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William Gurnall
威廉·古纳尔
“Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine . . . Meditate upon these things.” 1 Timothy 4:13-15.
“要专心读经、劝勉、教导…要默想这些事。” 提摩太前书4:13-15
Meditation is to the sermon, what the harrow is to the seed — it covers those truths which else might have been picked or washed away.
默想之于讲道，就如耙地之于种子——它覆盖那些否则可能被啄走或冲走的真理。
An affectionate hearer will not be a forgetful hearer.
一个充满爱心的聆听者不会成为一个健忘的聆听者。
Love helps the memory: Can a woman forget her child, or a maid her ornaments, or a bride her attire?
爱能助记：一个母亲会忘记她的孩子吗？一个少女会忘记她的饰品吗？一个新娘会忘记她的妆扮吗？
No, they love them too well.
不会的，她们太爱这些了。
Were the truths of God thus precious to you, you would with David think of them day and night.
如果上帝的真理对你来说如此珍贵，你就会像大卫（David）一样日日夜夜思考它们。
Even when the Christian, through weakness of memory, cannot remember the very words he hears, to repeat them; yet, then he keeps the power and savor of them in his spirit, as when sugar is dissolved in wine you cannot see it — but you may taste it.
即使基督徒因记忆力薄弱而无法重复他所听到的确切言语；但他仍在灵里保持着这些话语的力量和滋味，就像糖溶解在酒中你看不见它——但你能品尝到它。
When meat is eaten and digested, it is not to be found as it was received — but the man is cheered and strengthened by it, more able to walk and work than before, by which you may know it is not lost.
当肉食被吃下消化后，虽然找不到它最初的形态——但人因它而振奋和强壮，比从前更能行走和工作，由此你可知它并未失去。
Just so, you may taste the truths the Christian heard, in his spirit, see them in his life.
同样地，你能在基督徒的灵里品尝到他所听到的真理，在他的生命中看到这些真理。
Until the heart is touched — the mind will not be fixed.
直到心被触动——思想才能专注。
Therefore you may observe, it is said, God opened the heart of Lydia “that she attended” (Acts 16:14).
因此你可以观察到，经上说，上帝开启了吕底亚（Lydia）的心”使她留心听”（使徒行传16:14）。
The mind goes of the will’s errand; we spend our thoughts, on what our hearts propose.
心志驱使思想；我们的思绪专注于心所向往的事物。
If the heart has no sense of its ignorance, or no desires after God — no wonder such a one listens not what the preacher says, his heart sends his mind another way.
如果心对自己的无知没有察觉，或对上帝没有渴慕——这样的人不听讲道者所说的话就不足为奇了，他的心把他的思想引向别处。
“They sit before you as my people,” says God, “but their heart goes after their covetousness.”
上帝说：”他们坐在你面前如同我的子民，但他们的心却追随着贪婪。”
When the soul stands upon this Pisgah of meditation, looking by an eye of faith, upon all the great and precious things laid up by a faithful God for him — it is easy to despise the world’s love and wrath.
当灵魂站在这默想的毗斯迦山（Pisgah）顶上，用信心的眼睛观看信实的上帝为他预备的一切伟大和宝贵的事物时——就容易轻视世界的爱与怒。
But, alas! it is hard for us to go up there who are so short-winded, and soon tired with a few steps up this mount of God.
但是，唉！对于我们这些呼吸短促、仅仅走几步就疲惫不堪的人来说，登上上帝的这座山是如此艰难。
Would we but frequently retire from the world, and bestow some of that time in secret waiting upon God, which we lavish out upon inferior pleasures, and entertainments of the creature — we would invite God’s Holy Spirit to us.
如果我们能经常从世界中抽身，将那些浪费在低级欢愉和被造物娱乐上的时间，用来在暗中等候上帝——我们就会邀请上帝的圣灵临到我们。
Let a wicked man set up a lust for his thoughts to dally with, and the devil will soon be at his elbow to assist him.
让一个邪恶的人在思想中设立情欲与之玩耍，魔鬼很快就会在他身边协助他。
And shall we not believe the Holy Spirit as ready to lend His helping hand to a holy meditation?
难道我们不相信圣灵随时准备向圣洁的冥想伸出援手吗？
Doubtless He is.
