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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this。'
And while I lay reflecting； after my heart stopped beating；
feeling as if my soul was full of the Holy Spirit； I thought that
perhaps there might be angels hovering round my bed。 I felt just
as if I wanted to converse with them； and finally I spoke； saying
'O ye affectionate angels！ how is it that ye can take so much
interest in our welfare； and we take so little interest in our
own。' After this； with difficulty I got to sleep； and when I
awoke in the morning my first thoughts were： What has become of
my happiness？ and； feeling a degree of it in my heart； I asked
for more； which was given to me as quick as thought。 I then got
up to dress myself； and found to my surprise that I could but
just stand。 It appeared to me as if it was a little heaven upon
earth。 My soul felt as completely raised above the fears of
death as of going to sleep； and like a bird in a cage； I had a
desire； if it was the will of God； to get released from my body
and to dwell with Christ； though willing to live to do good to
others； and to warn sinners to repent。 I went downstairs feeling
as solemn as if I had lost all my friends； and thinking with
myself； that I would not let my parents know it until I had first
looked into the Testament。 I went directly to the shelf and
looked into it； at the eighth of Romans； and every verse seemed
to almost speak and to confirm it to be truly the Word of God；
and as if my feelings corresponded with the meaning of the word。
I then told my parents of it； and told them that I thought that
they must see that when I spoke； that it was not my own voice；
for it appeared so to me。 My speech seemed entirely under the
control of the Spirit within me； I do not mean that the words
which I spoke were not my own； for they were。 I thought that I
was influenced similar to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost
（with the exception of having power to give it to others； and
doing what they did）。 After breakfast I went round to converse
with my neighbors on religion； which I could not have been
hired to have done before this； and at their request I prayed
with them； though I had never prayed in public before。
〃I now feel as if I had discharged my duty by telling the truth；
and hope by the blessing of God； it may do some good to all who
shall read it。 He has fulfilled his promise in sending the Holy
Spirit down into our hearts； or mine at least； and I now defy all
the Deists and Atheists in the world to shake my faith in
Christ。〃
So much for Mr。 Bradley and his conversion； of the effect of
which upon his later life we gain no information。 Now for a
minuter survey of the constituent elements of the conversion
process。
If you open the chapter on Association； of any treatise on
Psychology； you will read that a man's ideas； aims； and objects
form diverse internal groups and systems； relatively independent
of one another。 Each 'aim' which he follows awakens a certain
specific kind of interested excitement； and gathers a certain
group of ideas together in subordination to it as its associates；
and if the aims and excitements are distinct in kind； their
groups of ideas may have little in common。 When one group is
present and engrosses the interest； all the ideas connected with
other groups may be excluded from the mental field。 The
President of the United States when； with paddle； gun； and
fishing…rod； he goes camping in the wilderness for a vacation；
changes his system of ideas from top to bottom。 The presidential
anxieties have lapsed into the background entirely； the official
habits are replaced by the habits of a son of nature； and those
who knew the man only as the strenuous magistrate would not 〃know
him for the same person〃 if they saw him as the camper。
If now he should never go back； and never again suffer political
interests to gain dominion over him； he would be for practical
intents and purposes a permanently transformed being。 Our
ordinary alterations of character； as we pass from one of our
aims to another； are not commonly called transformations； because
each of them is so rapidly succeeded by another in the reverse
direction； but whenever one aim grows so stable as to expel
definitively its previous rivals from the individual's life； we
tend to speak of the phenomenon； and perhaps to wonder at it； as
a 〃transformation。〃
These alternations are the completest of the ways in which a self
may be divided。 A less complete way is the simultaneous
coexistence of two or more different groups of aims； of which one
practically holds the right of way and instigates activity；
whilst the others are only pious wishes； and never practically
come to anything。 Saint Augustine's aspirations to a purer life；
in our last lecture； were for a while an example。 Another would
be the President in his full pride of office； wondering whether
it were not all vanity； and whether the life of a wood…chopper
were not the wholesomer destiny。 Such fleeting aspirations are
mere velleitates； whimsies。 They exist on the remoter outskirts
of the mind； and the real self of the man； the centre of his
energies； is occupied with an entirely different system。 As life
goes on； there is a constant change of our interests； and a
consequent change of place in our systems of ideas； from more
central to more peripheral； and from more peripheral to more
central parts of consciousness。 I remember； for instance； that
one evening when I was a youth； my father read aloud from a
Boston newspaper that part of Lord Gifford's will which founded
these four lectureships。 At that time I did not think of being a
teacher of philosophy； and what I listened to was as remote from
my own life as if it related to the planet Mars。 Yet here I am；
with the Gifford system part and parcel of my very self； and all
my energies； for the time being； devoted to successfully
identifying myself with it。 My soul stands now planted in what
once was for it a practically unreal object； and speaks from it
as from its proper habitat and centre。
When I say 〃Soul；〃 you need not take me in the ontological sense
unless you prefer to； for although ontological language is
instinctive in such matters； yet Buddhists or Humians can
perfectly well describe the facts in the phenomenal terms which
are their favorites。 For them the soul is only a succession of
fields of consciousness： yet there is found in each field a
part； or sub…f