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(J. C. Ryle, “The Real Presence“)
(J. C. Ryle)莱尔 The Real Presence 真实的同在
Where is your God, my boy?
你的上帝在哪里，我的孩子？
“Where is your God, my boy?” said an infidel to a child whom he saw coming out of a church. “Where is your God, about whom you have been reading? Show Him to me, and I will give you a treat!”
“你的上帝在哪里，我的孩子？”一个不信神的人对着他看见从教堂出来的孩子说道。”你所读到的上帝在哪里？把祂指给我看，我就给你一份礼物！”
“Show me where He is not,” was the answer, “and I will give you two! My God is everywhere!”
“请告诉我哪里没有祂，”孩子回答说，”我就给你两份礼物！我的上帝无处不在！”
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good!” (Proverbs 15:3)
“耶和华的眼目无处不在，恶人善人祂都鉴察！”（箴言15:3）
The teaching of the Bible on this pointóis clear, plain, and unmistakable. God is everywhere! There is no place in heaven or earth, where He is not. There is no place in air or land or sea, no place above ground or under ground, no place in town or country, no place in Europe, Asia, Africa, or Americaówhere God is not always present.
圣经在这一点上的教导是清晰、明确且毋庸置疑的。上帝无处不在！无论天上地下，没有祂不在的地方。无论是空中、陆地还是海洋，无论是地上还是地下，无论是城镇还是乡村，无论是欧洲、亚洲、非洲还是美洲——上帝永远都在那里。
Enter into your room and lock the dooróGod is there. Climb to the top of the highest mountain, where not even an insect movesóGod is there. Sail to the most remote island in the Pacific Ocean, where the foot of man never trodóGod is there. He is always near us—seeing, hearing, observing; knowing every action, and deed, and word, and whisper, and look, and thought, and motive, and secret of everyone of usówherever we are.
进入房间并锁上门——上帝在那里。攀登到最高的山峰，甚至连昆虫都不动的地方——上帝在那里。航行到太平洋最偏远的岛屿，人类足迹从未踏足之处——上帝在那里。祂始终与我们同在——看见、听见、观察；知晓我们每个人的一举一动、行为、言语、低语、眼神、思想、动机和秘密——无论我们在哪里。
“His eyes watch over a man’s ways, and He observes all his steps. There is no darkness, no deep darkness, where evildoers can hide themselves!” (Job 34:21, 22)
“祂的眼目察看人的道路，看明人的一切脚步。没有黑暗、阴翳能给作恶的人藏身！”（约伯记34:21-22）
One half the sin committed by mankind, arises from wrong views of their Maker and Judge! Men are reckless and wicked, because they do not think that God sees them! They do things they would never doóif they really believed that they were under the eyes of the Almighty God! “They say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention!’ Is the One who made your ears deaf? Is the One who formed your eyes blind? He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you? He knows everything; doesn’t He also know what you are doing?” (Psalm 94:7-10)
人类所犯的一半罪过，都源于对造物主和审判者的错误认识！人们之所以鲁莽邪恶，是因为他们认为上帝看不见他们！如果他们真的相信自己在全能上帝的眼目之下，他们就绝不会做那些事！”他们说：’耶和华必不看见，雅各的上帝必不留意！’造耳朵的，难道自己不听见吗？造眼睛的，难道自己不看见吗？管教列邦的，就是叫人得知识的，难道自己不惩治人吗？祂知道万事；难道不知道你们所做的吗？”（诗篇94:7-10）
However hard it is to comprehend this doctrineóit is one which is most useful and wholesome for our souls.
虽然理解这教义很困难，但它对我们的灵魂最为有益和有帮助。
To keep continually in mindóthat God is always present with us; to live always as in God’s sight; to act and speak and think as always under His eye—all this is eminently calculated to have a good effect upon our souls.
要始终牢记上帝永远与我们同在；要始终如在上帝面前生活；要如在祂注视下行动、说话和思考——这一切都必定会对我们的灵魂产生良好的影响。
Wide, and deep, and searching, and piercingóis the influence of that one thought, “You are the God who sees me!” (Genesis 16:13)
“你是看顾我的上帝！”（创世记16:13）这一思想的影响是广泛的、深远的、探究的、穿透的。
(1) The thought of God’s presenceóis a loud call to humility.
(1) 上帝同在的意识是对谦卑的强烈呼召。
How much which is evil and defective, must the all-seeing eyeósee in everyone of us!
全知的眼目必定看到我们每个人身上有多少邪恶和缺陷！
How small a part of our character is really known by man!
人对我们品格的了解是多么有限！
“Man looks on the outward appearanceóbut the Lord looks on the heart!” (1 Sam. 16:7).
“人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心！”（撒母耳记上16:7）
Man does not always see usóbut the Lord is always looking at usómorning, noon, and night!
人不总是看着我们，但主却时刻注视着我们——早晨、中午和晚上！
Who has not need to say, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”
谁不需要说：”上帝啊，怜悯我这个罪人！”
(2) The thought of God’s presenceóis a crushing proof of our need of Jesus Christ.
(2) 上帝同在的意识是我们需要耶稣基督的有力证明。
What hope of salvation could we have, if there was not a Mediator between God and man?
如果没有上帝与人之间的中保，我们还能有什么得救的盼望？
Before the eye of the ever-present Godóour best righteousness is filthy ragsóand our best doings are full of imperfection!
在永在上帝的眼中，我们最好的义行不过是污秽的衣服，我们最好的行为也充满瑕疵！
Where would we beóif there was not a fountain open for all sinóeven the blood of Christ!
