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Better than life!
胜过生命！
(James Smith, “The Pastor’s Evening Visit”)
（詹姆斯·史密斯，”牧师的夜间探访”）
“Your loving-kindness is better than life!” Psalm 63:3
“你的慈爱胜过生命！”诗篇63:3
Life is existence. Here it means existence under the most favorable circumstances: as life in ease, honor, plenty — life surrounded by all that is desirable.
生命就是存在。这里指的是在最有利环境下的存在：如安逸、尊荣、富足的生活 — 被一切美好事物环绕的生活。
But what then, is God’s loving-kindness?
那么，什么是神的慈爱呢？
It is His love displaying itself in . . .
kind words,
kind acts,
kind discoveries of His divine excellencies;
feasting the soul with spiritual delights.
这是祂的爱以如下方式展现：
慈爱的言语，
慈爱的行为，
慈爱地显明祂神圣的美善；
以属灵的喜乐使灵魂饱足。
God’s loving-kindness is better than life, for . . .
it bestows greater blessings,
it confers higher honors,
it imparts sweeter pleasures,
it raises higher expectations,
and it throws around us greater security.
神的慈爱胜过生命，因为：
它赐予更大的祝福，
它带来更高的荣耀，
它给予更甜美的喜乐，
它带来更高的盼望，
它为我们提供更大的保障。
It is better, for . . .
it is more lasting;
it is more suited to the nature of the soul;
it is truly glorious.
它更美好，因为：
它更持久；
它更适合灵魂的本质；
它真正荣耀。
It is . . .
unmixed good,
unfading pleasure,
inexhaustible wealth!
它是：
纯净的美善，
永不褪色的喜乐，
取之不尽的财富！
Well then may the psalmist prefer it to life, and well may he say, “My lips shall praise You” for my present enjoyment of it, and for the prospect of eternally enjoying it!
诗人宁愿要它胜过生命，他说”我的嘴唇要赞美你”，为着现今对它的享受，也为着永远享受它的盼望！
Do you value life? Do you prefer God’s loving-kindness better than life?
你珍惜生命吗？你是否更看重神的慈爱胜过生命？