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Thomas Brooks starts with the doctrine-telling us what his sermon is about.
托马斯·布鲁克斯首先阐述教义——告诉我们他的讲道内容。
“That God reserves the best and greatest favors and blessings for believers till they come to heaven”.
“上帝为信徒保留最好、最大的恩惠和祝福，直到他们进入天堂。”
The highest blessings of God are ours-but they haven’t been given to us yet.
上帝最高的祝福是属于我们的——但还没有赐给我们。
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They’re ours by promise and the promise cannot fail.
这些是通过应许属于我们的,而这应许是不会落空的。
We have pinches of them in this life, but that’s all we have-pinches, traces, small fractions of them.
在今生我们只能品尝到一点点,但那就是我们所拥有的全部 – 一点点、痕迹、微小的部分。
This shows how magnificent heaven must be.
这表明天堂必定是多么宏伟壮观。
To think that the forgiveness of sin is only a grain of sand in the beach of God’s favor!
想想看,罪得赦免只不过是神恩典之海滩上的一粒沙而已!
What the Persian king said to Hamaan can be applied to the Lord and His favorites: “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?”
波斯王对哈曼说的话可以应用于主和祂所喜悦的人:”王所喜悦要赐尊荣的人,当如何待他呢?”
There’s no telling-for it is God doing the honors!
这是无法估量的 – 因为是神在赐予尊荣!
What sort of heaven is God not able to make?
有什么样的天堂是神不能创造的呢?
He can make a heaven worthy of His majesty and His good will toward us.
祂能创造一个配得上祂的威严和祂对我们的善意的天堂。
And that’s precisely what He has done!
而这正是祂所做的!
We don’t have our hands of it yet, but we have it in trust.
我们还没有亲手得到它,但我们已经信靠地拥有它了。
And so, it is ours-without a doubt!
因此,它毫无疑问是属于我们的!
We can be sure of it.
我们可以确信这一点。
For God has promised it to everyone who loves Him.
因为神已经应许给所有爱祂的人。
AN INHERITANCE
What is heaven? It is an inheritance. Peter calls it that-and rightly so, for it is a common theme in the Old Testament. Israel was God’s son, and was meant to receive all the riches of heaven. The word tends to exclude every notion of earning your way to heaven. How do you earn your way into a family? You don’t: you’re born into it. It is God’s decision, not yours.
天堂是什么？它是一份遗产。彼得称之为遗产——这是正确的，因为这是旧约中的一个常见主题。以色列是上帝的儿子，注定要接受天堂的一切财富。这个词倾向于排除任何靠自己努力进入天堂的概念。你怎么靠努力进入一个家庭？你不能：你是生来就属于这个家庭的。这是上帝的决定，而不是你的。
Similarly, we do not work our way into God’s family or earn a place in heaven. No, we are born into it-born again into it, the Bible says.
同样，我们不是通过努力进入上帝的家庭或赢得天堂的位置。不，我们是生来就属于它的——圣经说，我们重生进入其中。
This can only make us laugh at our pride and thank the Lord that He put us into His family, and so, given us an inheritance.
这只能让我们嘲笑自己的骄傲，并感谢主将我们放入祂的家庭，从而给了我们一份遗产。
This is Brook’s big idea, but he goes on to develop it by telling us what kind of inheritance it is. He doesn’t roam all over the Bible to do it, but simply names the words Peter uses.
这是布鲁克斯的重要观点，但他继续通过告诉我们这是什么样的遗产来发展这个观点。他并没有在整本圣经中漫游来做这件事，而是简单地列出彼得使用的词语。
IT IS A PURE INHERITANCE
“First, the inheritance reserved for believers till they come to heaven is a pure, undefiled, and incorruptible inheritance. It is an inheritance that cannot be defiled or blemished with abuse”.
“首先，为信徒保留直到他们进入天堂的产业是纯洁的、未受玷污的、不朽坏的产业。这是一份不能被滥用玷污或损害的产业。”
What we have from the Lord is pure in itself. The French novelist, Balzac, said, “Behind every great fortune there is a crime”. This may not be totally true, but there’s more truth in it than we care to admit. Many fortunes have been built on crime-or, if not on crime-then on sharp business practices, exploiting people, and so on.
我们从主那里得到的本身就是纯洁的。法国小说家巴尔扎克说过：”每一笔巨额财富背后都有一桩罪行”。这可能不完全正确，但其中的真实性比我们愿意承认的要多。许多财富都是建立在犯罪的基础上的——即使不是犯罪，也是通过尖锐的商业手段、剥削他人等方式积累的。
But not ours! Ours is a legacy we’ll never feel squeamish about having. It comes from a sinless God, the concentration of all goodness, and comes to us simply because He loves us.
