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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
在 EPUB、.MOBI 和.PDF 格式中
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that worketh in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure.—PHIL. 2:12-13.亲爱的，正如你们一直顺从，不仅在我面前，而且现在在我不在的时候更加顺从，要恐惧战兢地去完成你们的救恩。因为是神在你们里面运行，使你们按照他的美意去行事。-腓立比书 2:12-13
GOOD READER, to discourse the worth or commendations of the author (especially the pens of others having done sacrifice unto him in that kind), I judge it but an impertinency, and make no question, but that if I should exchange thoughts or judgments with thee herein, I should have but mine own again. The book itself, judiciously interpreted, is a volume of his commendation; and those, though from his own mouth, without any touch or tincture of vanity or self-affectation. The best sight of a man is to hear him speak—loquere, ut videam—the tongue being a voluntary and pleasant rack to the heart, to make it confess its treasure, whether it be good or evil. The diligence and care of those that have interposed for the preserving of what came from him in this way from perishing, have made the Christian world debtors unto them; and great pity it had been, that what he spake in public should have died in secret, and not be made seven times more public than speaking could do. The sparks of such fires as he kindled would have been ill quenched till the world had been further served with the light and heat of them.
亲爱的读者，论述作者的价值或赞美（尤其是其他人为他所做的牺牲），我认为这是多余的，毫无疑问，如果我在这方面与你交换思想或判断，我只会得到我自己的观点。这本书本身，经过明智的解读，是对他的赞美之作；尽管这些赞美是出自他自己的口中，但没有任何虚荣或自我陶醉的痕迹。了解一个人最好的方式就是听他说话——loquere, ut videam——舌头是一种自愿而愉快的折磨，让心灵坦白其宝藏，无论是好是坏。那些为了保存他在这方面所说的话而付出努力和关心的人，使基督教世界对他们感激不尽；如果他在公开场合所说的话在秘密中消失而不被公之于众，那将是非常可惜的，而且这些话应该比说话本身更加公开。他点燃的这些火花的火焰将不会被扑灭，直到世界进一步受到它们的光明和热情的照耀。
It is true, heaps of books is one of the oppressions of the world, and the invention of the press hath been the exaltation of weakness and vanity amongst men, as well as of learning and knowledge. Yet know I no way better to retain the oppressed in this kind, than for men of worth and grown judgments and learning to appear in books also among the multitude. The time was when there were, as the apostle speaketh, ‘gods many and lords many in the world,’ 1 Cor. 8:5; when the world was pestered with devils of all sorts, instead of gods; but the only means of discharging the world of them, was the setting forth and preaching of the one true God and Lord Jesus Christ. So the furnishing the world with such books, as are books indeed, that breathe spirit and life, and are strong of heaven, speaking with authority and power to the consciences of men, is the only way to affamish the multitude of idol* books, and to have them desolate without a reader. It is, questionless, with men in respect of books, as it is in respect of men themselves (and indeed how there should be any difference between men and books I know not, the book being but the mind of a man, and the mind of a man being the man himself). Homo homini Deus, homo homini lupus.† There are men that are gods to men, and there are men that are wolves to men; and the more men-wolves there are in the world, the more men-gods there had need to be; otherwise the darkness would overcome the light, and make the earth as the shadow of death. So there are books that are laden with divine and true treasure; that will recompense the reader, his labour and pains sevenfold into his bosom; that will open his mouth and enlarge his heart to bless God, that hath given gifts unto men. Again, there are books also that will deal cruelly and deceitfully with men, consuming their precious time and opportunities; taking their money for that which is not bread. Now the more dreamers of dreams there are, there had need be the more that see visions. The weak, hungry, loose, and empty discourses the world is overlaid and encumbered withal, the more need it hath, by way of a counter recompence, of a full provision of solid and masculine writings, that may make men men, and not always children in understanding.
