跳至正文

《关于祷告的论述》托马斯·波士顿DiscoursesonPrayerThomasBoston –

    Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

    中文下载

    First, I am to consider the object of this duty, or whom we are to pray to; that is, God: not to saints and angels, as the Papists do; for prayer is a part of religious worship, and therefore due to God only, Matth. 4:10; and he only knows all things, and is present everywhere to hear us, Isa. 63:16.
    首先,我要考虑这项责任的对象,即我们应该向谁祷告;那就是上帝:而不是像天主教徒(Papists)那样向圣徒和天使祷告;因为祷告是宗教敬拜的一部分,因此只归于上帝,马太福音 4章10节;并且只有祂知晓万事,无处不在地聆听我们,以赛亚书 63章16节。
    To all the three persons in the Trinity prayer is due.
    对三一神(Trinity)的所有三个位格(persons)都应献上祷告。
    That it is so to the Father, nobody doubts.
    没有人怀疑对圣父(Father)是如此。
    That it is due to Christ, the Son, appears from Stephen’s calling upon him in his last moments, and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” Acts 7:59.
    对圣子基督(Christ, the Son)也应献上祷告,这从司提反(Stephen)在他临终时呼求祂,说:“主耶稣,求你接纳我的灵魂”,使徒行传 7章59节,就可以看出。
    Even Christ the Mediator is to be worshipped, though his divine nature is the reason why he is worshipped, Heb. 1:6, “And let all the angels of God worship him.”
    即使是中保基督(Christ the Mediator)也应受敬拜,尽管祂的神性(divine nature)是祂受敬拜的原因,希伯来书 1章6节,“上帝的众使者都要拜祂。”
    The Holy Ghost also is to be worshipped, as appears from the apostolical benediction, 2 Cor. 13:14, “The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.”
    圣灵(Holy Ghost)也应受敬拜,这从使徒的祝福中可以看出,哥林多后书 13章14节,“愿圣灵的感动常与你们众人同在。”

    In respect of the object of worship, people would do well to satisfy themselves, in their addresses to God, with the belief of the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, who are but one object of worship, and not think to comprehend God, but to make use of the names and titles he has taken to himself in the word.
    关于敬拜的对象,人们在向上帝祈求时,最好要满足于对神性中三位格的相信,祂们是敬拜的唯一对象,不要试图完全理解上帝,而是要使用祂在圣言中为自己所取的名和称号。
    Beware of imaginations of God or the three persons, and of dividing the object of worship, as if praying to the Father, you did not also pray to the Son and the Holy Ghost.
    要警惕对上帝或这三个位格的想象,以及将敬拜的对象分开,仿佛向圣父祷告时,你们就没有向圣子和圣灵祷告一样。

    It is most necessary our prayers begin with such a description of God, as may both strike fear and dread in our hearts; and confidence of being heard; as, “Our Father which art in heaven;” “O, Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy,” &c., Dan. 9:4.
    我们的祷告最需要以对上帝的描述开始,这种描述既能使我们的心产生敬畏和恐惧;又能使我们确信会被垂听;例如,“我们在天上的父”;“主啊,大而可畏的上帝,向爱祢守祢诫命的人守约施慈爱,”等等,但以理书 9章4节。
    And this will readily be the case, if we have due thoughts of his glorious majesty and infinite excellency.
    如果我们对祂荣耀的威严和无限的卓越有恰当的思考,情况就会如此。

    Secondly, The parts of prayer are three, (1.) Confession, (2.) Thanksgiving, and (3.) Petition.
    其次,祷告的组成部分有三,(1.)认罪(Confession),(2.)感恩(Thanksgiving),和(3.)祈求(Petition)。