但我们的产业不是这样的！我们的产业是我们永远不会为拥有它而感到不安的遗产。它来自无罪的上帝，是一切善良的集中体，单单因为祂爱我们而赐给我们。
The main thing Brooks has in mind here is that we cannot abuse the inheritance we have. What if a man compiled a massive fortune and did it with perfect honesty? And, what if he gave it to his son because he so loved the boy? And what if the son then took the millions and spent them all on.drugs or some other vice? The inheritance, itself, is good. But the heir abused it and what was given to bless him became a curse!
布鲁克斯在这里的主要观点是，我们不能滥用我们所拥有的产业。如果一个人以完全诚实的方式积累了巨额财富呢？如果他因为深爱儿子而把财富给了儿子呢？如果儿子随后拿着这些百万资产全部花在毒品或其他恶习上呢？这笔遗产本身是好的。但继承人滥用了它，原本用来祝福他的东西反而成了诅咒！
Is this possible with the believer’s inheritance? No it isn’t. Because part of the legacy is holiness. The Lord not only gives us streets paved with gold, but with also the grace to appreciate them and put them to good use!
信徒的产业会出现这种情况吗？不会的。因为这份产业的一部分就是圣洁。主不仅给我们铺满黄金的街道，还赐给我们欣赏和善用它们的恩典！
What will the believer have when he leaves this world? He’ll have a pure inheritance!
信徒离开这个世界时会拥有什么？他将拥有一份纯洁的产业！
In the second place, he’ll have.
其次，他将拥有。
A SECURE INHERITANCE
“It is a sure, secure inheritance. The Greek word that is here rendered `reserved’ signifies to keep carefully and under watch. This inheritance is secured for us by power, by blood, and by oath, and therefore, must be sure. It is neither sin nor world nor Satan that can separate a Christian from it”.
这是一个确定的、安全的继承。这里翻译为”保留”的希腊词意味着小心保管和看守。这份继承是通过能力、血和誓言为我们保障的，因此必定是确定的。无论是罪、世界还是撒但都无法将基督徒与之分离。
Thomas Brooks is at his best here. We have an inheritance, in one way, but in another way, we don’t have it. It is reserved for us, but we haven’t gotten it yet. How do we know we will get it? He says we know for three reasons: power, blood, oath!
托马斯·布鲁克斯在这里表现得最为出色。从某种意义上说，我们拥有一份继承，但从另一种意义上说，我们还没有得到它。它为我们保留着，但我们还没有得到它。我们如何知道我们会得到它？他说我们知道有三个原因：能力、血和誓言！
The power, of course, is God’s power. He has the grip to hold on to our legacy and to keep us on the way to it. Now, if God is holding both it and us, who is going to separate us from what we have coming to us in Christ!
这能力，当然是指上帝的能力。祂有能力紧握我们的遗产，并保守我们走向它的道路。现在，如果上帝同时掌握着它和我们，谁能将我们与在基督里即将得到的分开呢！
God is not the only power, of course: Satan has a malign power against us; so does the world; and even inside us there is a power at work to keep us from our reward. But what are these powers next to Omnipotency? They seem very strong to us-but that’s like a any looking huge next to a gnat! Opposed to God Almighty power and resolve to use it, these things become the pathetic worms they are.
当然，上帝并不是唯一的力量：撒但对我们有恶意的力量；世界也是如此；甚至在我们内心也有一种力量在阻止我们获得奖赏。但这些力量与全能相比又算得了什么？它们对我们来说似乎很强大——但那就像蚂蚁在蚊子旁边看起来巨大一样！与全能上帝的力量和使用这力量的决心相比，这些东西变成了它们本来的可怜虫子。
The blood is Christ’s. It stands for His death in our place-covering our sins and satisfying the justice of God. What sin or guilt or temptation can stand up to that blood? Paul rejoices
这血是基督的。它代表祂替我们而死——遮盖我们的罪并满足上帝的公义。什么罪或罪疚或诱惑能与那血相抗衡？保罗欢欣鼓舞地说：
“Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died!”
“谁能定罪呢？是基督耶稣已经死了！”
Here’s the sentence-by-sentence translation:
If I died for you, you’d be sunk, for my death-at the most-can only postpone yours.
如果我为你而死，你就完蛋了，因为我的死充其量只能推迟你的死亡。
But Christ’s death can cancel the wages of sin for you.
但基督的死能为你取消罪的工价。
And does just that!
而且确实如此！
The oath is God’s.
这誓言是上帝的。
He has promised that we won’t fail to receive what Jesus Christ has won for us.
祂已承诺我们必定会领受耶稣基督为我们赢得的一切。
What an act of humility!
多么谦卑的行为啊！
I don’t make promises, swear oaths, and so on, because I want you to believe me without them.
我不作承诺，不发誓言等等，因为我希望你们不需要这些就相信我。
God cannot lie and His every word comes true-without exception.