毫无疑问，祂就是如此。
Spread you your sails, and the Spirit will fill them with His heavenly breath.
展开你的船帆，圣灵就会用祂属天的气息充满它们。
Be careful to provide fuel, gather matter for meditation, set your thoughts at work upon it — and the Spirit of God will kindle your affections.
要谨慎地预备燃料，收集默想的素材，让你的思想专注于此——上帝的灵就会点燃你的心志。
“While I was musing,” says David, “the fire burned” (Psalm 39:3).
大卫说：”我默想的时候，火就烧起来。”（诗篇39:3）
Meditation fills the heart with heavenly matter — but prayer gives the discharge and pours it forth upon God. Meditation is prayer’s handmaid, to wait on it before and after the performance. It is as the plough before the sower, to prepare the heart for the duty of prayer, and as the harrow to cover the seed when it is sown.
默想用属天的事物充满心灵——而祷告则将其释放并倾倒在神面前。默想是祷告的婢女，在祷告前后服侍。它如同撒种前的犁，预备心灵尽祷告的本分，又如同播种后的耙，覆盖已撒下的种子。
Deadness in the heart of a saint will damp his zeal, if not cleared by daily watchfulness.
圣徒心中的死寂会削弱他的热忱，如果不经由日常的警醒就无法清除。
Look, therefore, narrowly whence your cooling comes; perhaps your heart is too much let out upon the world in the day, and at night your spirits are spent, when you should be in prayer.
因此，要仔细察看你的冷淡从何而来；也许是你的心在白天过分放在世界上，以至于晚上当你应该祷告时精疲力尽。
If you will be hotter in duty — you must be colder towards the world.
如果你要在责任上更加火热，就必须对世界更加冷淡。
Prize the word, feed on the word, whether it be in public, or in a conference with some Christian friend, or in secret reading and meditation by your solitary self.
珍惜神的话语，以神的话语为粮，无论是在公开场合，还是与基督徒朋友交谈，或是独自一人默想阅读。
Let none of these be disused, or carnally used by you. When your stomach fails to the word, your faith must needs begin to fail on the word.
这些都不可废弃，也不可肉体地使用。当你对神的话语失去胃口时，你对神话语的信心必然开始动摇。
But you will say, If we had so much time to spare as others, we would not be so unacquainted with the Scriptures.
但你会说，如果我们像其他人那样有那么多空闲时间，我们就不会对圣经如此陌生。
Could God find heart and time to pen and send this love-letter to you — and you find none to read and peruse it!
神尚且能找到心思和时间写下并传递这封情书给你，而你却找不到时间去阅读和思考它！
Would the sick man take no time to look on his physician’s prescription!
病人难道不会花时间查看医生的处方吗！
Would the condemned malefactor fail to look on his prince’s letter of grace, wherein a pardon is signed!
被定罪的罪犯难道会不看君王签署赦免的恩典信吗！
Must the world have all your time and swallow you up alive!
难道世界必须占据你所有的时间，将你活活吞噬！
Are you such a slave to your pelf, as to tie your soul to your purse strings; and take no more time for the saving of it, than this cruel master will afford you!
你是否如此为钱财所奴役，以至于将灵魂系在钱袋上，除了这个残酷的主人所允许的时间外，再没有时间来拯救它！
Who gave you permission thus to overload yourself with the incumbrance of the world?
谁给你许可让你如此使自己被世界的重担压垮？
Is not God the Lord of your time?
神难道不是你时间的主宰吗？
“Why did you not read My word, and meditate thereon?” will Christ say at that day.
“为什么你不读我的话语，并默想它？”那日基督会这样说。
Dare you, then, be so impudent as to say, Lord, I was overcharged with the cares, and drunk with the love of the world — and, therefore, I could not read it!
你竟敢如此厚颜无耻地说，主啊，我被世俗的忧虑压得喘不过气，被世界的爱迷醉，所以我无法读它！
Well, if this be the thief that robs you of your time, get out of his hands, lest it also rob you of your soul!
好吧，如果这就是偷走你时间的贼，就要从它手中逃脱，免得它也偷走你的灵魂！
What calling is more encumbering than a soldier’s, and of all the soldiers, the general’s?
