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Modernized American-English, formatting, corrections, and additional notes (in blue) © William Gross 现代美式英语、格式、修正和附加注释(蓝色部分)© 威廉·格罗斯(William Gross)
The two great graces essential to a saint in this life are faith and repentance. 圣徒在今生必不可少的两大恩典是信心和悔改。
These are the two wings by which he flies to heaven. 这是他借以飞向天堂的两只翅膀。
Faith and repentance preserve the spiritual life just as heat and radical moisture presserve the natural. 信心和悔改保存属灵生命,正如热量和根本湿气保存自然生命一样。
The grace which I am going to discuss is repentance. 我将要讨论的恩典是悔改。
Chrysostom thought it was the most appropriate subject for him to preach before the Emperor Arcadius.1 屈梭多模(Chrysostom,金口约翰)认为这是他在阿卡狄乌斯皇帝(Emperor Arcadius)面前讲道最合适的主题。
Augustine caused the penitential psalms to be written before him as he lay upon his bed, and he often perused them with tears. 奥古斯丁(Augustine)让人将悔罪诗篇写在他面前,当他躺在床上时,他常常含泪阅读它们。
Repentance is never out of season; it is as frequently used as the artificer’s tool or the soldier’s weapon. 悔改永不过时;它像工匠的工具或士兵的武器一样经常使用。
If I am not mistaken, practical points are more necessary in this age than controversial and polemical. 如果我没有弄错,在这个时代,实践要点比争议性和论战性的更为必要。
I thought to smother these meditations in my desk. 我曾想将这些默想埋藏在我的书桌里。
But conceiving them to be of great concern at this juncture of time, I rescinded my first resolution and have now exposed them to critical view. 但认为它们在这个时刻至关重要,我撤销了最初的决定,现在将它们呈现给批判性的审视。
Repentance is purgative; do not fear the working of this pill. 悔改是净化的;不要惧怕这药丸的作用。
Strike your soul, said Chrysostom; strike it and it will escape death by that stroke. 屈梭多模说,击打你的灵魂;击打它,它就会因那一击而逃脱死亡。
How happy it would be if we were more deeply affected with sin, and our eyes swam in their orb. 如果我们对罪有更深的感触,我们的眼睛在眼眶中游动,那该是多么幸福。
We may clearly see the Spirit of God moving in the waters of repentance, which though troubled, are yet pure. 我们可以清楚地看到神的灵在悔改的水中运行,尽管这水受搅动,却仍是纯净的。
Moist tears dry up sin and quench the wrath of God. 湿润的眼泪使罪枯干,平息神的忿怒。
Repentance is the cherisher of piety, the procurer of mercy. 悔改是敬虔的培育者,怜悯的获取者。
The more regret and trouble in spirit we have first at our conversion, the less we shall feel afterwards. 我们在归信时最初拥有的悔恨和灵里的忧愁越多,之后感受到的就越少。
Christians, do you have a sad resentment of other things and not of sin? 基督徒们,你们对其他事情有悲伤的怨恨,却对罪没有吗?
Worldly tears fall to the earth, but godly tears are kept in a bottle (Psa 56.8). 世俗的眼泪落在地上,但敬虔的眼泪被保存在瓶中(诗篇56:8)。
Do not judge holy weeping as superfluous. 不要判断圣洁的哀哭为多余。
Tertullian thought he was born for no other end but to repent. 特土良(Tertullian)认为他生来除了悔改别无他用。
Either sin must drown or the soul must burn. 要么罪必须被淹没,要么灵魂必须燃烧。
Let it not be said that repentance is difficult. 不要说悔改是困难的。
Things that are excellent deserve labor. 卓越的事物值得劳苦。
Will a man not dig for gold in the ore, even though it makes him sweat? 一个人难道不会在矿石中挖掘金子,即使这使他流汗吗?
It is better to go with difficulty to heaven than with ease to hell. 艰难地去天堂胜过容易地去地狱。
What would the damned give so that they might have a herald sent to them from God to proclaim mercy upon their repentance? 被定罪的人会付出什么,好让神差遣使者向他们宣告因他们悔改而得的怜悯?
What volleys of sighs and groans would they send up to heaven? 他们会向天堂发出怎样的阵阵叹息和呻吟?
What floods of tears would their eyes pour out? 他们的眼睛会倾泻出怎样的泪水洪流?
But it is now too late. 但现在为时已晚。
They may keep their tears to lament their folly, sooner than to procure pity. 他们可以保留他们的眼泪来哀叹他们的愚昧,而不是获得怜悯。
O that we would therefore, while we are on this side of the grave, make our peace with God! 哦,因此当我们还在坟墓这一边时,愿我们与神和好!
Tomorrow may be our dying day; let this be our repenting day. 明天可能是我们死亡之日;让今天成为我们悔改之日。
How we should imitate the saints of old who embittered their souls and sacrificed their lusts, and put on sackcloth in the hope of having white robes. 我们应当何等效法古时的圣徒,他们使自己的灵魂痛苦,牺牲他们的情欲,穿上麻衣,盼望得到白衣。
Peter baptized himself with tears; and that devout lady Paula (of whom Jerome writes), like a bird of paradise, bemoaned herself and humbled herself to the dust for sin. 彼得用眼泪为自己施洗;那位虔诚的女士宝拉(Paula)(耶柔米[Jerome]所写到的),像天堂之鸟一样,为罪哀悼自己并将自己降卑到尘土。
Besides our own personal miscarriages, the deplorable condition of the land calls for a contribution of tears. 除了我们个人的过犯,这地可悲的状况也呼唤眼泪的奉献。
Have we not lost much of our pristine fame and renown? 我们岂不是失去了许多原始的名声和声望吗?
The time was, when we sat as princess among the provinces (Lam. 1.1), and God made the sheaves of other nations bow down to our sheaf (Gen 37.7). 曾经有一段时间,我们像公主一样坐在各省中间(耶利米哀歌1:1),神使其他国家的禾捆向我们的禾捆下拜(创世记37:7)。
But has not our glory fled away like a bird (Hos 9.11)? 但我们的荣耀岂不是像鸟飞去了吗(何西阿书9:11)?
And what severe dispensations are yet to come we cannot tell. 我们无法知道还有什么严厉的安排将要来临。
Our black and hideous vapors having ascended, we may fear loud thunderclaps should follow. 我们黑暗可怕的蒸气已经上升,我们可能害怕响亮的雷声随之而来。
And will not all this bring us to our senses and excite in us a spirit of humiliation? 这一切难道不会使我们清醒过来,在我们里面激起谦卑的灵吗?
Shall we sleep at the top of the mast when the winds are blowing from all the quarters of heaven? 当风从天的四方吹来时,我们还要在桅杆顶上睡觉吗?
O let not the apple of our eye cease (Lam. 2.18)! 哦,不要让我们眼中的瞳人止息(耶利米哀歌2:18)!
I will not launch any further into a prefatory discourse, but ask that God would add a blessing to this work. 我不会再进一步展开序言性的讨论,但祈求神为这工作加添祝福。
May he so direct this arrow that, though shot at rovers, it may hit the mark. 愿祂如此引导这支箭,虽然是随意射出,却能击中目标。
That some sin may be shot to death, will be the ardent prayer of him who is 愿某些罪可以被射死,这将是以下这位的热切祷告
The well-wisher of your soul’s happiness, 你灵魂幸福的祝愿者,
THOMAS WATSON 托马斯·华森(THOMAS WATSON)
25 May 1668 1668年5月25日