上帝不能说谎，祂的每一句话都会实现——没有例外。
Yet His kindness is so great to us in our doubts and worries that He doesn’t just say we won’t be lost, but He promises, swears, and takes an oath to that effect!
然而，祂对我们的疑虑和担忧如此仁慈，以至于祂不仅说我们不会迷失，还承诺、发誓并立誓以示确实！
How does the believer know he’s going to heaven?
信徒如何知道他会上天堂？
Because he never sins?
因为他从不犯罪？
Because, when he does sin once in a while, he always repents that very minute and never does it again?
因为，当他偶尔犯罪时，他总是立即悔改并且再也不犯？
No.
不是。
Our inheritance is sure because it is backed up by the power, the promise and the blood of God!
我们的继承是确定的，因为它由上帝的能力、应许和宝血作后盾！
Our inheritance is secure.
我们的继承是安全的。
That’s number two.
这是第二点。
A PERMANENT INHERITANCE
永久的继承
“It is a permanent, lasting inheritance. It is an inheritance that continues as long as God continues. Though other legacies may be lasting, only this one is everlasting.”
“这是一个永久的、持久的继承。这是一个与上帝一样长存的继承。尽管其他遗产可能会持久，但只有这一个是永恒的。”
“Where is the glory of the Babylonian, the Persian, the Greek, and the Roman Empires? But the glory of believer shall never fade. His happiness shall be as fresh after being with the Lord for many thousands of thousands of years as when he first entered into it.”
“巴比伦、波斯、希腊和罗马帝国的荣耀如今何在？但信徒的荣耀永不褪色。即使与主同在数千年后，他的喜乐仍如初入天国时一样新鲜。”
“It is a feast that is never consumed, a blessing which eternity bestows but eternity has no end. So this-all this-is the heritage of God’s People”.
“这是一场永不消耗的盛宴，一个永恒赐予但永无止境的祝福。所以，这一切都是上帝子民的遗产。”
Eternity is a word I cannot get my brain around. I can only think of it as what it is not. It is not ending, but it is also not boring or repetitious.
永恒是一个我无法完全理解的词。我只能从它不是什么来思考它。它不会结束，但也不会无聊或重复。
Everything in the world ends-even the oldest, sturdiest things will go to pieces in the end. But not our inheritance!
世上的一切都会终结——即使是最古老、最坚固的事物最终也会瓦解。但我们的继承不会！
The Byzantine Empire lasted from 473 to 1453, but then it fell to the Turks! What a run it had! For centuries no one could imagine it coming to an end, but it did. All things do. Except God and what He has promised us!
拜占庭帝国从473年持续到1453年，但最终还是被土耳其人攻陷了！它曾经多么辉煌啊！几个世纪以来，没人能想象它会结束，但它最终还是结束了。所有事物都会如此。除了上帝和祂对我们的承诺！
For the believer, death is the doorway out of death, change and decay and into life, permanency, and perfection getting better every minute!
对信徒而言，死亡是走出死亡、变化和衰败的门户，进入生命、永恒和每分每秒都在变得更美好的完美境界！
What’s the world coming to? It’s coming to ruin. But what are God’s people coming to? We’re coming to heaven! Every believer is, including the believer who worries he isn’t.
这个世界将走向何方？它正走向毁灭。但上帝的子民将走向何方？我们正走向天堂！每个信徒都是如此，包括那些担心自己不配的信徒。
This is number three. Now, I’ve got to hurry.
这是第三点。现在，我必须加快速度了。
A FREE INHERITANCE
自由的继承
“It is the freest inheritance, free of all vexation and molestation. There is no sin to vex the soul and no devil to molest the believer. Oh the debates, the disputes, the law-suits that attend earthly inheritances! But no encumbrances to our heavenly inheritance”.
“这是最自由的继承，免于一切烦恼和骚扰。没有罪恼害灵魂，也没有魔鬼骚扰信徒。哦，那些伴随着世俗继承的争论、纷争和诉讼啊！但我们的天国继承却没有任何阻碍。”
This is a sharp comment. Whenever a man dies, his heirs are sure to swoop down in his estate, like vultures on a dead rabbit. Greedy, selfish, covetous relatives pecking at what he left behind-fighting for his silver and suing each other for his home!
这是一个尖锐的评论。每当一个人去世，他的继承人必定会像秃鹫扑向死兔子一样扑向他的遗产。贪婪、自私、贪得无厌的亲戚争夺他留下的遗产——为他的银器争斗，为他的房子互相起诉！
A Greek once said that if he had the choice of going to hell or going to court, he would go to hell!
一位希腊人曾经说过，如果让他选择下地狱还是上法庭，他宁愿选择下地狱！
Inheritances are rarely free from the clamor and aggravations of the world. But what we have coming is free of all hassles and headaches.
