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(Thomas Brooks, “The Transcendent Excellency of
a Believer’s Portion above All Earthly Portions“)
(托马斯·布鲁克斯著，《信徒所得之份超越一切属世之份的卓越性》)
The free favor and love of God, the good will and pleasure of God–is the true ground and cause of God’s bestowing of Himself as a portion upon His people.
神的恩惠与慈爱，神的美意与喜悦——是神将祂自己作为基业赐给祂子民的真正根基和原因。
There was no cause, nor loveliness, nor desirableness in them–which could move God to bestow Himself upon them.
在他们里面没有任何因由，也没有任何可爱之处，或值得渴慕之处——能促使神将祂自己赐给他们。
God, for the glory of His own free grace and love, has bestowed Himself as a portion upon those who have deserved to have their portion among devils and damned spirits–in those torments which are endless, ceaseless, and remediless.
神为了祂自己白白恩典和慈爱的荣耀，将祂自己作为基业赐给那些本应在魔鬼和被定罪之灵中得份的人——在那永无止境、永不停息、永无救治的痛苦中。
But what should move God to love us, who were so unworthy, so filthy, so empty, so beggarly?
但是什么能感动神来爱我们这些如此不配、如此污秽、如此空虚、如此贫乏的人呢？
The question may be resolved in these words–He loves us because He loves us. The root of all divine love to us, lies only in the bosom of God.
这个问题可以用这些话来回答——祂爱我们是因为祂爱我们。一切神圣之爱的根源，唯独存在于神的怀中。