altogether amazing and significant fact is this, that just where it ought most surely to die down and be extinguished, there it always rises up and burns again—as now in the trenches36.
Here is the witness of an educated man, who had long ceased to be a Christian37 in the conventional usage of the term. He is writing freely to one who had been more than a friend for Christ’s sake, and it is fair to give his words, because death is no longer a mystery to him. “Half-unconsciously I hummed the tune31 rather than the words of the famous hymn14 [When I survey the wondrous38 Cross]; As I did so there appeared before me, not a vision of Christ’s person, but of the meaning of the glorious crown of thorns He wore. The King of Heaven, the Prince of Peace, is a man—He took not upon Him the nature of angels. That would have been easy but futile39. It would not have linked Him with us closely enough. So my vision told me. He must needs suffer for us.... And if suffering, and forgiveness, and love of our fellows, and general self-forgetfulness be what is required of every one of us, how greatly we all stand in need of His atonement. That was the lasting40 impression of my vision: but, subsidiary, there was{278} another. I felt, for a moment, a sense of divine spectatorship, as if there was but God in the world besides me; and God, all-seeing, all-understanding, with whom no words were necessary[153].”
But also those whose training in the school of life has brought them no such command of words as had the writer of the above, have their own way of voicing the instinct, saying that “if a fellow’s name is written on a bullet he’ll get it, and if it isn’t, he won’t.” Press the na?ve metaphor41. Who writes the name on the bullet? Not Krupps; they are too busy for that. Then is the writing the writing of God, graven upon the bullet? Probably the man himself would say, Fate is the writer. “Fate” on the lips of men who have nineteen centuries of Christian tradition behind them is only another name, and imperfect, for God the Father. There is fatalism and fatalism. The fatalism of men who, being conscious (however dimly) that duty has drawn42 them into a war which is at bottom an immense conflict of ideas and ideals regarding the use and abuse of national power, feel somehow that they will not die except they were appointed to lay down their life for others; that fatalism is separated by a hair’s breadth from explicit43 trust in the overshadowing love of God. Belief in God’s providence44 may seem difficult to the student at his ease, but it is high human doctrine. It was the doctrine of Jesus; and keen and earnest thinkers, and simple men and women innumerable, facing the sternest facts of life, have found it possible to place their trust in it, and, trusting, have found themselves at peace.
Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh;
For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (Pr. 325f).
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In conclusion, here is a proverb which needs a few words of introduction. The graces and benefits of religion are frequently associated in the Bible with “meekness” or “humility.” Now those English words carry unfortunate associations which are absent from the Hebrew they represent. The “humility” commended by the Prophets and Psalmists is a certain frank simplicity46 of soul—a quality from which not a few of the most effective and virile47 personalities48 in the world’s history have derived49 their power. It has little or nothing to do with softness or timidity of character; indeed courage is its hall-mark. Those who first rallied round the Maccabean leaders in the struggle against an unclean Hellenism were of “the meek45 ones of the earth.” The Russian peasant has this Biblical “humility,” but the proudest military empire in the modern world has tasted the fortitude50 of his soul. Wherefore we may claim that this exquisite51 saying is not merely beautiful, but is also profound:
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1
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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glorify
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| vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化 | |
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exalt
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| v.赞扬，歌颂，晋升，提升 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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platitudes
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| n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子 | |
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9
beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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pacified
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的过去式和过去分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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equity
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| n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票 | |
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axiomatic
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| adj.不需证明的，不言自明的 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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omniscient
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| adj.无所不知的；博识的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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pedantically
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truthfulness
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| n. 符合实际 | |
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persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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liars
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| 说谎者( liar的名词复数 ) | |
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29
begets
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| v.为…之生父( beget的第三人称单数 )；产生，引起 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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32
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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39
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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metaphor
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| n.隐喻，暗喻 | |
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42
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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43
explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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44
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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45
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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46
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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virile
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| adj.男性的；有男性生殖力的；有男子气概的；强有力的 | |
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48
personalities
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| n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 ) | |
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49
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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50
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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51
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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52
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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