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A PROMISE from God may very instructively be compared to a check payable to order.
从上帝而来的一个应许，可以非常有教益地比作一张记名支票。
It is given to the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good thing.
这应许赐给信徒，是为了把某种美善的事赐给他。
It is not meant that he should read it over comfortably, and then have done with it.
这并不是要他安逸地读过一遍，然后就此作罢。
No, he is to treat the promise as a reality, as a man treats a check.
不，他应当把这应许当作真实的事物来对待，正如一个人对待一张支票一样。
He is to take the promise, and endorse it with his own name by personally receiving it as true.
他要拿起这应许，藉着亲自领受并承认其真实，用自己的名字在其上签署背书。
He is by faith to accept it as his own.
他要凭信心将这应许接受为属于自己的。
He sets to his seal that God is true, and true as to this particular word of promise.
他加上自己的印证，表明上帝是真实的，并且在这具体的应许之言上也是信实的。
He goes further, and believes that he has the blessing in having the sure promise of it
他更进一步，相信自己既然拥有这确实的应许，就已经拥有那祝福，
and therefore he puts his name to it to testify to the receipt of the blessing.
因此他在其上署名，作为已经领受祝福的见证。
This done, he must believingly present the promise to the LORD, as a man presents a check at the counter of the Bank.
这事完成之后，他还必须凭着信心把这应许呈到主面前，如同人把支票递到银行柜台。
He must plead it by prayer, expecting to have it fulfilled.
他必须藉着祷告来恳求这应许，期待它得以成就。
If he has come to Heaven’s bank at the right date, he will receive the promised amount at once.
如果他在正确的日期来到天上的银行，他就会立刻领受所应许的数额。
If the date should happen to be further on, he must patiently wait till its arrival;
如果日期尚在将来，他就必须耐心等候那日子的来到；
but meanwhile he may count the promise as money,
但与此同时，他可以把这应许当作已经在手的钱财，
for the Bank is sure to pay when the due time arrives.
因为银行在到期之时必定兑付。
Some fail to place the endorsement of faith upon the check, and so they get nothing;
有些人没有把信心的背书加在支票上，因此一无所得；
and others are slack in presenting it, and these also receive nothing.
还有一些人在递交支票上懈怠，这样的人同样得不着什么。
This is not the fault of the promise, but of those who do not act with it in a common-sense, business-like manner.
这并不是应许本身的过失，而是那些没有以合乎常理、如同处理事务般方式来运用应许之人的过失。
God has given no pledge which He will not redeem, and encouraged no hope which He will not fulfill.
上帝从未赐下一个祂不履行的保证，也从未鼓励一个祂不成全的盼望。
To help my brethren to believe this, I have prepared this little volume.
为了帮助我的弟兄们相信这一点，我预备了这一本小书。
The sight of the promises themselves is good for the eyes of faith:
单单注视这些应许本身，就对信心的眼睛大有益处：
the more we study the words of grace, the more grace shall we derive from the words.
我们越多研读恩典之言，就越多从这些话语中得着恩典。
To the cheering Scriptures I have added testimonies of my own, the fruit of trial and experience.
在这些令人振奋的圣经经文旁，我也加上了我自己的见证，这是试炼与经历的果实。
I believe all the promises of God, but many of them I have personally tried and proved.
我相信上帝一切的应许，但其中许多我已亲身经历并加以验证。
I have seen that they are true, for they have been fulfilled to me.
我已经看见它们是真实的，因为它们已经在我身上得了应验。
This, I trust, may be cheering to the young; and not without solace to the older sort.
我盼望这能使年轻人得着鼓励，也能给年长者带来安慰。
One man’s experience may be of the utmost use to another;
一个人的经历，可能对另一个人大有用处；
and this is why the man of God of old wrote, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me”;
这正是古时那位属神之人写下“我曾寻求耶和华，祂就应允我”的原因；
and again, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him.”
又写道：“这困苦人呼求，耶和华就垂听。”
I commenced these daily portions when I was wading in the surf of controversy.
我开始撰写这些每日灵修篇章时，正行走在争论的浪涛之中。
Since then I have been cast into “waters to swim in,”
自那以后，我又被抛入“可游泳的水中”，
which, but for God’s upholding hand, would have proved waters to drown in.
若非上帝扶持的手，这水本会成为使人溺亡的水。
I have endured tribulation from many hails.
我曾从四面八方承受患难。
Sharp bodily pain succeeded mental depression,
剧烈的身体痛苦接踵而来，继之以心灵的低沉，
and this was accompanied both by bereavement and affliction in the person of one dear as life.
并且在一位如生命般宝贵的人身上，我同时经历了丧失与苦难。
The waters rolled in continually, wave upon wave.
波浪不断翻涌，一浪接着一浪。
I do not mention this to exact sympathy,
我提及这些，并非要博取同情，
but simply to let the reader see that I am no dry-land sailor.
只是让读者知道，我并非只在旱地航行的水手。
I have traversed full many a time those oceans which are not Pacific:
我多次航行在那些并不平静（Pacific）的海洋之上：
I know the roll of the billows, and the rush of the winds.
我知道波涛的翻滚，也知道狂风的呼啸。
Never were the promises of Jehovah so precious to me as at this hour.
耶和华的应许，从未像此时此刻这样对我宝贵。
Some of them I never understood till now;
其中有些我直到如今才真正明白；
I had not reached the date at which they matured,
因为我尚未到达它们成熟的日期，
for I was not myself mature enough to perceive their meaning.