继承很少能免于世俗的喧嚣和烦恼。但我们即将得到的继承却免于一切麻烦和烦恼。
There is no judge above God and what He wills to give us, He gives us and no one can dispute His will. Our inheritance is a free one, free from all worries and regrets.
没有任何法官在上帝之上，祂愿意给我们的，祂就给我们，没有人能质疑祂的旨意。我们的继承是自由的，免于一切忧虑和遗憾。
A UNIVERSRSAL INHERITANCE
普世的继承
“Fifthly, it is a universally communicable inheritance-to Jews and Gentiles, to bond and free, to rich to poor, to high to low, to male and female. To men, all children are not equal heirs, but all God’s children are all heirs”.
“第五，这是一个普世可传递的继承——给犹太人和外邦人，给奴隶和自由人，给富人和穷人，给高贵和卑贱的，给男性和女性。对人来说，并非所有的孩子都是平等的继承人，但上帝的所有孩子都是继承人。”
In the near-eastern world back in Bible days, a man’s sons got his estate and his daughters did not. And, of the sons, the first-born got twice as much as the others. In some cases, sons (even the firstborn) would be cut out of the inheritance or get less than he expected. See Ishmael, Esau, and Ruben, for examples.
在圣经时代的近东世界，一个男人的儿子继承他的财产，而女儿则不能。而且，在儿子中，长子得到的是其他儿子的两倍。在某些情况下，儿子（甚至是长子）会被排除在继承之外或得到比预期少的遗产。以以实玛利、以扫和流便为例。
But God disinherits none of His children and gives both sexes and every age an equal share in His infinite happiness. In heaven King Solomon will have no more than Lazarus who lay at the rich man’s gate. The man who trusted Christ five minutes before the Second Coming will have as much as Noah who bore the heat of the day for centuries.
但上帝不会剥夺任何一个祂的孩子的继承权，而是给予两性和各个年龄段平等的份额，分享祂无限的喜乐。在天堂里，所罗门王不会比躺在富人门口的拉撒路得到更多。在基督第二次降临前五分钟信靠基督的人，将得到与挪亚一样多的份额，尽管挪亚承受了数百年的艰辛。
What is infinity divided by two? It is infinity. What is infinity dived by 200? Infinity. By 200 billion? It’s all the same. Because God’s favor is infinite, all of His heirs will have a full share of it because we have a full share of Christ.
无限除以二是多少？还是无限。无限除以200呢？还是无限。除以2000亿呢？都是一样的。因为上帝的恩惠是无限的，祂所有的继承人都将完全得到这份恩惠，因为我们在基督里得到了完全的份额。
A SATISFYING INHERITANCE
一个令人满足的遗产
“Lastly, it is a soul-satisfying inheritance. He who has it shall sit down and say, `I have enough. I have all.'”
“最后，这是一个令灵魂满足的遗产。拥有它的人将会坐下来说，’我已经足够了。我拥有一切。'”
This is so contrary to the riches that pass from father to son in this world. How many children have received much, only to resent what they didn’t get?
这与世上从父亲传给儿子的财富是如此不同。有多少孩子得到了很多，却只因没得到的而怨恨？
Even an only child (and a rich man’s sole heir) might receive much, but find it surprisingly empty-not what he thought it would be.
即使是独生子（也是富人的唯一继承人）可能会得到很多，却发现它出奇地空虚——不是他想象的那样。
But not so of the believer’s inheritance! No one will wish for more; no one will find what God has given him less than he expected.
但信徒的遗产并非如此！没有人会希望得到更多；没有人会发现上帝给他的比他期望的少。
No disappointment in heaven, but the opposite: new surprises of grace every day! Forever!
天堂里没有失望，相反：每天都有新的恩典惊喜！永远如此！
Table of Contents
目录
The Epistle Dedicatory
献词
The Character of Mrs. Blake
布莱克夫人的品格
The Best Things Reserved Until Last
最好的事物保留到最后
The Best Rest is Reserved for Believers Until They Come to Heaven
最好的安息为信徒保留直到他们进入天堂
The Best Knowledge of God is Reserved for Believers Until They Come to Heaven
对上帝最好的认识为信徒保留直到他们进入天堂
The Best and Choicest Presence of God and Christ is Reserved Until Last
上帝和基督最好最珍贵的同在保留到最后
The Perfection of Grace is Reserved for Glory
恩典的完全为荣耀所保留
The Best Society, the Best Company, is Reserved Until Last
最好的社交，最好的伙伴，保留到最后
The Glorifying of Our Bodies is Reserved Until Last
我们身体的荣耀化保留到最后
The Reasons Why God Reserves the Best Blessings for Believers Until They Come to Heaven
上帝为何将最好的祝福为信徒保留直到他们进入天堂的原因
Twenty Motives for Christians to be Willing to Die
基督徒愿意死去的二十个动机