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BY RICHARD SIBBES 由理查德·西布斯撰写
BY RICHARD SIBBES 由理查德·西布斯撰写IN EPUB, .MOBI & .PDF FORMATS
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Ps. 27. 4, ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple,’诗篇 27:4，“有一件事，我曾向耶和华求，我仍要寻求：就是一生一世住在耶和华的殿中，瞻仰他的荣美，在他的殿里求问。”
MAN in this world, especially since his defection from God, standing at a distance from his happiness in respect of full possession, it is not the least part of his bliss to be happy in expectation. Happiness being by all men desirable, the desire of it is naturally engrafted in every man; and is the centre of all the searchings of his heart and turnings of his life. But the most of men, like the men of Sodom, grope and find not the right door, Gen. 19:11. Only to a true Christian, by a supernatural light, is discovered both the right object, and the right way to felicity. Upon this discovery, finding himself, while he is here, a stranger to his happiness, he desires to take leave of this sublunary condition, that he may enjoy him who is ‘the desire of all nations,’ Hag. 2:7.
人类在这个世界上，特别是自从背离上帝以来，与完全拥有幸福相距甚远，因此在期待中感到幸福并不是他们幸福的最小部分。幸福是所有人所渴望的，对它的渴望天然地根植于每个人心中，并成为他们心灵探索和生活转折的中心。但大多数人，像所多玛的人一样，摸索着却找不到正确的门路（创世记 19:11）。只有真正的基督徒，通过超自然的光明，才能发现正确的对象和通往幸福的正确道路。在这个发现之后，他发现自己在这里是幸福的陌生人，渴望告别这个世俗的状态，以便享受那位“万民所愿望”的上帝（哈该书 2:7）。
Now although God cast common blessings promiscuously upon good and bad; yet he holds his best favours at a distance, as parents do cherries or apples from their children, to whet their appetites the more after them. And indeed the best perfection of a Christian in his military* condition, is, in desire and expectation; and it is enough to him that; for that he hath God’s acceptation, who knowing whereof we are made, and how unable to hold weight in the ‘balance of the sanctuary,’ Dan. 5:27, takes his best gold with grains of allowance.
现在，尽管上帝将普通的祝福混杂地赐予善恶之人；然而他将最好的恩惠保持在远处，就像父母对待他们的孩子的樱桃或苹果一样，以增加他们对它们的渴望。事实上，基督徒在他的军事状态中的最佳完美，就是在渴望和期待中；对他来说，这已经足够了；因为他得到了上帝的接纳，上帝知道我们是由什么构成的，以及我们在“圣所的天平”中无法承受重量，但上帝仍然接受我们最好的金子。
The soul of man is like a cipher, which is valued by that which is set before it. If it weary itself in the desire of earthly things, like the silk-worm, it finisheth its work with its own destruction. But if on things above, when this earthly tabernacle is turned to ashes, there shall result a glorious phœnix for immortality.
人的灵魂就像一个密码，它的价值取决于它面前所摆放的东西。如果它在对地上的事物的渴望中疲倦，就像蚕一样，它会以自己的毁灭来完成它的工作。但如果它专注于高于世俗的事物，当这个尘世的帐篷化为灰烬时，将会产生一个光荣的凤凰，以获得永生。
There are no characters better distinguishing a Christian, than those that are inward (hypocrisy like sale-work, may make a fair show outward; an hypocrite may perform external works, but cannot dissemble inward affections), and amongst them, none better discovers his temper, than the beating of the pulse of his desires, which this worthy author (who departed not without being much desired and no less lamented) hath most livelily set forth in the ensuing treatise; which a Christian, holding as a glass before him, may discern whether he have life or no by these breathings.
没有什么比内在的特征更能区分一个基督徒了（虚伪的行为可能会在外表上展示得很好；伪君子可能会表现出外在的行为，但无法掩饰内心的情感），在这些特征中，没有什么比他的欲望的脉搏更能揭示他的性格了。这位值得尊敬的作者（他离去时备受期待，也同样备受哀悼）在接下来的论文中生动地阐述了这一点；一个基督徒可以将其视为一面镜子，通过这些呼吸来判断自己是否有生命。
For the object here propounded, what more desirable than the chief good? For the place, where can it be more desired, than in his house, where his presence is manifested? What better end to be in that house, than to behold God in the ‘beauty of holiness?’ Ps. 29:2. What term of happiness better than ‘for ever’? This was the desire of the holy prophet David, and that it may be thy desire, is the desire of
对于这里提出的目标，还有什么比最大的善更令人向往的呢？对于地点，还有哪里比他的家更令人向往的呢，因为他的存在在那里显现？在那个家里，还有什么比观看上帝的“圣洁之美”更好的目标呢？诗篇 29:2。还有什么比“永远”更好的幸福终点呢？这是圣洁的先知大卫的愿望，也希望这成为你的愿望。
Thy Christian friend, 你的基督教朋友
H. I.* H. I.* 翻译为简体中文：