若不是有为众罪开的泉源——就是基督的宝血，我们将何去何从！
Without Christóthe prospect of death, judgment, and eternity would drive us to despair!
若没有基督，死亡、审判和永恒的前景必将使我们陷入绝望！
(3) The thought of God’s presenceóteaches the folly of hypocrisy in religion.
(3) 上帝同在的意识教导我们宗教上的虚伪是何等愚昧。
What can be more silly and childishóthan to wear a mere cloak of Christianity, while we inwardly cleave to sin, when God is ever looking at us and sees us through and through!
当上帝一直在看着我们并且彻底洞察我们时，还要披着基督教的外衣而内心却依恋罪，还有什么比这更愚蠢和幼稚的呢！
It is easy to deceive ministers and fellow-Christians, because they often see us only upon Sundays.
欺骗牧师和主内弟兄姐妹很容易，因为他们通常只在星期天见到我们。
But God sees us morning, noon, and nightóand cannot be deceived.
但上帝早晨、中午、晚上都看着我们，祂是不能被欺骗的。
Oh, whatever we are in religionólet us be real and true!
啊，无论我们在信仰上如何，让我们做真实的人！
(4) The thought of God’s presenceóis a check and curb on the inclination to sin.
(4) 上帝同在的意识是对犯罪倾向的约束和管制。
The recollection that there is One who is always near us and observing us, who will one day have a reckoning with all mankindómay well keep us back from evil!
记住有一位永远与我们同在并观察我们的主，祂将来要与全人类算账，这必能使我们远离邪恶！
Happy are those sons and daughters who, when they leave the family home, and launch forth into the world, carry with them the abiding remembrance of God’s eye.
那些离开家庭、踏入社会时仍心存上帝眷顾的儿女是有福的。
“My father and mother do not see meóbut God does!”
“我的父母看不见我，但上帝看得见！”
This was the feeling which preserved Joseph when tempted in a foreign land: “How can I do this great wickednessóand sin against God!” (Gen. 39:9)
这就是约瑟在异乡受试探时保守他的心情：”我怎能作这大恶，得罪上帝呢！”（创世记39:9）
(5)
The thought of God’s presence is a spur to the pursuit of true holiness.
想到神的同在是追求真圣洁的激励。
The highest standard of sanctification is to “walk with God” as Enoch did, and to “walk before God” as Abraham did.
成圣的最高标准是像以诺那样”与神同行”，像亚伯拉罕那样”在神面前行走”。
Where is the man who would not strive to live so as to please God if he realized that God was always standing at his elbow!
若人意识到神一直在身边，谁还不愿努力过讨神喜悦的生活！
To get away from God is the secret aim of the sinner.
远离神是罪人的隐秘目标。
To get nearer to God is the longing desire of the saint.
亲近神是圣徒的渴慕。
The real servants of the Lord are “a people near unto Him.” (Psalm 148:14)
主的真仆人是”亲近祂的子民。”（诗篇148:14）
(6)
The thought of God’s presence is a comfort in time of public calamity.
想到神的同在是公众灾难时期的安慰。
When war and famine and pestilence break in upon a land; when the nations are torn by inward divisions, and all order seems in peril—it is cheering to reflect that God sees and knows and is close at hand—that the King of kings is near, and is not asleep.
当战争、饥荒和瘟疫侵袭一片土地；当列国被内部分裂撕碎，所有秩序似乎都危在旦夕时——想到神看见、知晓并在身边，万王之王近在咫尺且未沉睡，这是何等令人振奋。
(7)
The thought of God’s presence is a strong consolation in private trial.
想到神的同在是个人试炼中的大安慰。
We may be driven from home and native land and placed at the other side of the world; we may be bereaved of wife and children and friends and left alone, like the last tree in a forest.
我们可能被迫离开家园和祖国，被安置在世界的另一端；我们可能失去妻子、儿女和朋友，像森林中最后一棵树那样孤独。
But we can never go to any place where God is not; and under no circumstances can we be left entirely alone.
但我们永远不会到达神不在的地方；在任何情况下我们都不会完全孤单。
Such thoughts as these, are useful and profitable for us all.
这些想法对我们所有人都有益处。
That man must be in a poor state of soul, who does not feel them to be so.
若有人感受不到这些想法的益处，他的灵魂必定处于可怜的光景。
Let it be a settled principle in our religion never to forget that in every condition and place that we are under the eye of God!
让我们在信仰中立定这个原则：永远不要忘记，无论在什么处境和地方，我们都在神的眼目之下！
It need not frighten us if we are true believers.
如果我们是真信徒，这不必令我们害怕。
The sins of all believers are cast behind God’s back and even the all-seeing God sees no spot in them!
所有信徒的罪都被丢在神的背后，就连全知的神也看不见他们身上的瑕疵！
It ought to cheer us if our Christianity is genuine and sincere.
如果我们的基督信仰是真实诚恳的，这应当使我们欢欣。
We can then appeal to God with confidence, like David, and say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life!” (Psalm 139:23, 24)
我们就能像大卫一样满怀信心地向神呼求说：”神啊，求你鉴察我，知道我的心思；试炼我，知道我的意念。看在我里面有什么得罪你的地方，引导我走永生的道路！”（诗篇139:23-24）
Great is the mystery of God’s omnipresence; but the true man of God can look at it without fear.
神无所不在的奥秘何其伟大；但神的真仆人可以坦然面对，毫无惧怕。