堆积如山的书确实是世界上的一种压迫，印刷术的发明使人们的软弱和虚荣心得到了提升，同时也促进了学问和知识的发展。然而，我认为唯一能够保持这种压迫的方法，就是让有价值、有成熟判断力和学识的人也在众多书籍中出现。曾经有一段时间，正如使徒所说，“世上的神多，主也多”（哥林多前书 8:5），当时世界上充斥着各种魔鬼，而不是神；但唯一能够摆脱这些魔鬼的方法，就是宣扬真神和主耶稣基督。因此，提供那些真正有灵性、有生命力、有天国力量的书籍，对人的良心具有权威和力量的书籍，是消除众多偶像书籍的唯一途径，使它们在没有读者的情况下荒芜无人。 对于书籍而言，与对待人一样，毫无疑问，有些人对人来说是神，有些人对人来说是狼（实际上，我不知道人和书之间应该有什么区别，因为书只是人的思想，人的思想就是人本身）。人类是人类的神，人类是人类的狼。世界上有越多的人狼，就越需要有越多的人神；否则黑暗将战胜光明，使地球变成死亡的阴影。因此，有些书籍装载着神圣和真实的宝藏；它们会七倍地回报读者的努力和辛劳；它们会张开读者的嘴巴，扩大他的心灵，赞美赐予人类礼物的上帝。另外，也有一些书籍会对人类残忍和欺骗，浪费他们宝贵的时间和机会；以不值得的东西收取他们的金钱。现在，梦想家越多，就越需要有更多的人看到幻象。 世界上那些软弱、饥饿、松散和空洞的言辞，越需要一种坚实而有力的文字来作为对抗的补偿，使人们成为真正的人，而不是一直停留在幼稚的理解上。
But I must remember that prefacing authors with long epistles is no employment of any sovereign necessity. Therefore I will no longer separate between thee and that which I desire to recommend unto thee more than anything of mine own. The blessing of Him that giveth the increase be upon the labour of him that planted and watered much in the courts of the house of his God; that though he be dead, he may yet speak to the edification of thine and of many souls.
但我必须记住，给作者写长篇序言并不是任何至高无上的必要工作。因此，我将不再区分你和我所推荐给你的东西，这比我自己的任何东西都更重要。愿那赐增长之恩的主加在那在他神的殿中多次种植和浇灌的人的劳动上；虽然他已经去世，但愿他仍然能够对你和许多灵魂的建设发表讲话。
Thine with a single heart and multiplied affections in the Lord,
以单一的心和多重的情感，与主同在的你
—–
Table of Contents 目录
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR MAURICE ABBOT KNIGHT TO THE READER
致尊敬的莫里斯·阿博特爵士，致读者
DIRECTIONS TO THE READER 读者指南
THE CHRISTIAN WORK – —PHIL. 2:12.
基督徒的工作-—腓立比书 2:12。
GOD WORKS IN YOU – PHIL 2:13
神在你们中间工作 – 腓立比书 2:13
WITHOUT MURMURING – PHIL 2:14
不抱怨 – 腓立比书 2:14
THAT WE MAY BE BLAMELESS – PHIL 2:15
为了我们能够无可指责 – 腓立比书 2:15
HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE – PHIL 2:16
传扬生命的话语 – 腓立比书 2:16
OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD – PHIL 2:24
上帝的主宰 – 腓立比书 2:24
IT WAS NECESSARY – PHIL 2:25
这是必要的 – 腓立比书 2:25
HE LONGED AFTER YOU ALL – PHIL 2:26
他渴望着你们所有人 – 腓立比书 2:26
SORROW ON SORROW – PHIL 2:27
忧伤加上忧伤 – 腓立比书 2:27
I SENT HIM – PHIL 2:28
我给他送去了 – 腓立比书 2:28
RECEIVE HIM – PHIL 2:29
接待他 – 腓立比书 2:29
HE WAS NIGH TO DEATH – PHIL 2:30
他濒临死亡 – 腓立比书 2:30
I. G.* 我。G.*