还有什么职业比军人更繁重，在所有军人中，又有什么比将军更繁重？
Such a one was Joshua — yet he had a strict command given him to study the Scriptures: (Joshua 1:8) “This book shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night.”
约书亚就是这样一位将军——然而他却受到严格的命令要研读圣经：（约书亚记1:8）”这律法书不可离开你的口，总要昼夜思想。”
Must Joshua, in the midst of drums and trumpets, and distractions of war, find time to meditate on the law of God — and shall a few trivial occasions in your private calling discharge you from the same duty?
约书亚在战鼓号角声中，在战争的纷扰中，尚且要找时间默想上帝的律法——而你却因私事中的一些琐事就免除了同样的责任？
Take heed that you come not to the Scriptures with an unholy heart.
当心不要带着不圣洁的心来读圣经。
If ever you know the mind of God in His word — the Spirit must impart it to you.
如果你想明白上帝话语中的心意——圣灵必须将其传授给你。
And will He who is so holy, take you by your foul hand, to lead you into truth?
那位至圣者，会牵着你污秽的手引导你进入真理吗？
No, your doom is set, “None of the wicked shall understand” (Dan. 12:10).
不会的，你的结局已定，”恶人一个也不明白”（但以理书12:10）。
If we have the truth for our guest, and are acquainted with the mind and will of God — we must have a holy heart for its lodging!
如果我们要以真理为客，要认识上帝的心意和旨意——我们必须有圣洁的心作为它的居所！
Go to God by prayer for a key to unlock the mysteries of His word.
要通过祷告向上帝寻求开启祂话语奥秘的钥匙。
It is not the plodding, but the praying soul — that will get this treasure of scripture knowledge.
不是苦干的人，而是祷告的灵魂——才能获得这圣经知识的宝藏。
God often brings a truth to the Christian’s hand as a return of prayer, which he had long hunted for in vain with much labor and study: “There is a God in Heaven who reveals secrets” (Dan. 2:28); and where does He reveal the secrets of His word — but at the throne of grace?
上帝常常以回应祷告的方式，将一个真理放在基督徒手中，这真理是他们曾经费尽心力却徒劳无获地寻找的：”只有一位在天上的上帝，是显明奥秘事的”（但以理书2:28）；除了在施恩宝座前，祂还在何处显明祂话语的奥秘呢？
“From the first day,” says the angel, “that you set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard”; that is for your prayer (Dan. 10:12).
天使说：”从你第一日专心求明白这事，又在你上帝面前刻苦己心，你的言语已蒙垂听”；这是对你祷告的回应（但以理书10:12）。
And what was this heavenly messenger’s errand to Daniel, but to open more fully the Scripture to him? as appears by verse 14 compared with verse 21.
这位天上的使者到但以理那里，不就是为了更完全地向他开启圣经吗？这从第14节与第21节的比较可以看出。
This holy man had got some knowledge by his study in the word — and this sets him a-praying — and prayer fetched an angel from Heaven to give him more light.
这位圣人通过研读圣言获得了一些知识——这促使他祷告——而祷告又从天上召来一位天使给他更多亮光。
“Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). It was not the Bible in his hand to read it, not the word on his tongue to speak of it; but the hiding it in his heart, that he found effectual against sin.
“我将你的话藏在心里，免得我得罪你”（诗篇119:11）。这不是手持圣经去阅读，也不是用舌头去述说；而是将其藏在心里，他发现这才是对抗罪恶的有效方法。
“Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesyings” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, 20). They are coupled together; he who despises one, loses both. If the scholar is too proud to learn from the guide — he is unworthy to be taught by the master.
“不要消灭圣灵的感动，不要藐视先知的讲论”（帖撒罗尼迦前书5:19, 20）。这两者是紧密相连的；藐视其一，就会失去两者。如果学者过于骄傲而不愿从引导者学习——他就不配接受大师的教导。
“They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). Satan commonly stops the ear from hearing sound doctrine, before he opens it to embrace corrupt doctrine.
“他们必掩耳不听真道，偏向荒渺的言论”（提摩太后书4:3, 4）。撒但通常会先阻止人听从正确的教义，然后才让人接受腐败的教义。