Finally, the idea that man must understand, in every case, why he ought to obey before he' renders obedience, is a crazy notion, flat against all our experience in li As life is constituted, even ordinary everyday life obedience, always or mostly, precedes understanding the reason why. We come to know the truth by obeying it is not the reverse way.
Do you explain to babies and little children just why they have to do this and that? Why they may not eat this on physiological grounds, and why they may not drink that? They couldn't understand. if you were fool enough to try. Wise parents try to bring up their children in right habits of life and conduct, and then. when their children do come to full age, they will bless their parents for having been so wise.
I remember once travelling in a railway carriage, with a woman, Who had a baby. She was sitting in the centre of the seat. The baby began screaming. It wanted to be near the window. The woman moved to the window, and the child stopped screaming at once. I said: "Excuse me, but you have taught that child a very bad lesson." She said. "What?" I said, "You have taught your child, that it has only to scream hard enough. and it will get anything it wants: it will grow up a self-willed. selfish man." The woman saw it, and went back to her old place. The baby didn't like it, screamed again, but soon learnt its lesson.
It is just so with us and Christ He knows the bearing, and end, and consequences of actions. Wo see dimly. He says, for instance, that the consequences of "idle words" are tremendous. We probably think He is exaggerating; what difference can a few, or many vain words made in the long run? But may it not be that Christ sees the subtle deterioration of character caused by idle words, as we do not, and cannot see it? Just as God may be able to follow the vibrations of the air or ether to the ends of the universe. when I strike this desk, while we cannot, so Christ can follow the results of idle words, Don't you see? He sees further than you do. Best obey. He said, "Love your enemies"; and there is that saying as to turning the other cheek to him. The world has laughed at that; but occasionally the world has to eat its ignorant laughter, and confess He is right.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.