也因为我自己尚不够成熟，不能领会它们的意义。
How much more wonderful is the Bible to me now than it was a few months ago!
如今，圣经在我眼中是何等奇妙，远胜过几个月前！
In obeying the LORD, and bearing His reproach outside the camp,
在顺服主、在营外担当祂的凌辱之时，
I have not received new promises;
我并没有得到新的应许；
but the result to me is much the same as if I had done so,
但对我而言，其结果却几乎等同于得了新应许，
for the old ones have opened up to me with richer stores.
因为旧有的应许向我开启了更丰盛的宝藏。
Specially has the Word of the LORD to His servant Jeremiah sounded exceedingly sweet in mine ears.
尤其是耶和华对祂仆人耶利米所说的话，在我耳中显得格外甘甜。
His lot it was to speak to those who would not hear, or hearing, would nor believe.
他的命定是向那些不肯听，或听了也不信的人说话。
His was the sorrow which comes of disappointed love, and resolute loyalty;
他的忧伤来自受挫的爱与坚定的忠诚；
he would have turned his people from their errors,
他本愿意使百姓离开他们的错误，
but he would not himself quit the way of the LORD.
却绝不肯自己偏离耶和华的道路。
For him there were words of deep sustaining power,
为他预备了具有深沉扶持力量的话语，
which kept his mind from failing where nature unaided must have sunk.
使他的心志在天然之力必然崩溃之处得以支撑。
These and such like golden sentences of grace
这些以及类似的恩典金句，
I have loved more than my necessary food,
我爱它们胜过我日用的饮食，
and with them I have enriched these pages.
并且用它们充实了这些篇页。
Oh, that I might comfort some of my Master’s servants
哦，愿我能安慰我主的一些仆人，
I have written out of my own heart with the view of comforting their hearts.
我乃是出于自己的心，怀着安慰他们之心而写下这些文字。
I would say to them in their trials – My brethren, God is good.
我愿在他们的试炼中对他们说——我的弟兄们，上帝是良善的。
He will not forsake you: He will bear you through.
祂必不撇下你们：祂必扶持你们经过。
There is a promise prepared for your present emergencies;
为你们当前的急难，已有一个应许预备好了；
and if you will believe and plead it at the mercy-seat through Jesus Christ,
若你们藉着耶稣基督在施恩座前信而恳求这应许，
you shall see the hand of the LORD stretched out to help you.
你们必看见耶和华的手伸出来帮助你们。
Everything else will fail, but His word never will.
一切都会失败，唯独祂的话永不失败。
He has been to me so faithful in countless instances
祂在无数次的经历中向我显出如此的信实，
that I must encourage you to trust Him.
以至于我必须劝勉你们信靠祂。
I should be ungrateful to God and unkind to you if I did not do so.
若我不这样做，便是对上帝忘恩负义，对你们不够慈爱。
May the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, inspire the people of the LORD with fresh faith!
愿圣灵——那安慰者——以新的信心激励耶和华的百姓！
I know that, without His divine power, all that I can say will be of no avail;
我知道，若没有祂神圣的能力，我所说的一切都毫无功效；
but, under His quickening influence,
然而在祂使人活泼的感动之下，
even the humblest testimony will confirm feeble knees, and strengthen weak hands.
即便最谦卑的见证，也能使软弱的膝得以坚固，使无力的手得着力量。
God is glorified when His servants trust Him implicitly.
当上帝的仆人完全信靠祂时，上帝就得着荣耀。
We cannot be too much of children with our heavenly Father.
我们在天父面前，再怎样像孩子也不为过。
Our young ones ask no question about our will or our power,
我们的孩子并不质疑我们的意愿或能力，
but having once received a promise from father,
一旦从父亲那里得着一个承诺，
they rejoice in the prospect of its fulfillment,
他们就因那成就的盼望而欢喜，
never doubting that it is sure as the sun.
从不怀疑它像太阳一样确定。
May many readers, whom I may never see,
愿许多我可能永远见不到面的读者，
discover the duty and delight of such child-like trust in God
在阅读我为一年中每一天所预备的这点文字时，
while they are reading the little bit which I have prepared for each day in the year.
能发现这样孩童般信靠上帝的责任与喜乐。
For long years several thousands of God’s people have read my MORNING BY MORNING and EVENING BY EVENING,
多年以来，已有数以千计的上帝子民阅读了我的《清晨复清晨》（MORNING BY MORNING）和《夜晚复夜晚》（EVENING BY EVENING），
and many of them have been good enough to write me,
其中许多人十分友善地写信给我，
and acknowledge the benefit of such a perusal.
承认这样的阅读给他们带来的益处。
I hope this little book will not interfere with those volumes.
我希望这本小书不会妨碍那些著作。
These daily portions are gathered from a more varied range of topics,
这些每日篇章取材于更广泛多样的主题，
and are all the more profitable because they deal with doctrine, experience, practice, and everything else.
正因它们涉及教义、经历、实践以及其他各方面，才显得更加有益。
This is a sweetmeat of promise only, and it must not interfere with the fuller meals:
这只是应许的甜点，绝不可取代更丰盛的正餐：
nay, rather, I hope it will excite a desire for them.
不然，我倒盼望它能激发人对正餐的渴慕。
May our LORD Jesus accept this my service for His sheep and lambs, from
愿我们的主耶稣接纳我为祂的羊群和羊羔所献上的这份服事，出自
His unworthy Servant,
祂不配的仆人，
C. H. Spurgeon
C·H·司布真