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Comprising the History of Providence as Unfolded in the Book of Esther
包含在以斯帖记中展现的护理历史
The great design of the Book of Esther in the Holy Scriptures is to display the wisdom, providence, and power of God in the preservation of His people and in the destruction of their enemies.
以斯帖记在圣经中的伟大设计是要显明神在保守祂的百姓和毁灭他们的仇敌方面的智慧、护理和大能。
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We learn from it that the most casual events which take place in the affairs of the world are connected with His plans respecting His people, and that the most trifling things are appointed and directed by Him to effect His purposes.
我们从中学到，在世界事务中发生的最偶然的事件都与祂关于祂百姓的计划相连，最微不足道的事情都是祂所指定和引导来成就祂的旨意。
It decides a question that philosophy has conversed for ages and will never fathom; recording a number of events as the result of man’s free agency—yet evidently appointed of God and directed by His providence.
它决定了哲学争论了数个世纪却永远无法理解的问题；记录了许多事件作为人自由意志的结果——然而明显是神所指定并由祂的护理引导的。
From this book the believer may learn to place unbounded confidence in the care of his God in the utmost danger, and to look to the Lord of omnipotence for deliverance when there is no apparent means of escape.
从这卷书信徒可以学会在极度危险中对他的神的看顾怀有无限的信心，并在没有明显的逃脱手段时仰望全能的主得拯救。
It demonstrates a particular providence, in the minutest things, and affords the most solid answer to all the objections of philosophy about this consoling truth.
它在最微小的事上显明了特殊的护理，并对哲学关于这个安慰真理的所有反对意见提供了最可靠的回答。
The wisdom of this world, with all its acuteness, is not able to perceive how God can intervene on any particular occasion without deranging the order of His general plans.
这世界的智慧，尽管有其全部的敏锐，却不能理解神如何能在任何特定场合介入而不扰乱祂一般计划的秩序。
Philosophers account for the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous, from the operation of general “laws.”
哲学家们用一般”律法”的运行来解释恶人的兴盛和义人的苦难。
A villain grows rich by industry, and oppresses the virtuous poor; a rich man loses his all by a storm at sea, or is himself overwhelmed in the ruins of an earthquake.
一个恶棍通过勤勉致富，并压制有德的穷人；一个富人因海上的风暴失去一切，或自己在地震的废墟中被埋没。
In all this, the philosopher’s “god” cannot intervene, for he is tied down by the order of a general providence.
在这一切中，哲学家的”神”不能介入，因为他被一般护理的秩序束缚住了。
He is fettered by his own previously established laws, as effectually as the gods of the heathen were when they swore by the river Styx.
他被自己先前建立的律法束缚，就像异教的神明们指着冥河起誓时一样有效地被束缚。
[A river in ancient Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld—often called Hades.]
【古希腊神话中形成地上和阴间——通常称为哈底斯——之间边界的河流。】
The philosopher’s “god” must quietly look on amidst all the occasional mischief resulting from his plans, which, though upon the whole the best possible, yet have many unavoidable defects.
哲学家的”神”必须在他的计划所导致的所有偶然灾祸中静静旁观，这些计划尽管整体上是最好的，但仍有许多不可避免的缺陷。
Storms and earthquakes result from the operations of general laws established at first by the Author of nature; and the Almighty, it is supposed, without unsuitably counteracting the order appointed by Himself, can neither prevent them nor deliver from their dreadful consequences.
风暴和地震是自然界创造者最初建立的一般律法运行的结果；据认为，全能者若不不当地违背祂自己指定的秩序，就既不能阻止它们，也不能从它们可怕的后果中拯救。
Famine and war, with all the evils that destroy or afflict men, are accounted for on principles that exclude a particular divine providence.
饥荒和战争，以及所有毁灭或折磨人的邪恶，都用排除特殊神圣护理的原则来解释。
The arrogance of the oppressor cannot be restrained, nor the sufferings of the virtuous prevented, without an unbecoming deviation from the order of nature.
压迫者的傲慢不能被约束，有德者的痛苦也不能被阻止，除非不当地偏离自然的秩序。
Philosophy cannot see how her god could dispose every particular event without a miracle on every occasion of interference.
