第87部分(第5/7 頁)

　not　be　human　if　they　were。　All；　even　deans　and　bishops；　or　some　of　them；　have　need　of　grace。　Surely　it　is　the　attitude　and　strivings　of　the　caged　spirit　that　will　be　considered；　not　the　shortings　of　the　gaoler　body；　the　desire　not　the　deeds；　for　if　it　prove　otherwise　who　can　escape　when　the　heart　is　weighed　in　the　balance？　To　my　mind　the　great　sin　is　not　to　seek　forgiveness　for　sins　—　not　to　try　to　avoid　them　in　the　future。　All　stumble　into　the　mire；　but　of　those　who　elect　to　wallow　there　and　of　those　who　deliberately　refuse　the　saving　hand　that　is　stretched　out　to　them；　what　can　be　said？　Well；　perhaps　they　may　be　given　other　opportunities　elsewhere。　As　a　believer　in　the　infinite　mercy　of　God　I　dare　to　trust　that　this　will　be　so。

I　desire　to　urge；　however；　upon　any　who　care　to　listen　these　three　things　which　I　myself　have　learned　in　the　course　of　years。　First；　the　enormous　importance　of　all　this　matter。　Secondly；　the　folly　of　sin。　Thirdly；　since　it　needs　must　be　that　offences　will　e；　the　urgent　need　of　repentance　before　in　some　other　life　or　lives　we　are　called　upon　to　reap　the　harvest　of　that　unrepented　folly。

What　is　life　as　we　know　it；　even　if　that　life　be　not　a　single　volume　but　a　series　of　chapters　which　will　ultimately　be　bound　into　a　pleted　book？　A　few　breaths　melting　into　the　immensity　of　this　bitter　air；　a　few　dewdrops　sparkling　on　a　single　thorn　in　the　great　dim　forest　—　no　more。　And　what　is　Eternity？　Ah！　I　cannot　answer。　Yet　I　do　believe　that　our　fate　in　the　second　depends　not　so　much　upon　our　doings；　perhaps；　as　on　our　struggles　in　the　first。　Surely；　then；　it　behoves　us　to　be　up　and　stirring　while　there　is　still　time。　For　if　we　neglect　the　opportunity　who　knows；　as　age　sweeps　on　to　endless　age；　with　what　agonies　of　grief　we　may　repent　that　whi