    1. Confession, Dan. 9:4, 5, “I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant, and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments: we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled,” &c.
    2. 认罪,但以理书 9章4、5节,“我向主我的上帝祷告,认罪说:主啊,大而可畏的上帝,向爱祢守祢诫命的人守约施慈爱:我们犯了罪,作了恶,行了邪恶,背叛了祢,”等等。
      It well becomes sinful dust and ashes, in addresses to God, to come with a blush in the countenance, and tears in the eye, and confession in the mouth.
      对于有罪的尘土和灰烬来说,在向上帝祈求时,带着脸红、流着泪、口中认罪是恰当的。
      It is necessary to humble us in the sight of God, and it is the humble only that are heard, Psalm 10:17.
      这对于我们在上帝面前谦卑是必要的,而且只有谦卑的人才蒙垂听,诗篇 10篇17节。
      Confession is the vomiting up of the sweet morsel, and God has joined pardon and confession together, 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
      认罪是吐出甜美的食物,上帝将赦免和认罪连接在一起,约翰一书 1章9节,“我们若认自己的罪,祂是信实的,是公义的,必要赦免我们的罪,洗净我们一切的不义。”
      God’s ears are shut to those whose mouths are bound up from this.
      上帝的耳朵对那些嘴被束缚而不能认罪的人是关闭的。
      Some say they cannot pray: O can ye not confess what you are, have done, and daily are doing?
      有些人说他们不能祷告:哦,难道你们不能承认你们是谁,做过什么,以及每天正在做什么吗?
      How can ye want matter of prayer, while ye have so many sins to confess?
      当你们有如此多的罪需要承认时,你们怎么会缺少祷告的材料呢?
    3. Thanksgiving, Phil. 4:6, “In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.”
    4. 感恩,腓立比书 4章6节,“凡事借着祷告、祈求,和感谢,将你们所要的告诉上帝。”
      Every man is God’s debtor for mercies, as well as sins; the least return ye can make, is to acknowledge debt.
      每个人都因着恩典和罪而欠上帝的债;你们能作出的最小回报,就是承认欠债。
      He that is unthankful for what he has got, cannot think to come speed in addresses for more.
      对所得到的不知感恩的人,不能指望在祈求更多时能如愿。
    5. Petition, wherein prayer properly consists.
    6. 祈求,祷告真正包含的部分。
      It is an offering up of our desires to God.
      它是将我们的愿望献给上帝。
      Wherein we may note the act of prayer, “offering up our desires.”
      其中我们可以注意到祷告的行为:“献上我们的愿望。”
      The prayer that God makes account of is first in the heart, 1 Cor. 14:15, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.”
      上帝所重视的祷告首先是在心里,哥林多前书 14章15节,“我要用灵祷告,也要用悟性祷告。”
      It is a pouring out of the heart to God, Psalm 62:8.
      它是将心倾倒给上帝,诗篇 62篇8节。
      The Spirit of God moves on the waters of our affections, and then they are poured out before the Lord, as the water of the well of Bethlehem was by David.
      上帝的灵在我们的情感之水上运行,然后它们就被倾倒在主面前,就像大卫所倾倒的伯利恒井水一样。
      Many times our prayers come as mud out of a vessel; but as water they should flow freely.
      很多时候,我们的祷告就像从器皿中流出的泥浆;但它们应该像水一样自由流淌。
      The
      【此处英文原文残缺】
      In prayer there are real desires of what we seek of God, which desires are offered to the Lord.
      在祷告中,有我们向上帝所求之事的真实愿望,这些愿望被献给主。
      The mouth must not speak out anything but what is the desire of the heart.
      口里说出来的,必须是心里的愿望。
      It is dangerous to mock God,谁 knows the heart; to confess sin, and not have the heart affected with it; to seek supply of wants from him, and not have the heart impressed with a due sense of the want of them.
      嘲笑知道人心的上帝是危险的;认罪却没有心受感动;向祂寻求所需,却没有心被缺乏的恰当感受所感动。
      There are two sorts of desires.
      有两种愿望。

    (1.) There are natural desires, which are the mere product of our own spirits, offered unto God, but not regarded as prayer (Hos. 7:14.) by the Lord.
    (1.)有自然愿望(natural desires),它们仅仅是我们自己心灵的产物,献给上帝,但主不把它们视为祷告(何西阿书 7章14节)。
    These may be not only for temporal things but for spiritual also, as those who said to Christ, “Lord evermore give us this bread.”
    这些可能不仅是为了暂时的事物,也是为了属灵的事物,就像那些对基督说:“主啊,常将这粮赐给我们”的人一样。
    A natural man, from a gift of prayer, may seek grace and glory, as a bridge to lead him over the愤怒waters of wrath; but coming only from their own spirits, such a prayer is not acceptable.
    一个属血气的人(natural man),凭着祷告的恩赐,可能会寻求恩典和荣耀,作为一座桥梁,带领他渡过上帝愤怒的洪水;但由于只来自他们自己的心灵,这样的祷告是不可接受的。

    (2.) There are spiritual desires, Zech. 12:10; which the saints breathe out unto God, having them first breathed into them by the Spirit, Rom. 8:26.
    (2.)有属灵愿望(spiritual desires),撒迦利亚书 12章10节;圣徒向着上帝呼出这些愿望,是圣灵首先将它们吹入他们心中的,罗马书 8章26节。
    And these may be for temporal things, as well as spiritual, accepted, seeing they are put up in a spiritual manner.
    这些愿望可以是暂时的事物,也可以是属灵的事物,只要是以属灵的方式献上,就会被接纳。
    These are always sincere and fervent, so as the soul earnestly craves the things sought.
    这些总是真诚而热切的,以至于灵魂热切渴望所寻求的事物。

    Thirdly, The matter of prayer, or what we are to petition and seek for.
    第三,祷告的内容,或者我们应该祈求和寻求什么。
    These are, the things that are agreeable to God’s will.
    这些是,那些符合上帝旨意的事情。
    To pray for the fulfilling of unlawful desires, is horrid, Jam. 4:3.
    祈求满足不合法的愿望是可怕的,雅各书 4章3节。
    But the will of God is the rule of our prayers, 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.”
    但上帝的旨意是我们祷告的准则,约翰一书 5章14节,“我们若照着祂的旨意求什么,祂就听我们,这是我们向祂所存坦然无惧的心。”
    We find the will of God in his commands and promises.
    我们在祂的命令和应许中发现上帝的旨意。
    Whatever God has commanded us to seek, whatever he has promised, that we may and ought to pray for.
    无论上帝吩咐我们寻求什么,无论祂应许了什么,我们都可以而且应该为此祷告。
    These are, (1.) Spiritual mercies, grace, glory, the increase of grace, comforts, &c. (2.) Temporal mercies, health, strength, &c., mercies relating to our bodies and temporal estate in the world.
    这些是,(1.)属灵的怜悯、恩典、荣耀、恩典的增长、安慰等等。(2.)暂时的怜悯、健康、力量等等,与我们的身体和世上暂时的财产有关的怜悯。


    Table of Contents
    目录

    Pray Without Ceasing
    不住地祷告

    Of the Spirit’s Help in Prayer
    关于圣灵在祷告中的帮助

    Of Praying in the Name of Jesus Christ
    关于奉耶稣基督的名祷告

    Of God’s Hearing of Prayer
    关于上帝垂听祷告

    On Acceptance With God
    关于蒙上帝悦纳

    Jesus Christ the Beloved One, and Sinners Accepted of God Freely in Him
    耶稣基督是蒙爱者,罪人在祂里面白白蒙上帝悦纳