哲学不能看到她的神如何能在每次干预的场合都不行神迹而安排每个特定事件。
On this supposition, she thinks that he must be continually suspending and counteracting the general laws which he at first established for the government of the world.
基于这个假设，她认为他必须不断地中止和对抗他最初为治理世界而建立的一般律法。
How different from this philosophic God is the Lord God of the Bible!
圣经的主神与这个哲学的神是多么不同！
Jehovah has indeed established general laws in the government of the world, yet in such a manner that He is the immediate Author of every particular event—that is, He works directly, without any intermediary or middle agent.
耶和华确实在世界的治理中建立了一般律法，但是祂以这样的方式使祂成为每个特定事件的直接创造者——即，祂直接工作，没有任何中介或中间代理。
His power has been sometimes displayed in suspending these laws, but is usually employed in directing them to fulfill His particular purposes.
祂的能力有时在中止这些律法中显明，但通常用于引导它们来成就祂的特定目的。
The sun and the rain minister to the nourishment and comfort equally of the righteous and the wicked, not from the necessity of general laws, but from the immediate providence of Him Who, in the government of the world, wills this result.
太阳和雨水同样为义人和恶人提供滋养和安慰，不是出于一般律法的必然性，而是出于祂的直接护理，祂在世界的治理中意愿这个结果。
Accordingly, the shining of the sun and the falling of the rain on the fields of the wicked are represented in Scripture, not as the unavoidable effects of general laws, but as the design of supreme goodness.
因此，太阳的照耀和雨水降在恶人田地上在圣经中被表现为，不是一般律法不可避免的结果，而是至善的设计。
A rifle well aimed will strike a particular object, but divine truth has assured us that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without the permission of the Ruler of the world.
一支瞄准良好的步枪会击中特定目标，但神圣真理已经向我们保证，一只麻雀不能在没有世界统治者许可的情况下落到地上。
This book of Esther teaches us that God exerts His particular providence in an inconceivably wise and skillful manner, even by the operation of His general laws and the exercise of the free determinations of men.
这卷以斯帖记教导我们，神以不可思议的智慧和巧妙方式施行祂的特殊护理，甚至通过祂一般律法的运行和人自由决定的行使。
The very laws that, in the opinion of the philosopher, stand in the way of a particular providence are here exhibited as the agents that He deputes to effect His purposes.
在哲学家看来阻碍特殊护理的那些律法，在这里被显明为祂委派来成就祂目的的代理。
The most astonishing interventions that ever were recorded are here effected solely through the operation of general laws and the actions of voluntary agents.
有史以来记录的最令人惊讶的干预在这里完全通过一般律法的运行和自愿代理者的行动来实现。
The people of God are delivered out of the most imminent danger, and their enemies most marvelously overturned, without a single miracle.
神的百姓从最迫在眉睫的危险中被拯救出来，他们的仇敌最奇妙地被推翻，没有一个神迹。
The glory of the divine wisdom, power, and providence shines here the more illustriously, because God effects His work without suspending the laws of nature, or constraining the determination of the agents employed in the execution of His work.
神圣智慧、能力和护理的荣耀在这里更加辉煌地闪耀，因为神成就祂的工作而不中止自然律法，也不约束在执行祂工作中所用代理者的决定。
Had the earth opened and swallowed the enemies of the Jews, the power of Jehovah would have been displayed; but when He saved them by a train of events according to the general laws of nature—each of which separately viewed seems fortuitous, yet when seen in combination must necessarily have been designed to bring about the one great end and result—then the existence of a particular providence is proved, and the nature of it is delightfully illustrated.
如果地开口吞没犹太人的仇敌，耶和华的能力就会被显明；但当祂通过一连串按照自然一般律法的事件拯救他们时——每一个单独看来似乎是偶然的，但结合起来看必然是被设计来带来那一个伟大结局和结果的——那么特殊护理的存在就被证明了，它的本质就被美好地说明了。
It is not merely taught in doctrine, but it is exhibited in example.
它不仅在教义中被教导，而且在实例中被展现。