特选的子民
§1
特选的子民A Peculiar People
§2
有人说巴特尔克里克疗养院是不属教派的。然而若曾有一个机构被建立是应当属于教派的，就这个词的全部意义来说，就是这座疗养院了。如果疗养院的建立不是为了成为福音的右手，叫男男女女注意我们正生活在这些末后日子中间的真理，那么为什么要建立疗养院呢？可是，在某种意义上，巴特尔克里克疗养院确实是没有教派的，因为它接收各阶层各教派的病人。{KC 73.2}
§3
It has been stated that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is not denominational. But if ever an institution was established to be denominational, in every sense of the word, this sanitarium was. Why are sanitariums established if it is not that they may be the right hand of the gospel in calling the attention of men and women to the truth that we are living amid the perils of the last days? And yet, in one sense, it is true that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is undenominational, in that it receives as patients people of all classes and all denominations.?{KC 73.2}
§4
下述经文岂不是指出了一个教派的人吗？——{KC 73.3}
§5
Do not the following words point out a denominational people:—?{KC 73.3}
§6
“耶和华晓谕摩西说：你要吩咐以色列人说：你们务要守我的安息日；因为这是你我之间世世代代的证据，使你们知道我耶和华是叫你们成为圣的。所以你们要守安息日，以为圣日。凡干犯这日的，必要把他治死；凡在这日做工的，必从民中剪除。六日要做工，但第七日是安息圣日，是向耶和华守为圣的。凡在安息日做工的，必要把他治死。故此，以色列人要世世代代守安息日为永远的约。这是我和以色列人永远的证据；因为六日之内耶和华造天地，第七日便安息舒畅”（出31:12-17）。{KC 73.4}
§7
“The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily, my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you. Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord; whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”?{KC 73.4}
§8
“现在耶和华你上帝向你所要的是什么呢？只要你敬畏耶和华你的上帝，遵行祂的道，爱祂，尽心尽性事奉祂，遵守祂的诫命、律例，就是我今日所吩咐你的，为要叫你得福”（申10:12,13）。{KC 74.1}
§9
“What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”?{KC 74.1}
§10
自今以后，我们都要坚持作特选之民的立场，不参与一切属世的方策，不要与那班缺少智慧，不能辨识出上帝设在祂律法中一切明白之要求的人相联合，免受困窘。我们不要煞费苦心地宣称巴特尔克里克疗养院不是基督复临安息日会的机构；因为它肯定是。它是作为基督复临安息日会的一个机构被建立的，要介绍福音传道工作的各种特征，从而为主的降临预备道路。{KC 74.2}
§11
Now and ever we are to stand as a distinct and peculiar people, free from all worldly policy, unembarrassed by confederating with those who have not wisdom to discern the claims of God, so plainly set forth in His law. We are not to take pains to declare that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is not a Seventh-day Adventist institution; for this it certainly is. As a Seventh-day Adventist institution it was established, to represent the various features of gospel missionary work, thus to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.?{KC 74.2}
§12
我们已经来到上帝已经大受羞辱的时期。那些久已知道我们信仰和我们所教导之事的人，因巴特尔克里克疗养院是没有教派的这种声明而感到惊讶。没有一个人有权利作出这种声明。这并不是上帝希望祂的子民在世人和天使面前作的见证。我们应当奉主的名确定自己是安息日复临信徒。我们中间若有任何一个人以我们的旗帜为耻，想要站在另一个旗帜之下，就让他作为私人个人这么做，不要作为基督复临安息日会医疗布道工作的一个代表。{KC 74.3}
§13
We have come to a time when God has been greatly dishonored. Those who have long known our belief, and what we teach, have been surprised by the statement that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is not denominational. No one has a right to make this statement. It does not bear the witness that God wishes His people to bear before men, and angels. In the name of the Lord we are to identify ourselves as Seventh-day Adventists. If any one among us is ashamed of our colors, and wishes to stand under another banner, let him do so as a private individual, not as a representative of Seventh-day Adventist medical missionary work.?{KC 74.3}
§14
让我们采取我们作为安息日复临信徒的立场吧。这个名称是我们信仰的真实表达。我蒙指示要号召上帝的子民使他们的行动与他们的名称和谐一致，他们无需以这个名称为耻。基督复临安息日会的信仰无论何时被带进品格的建造中都会造福。{KC 74.4}
§15
Let us take our position as Seventh-day Adventists. The name is a true expression of our faith. I am instructed to call upon God’s people to bring their actions into harmony with their name, of which they have no need to be ashamed. The Seventh-day Adventist faith will bless whenever it is brought into the character-building.?{KC 74.4}
§16
关于巴特尔克里克的疗养院事业，最近做出的举动使我们有必要在世人面前明确地采取我们的立场，作为一班并没有改变信仰的人。我们要显明自己是力求与上天合作的，借此预备主的道路。我们要向各国，各族，各方证明：我们乃是一班敬爱上帝，并遵守第七日安息日为圣的人，这日是作上帝与祂顺命之儿女间的证据，表明祂是使他们成圣的。我们要毫无隐讳地显明我们对于主即将驾天云降临的信念。{KC 74.5}
§17
Recent movements made in connection with the Sanitarium enterprise at Battle Creek, make it necessary for us to take our position decidedly before the world as a people who have not changed their faith. We are to show that we are seeking to work in harmony with heaven in preparing the way of the Lord. We are to bear witness to all nations, kindreds, and tongues that we are a people who love and fear God, a people who keep holy the seventh-day Sabbath,—the sign between God and His obedient children that He sanctifies them. And we are to show plainly that we have full faith that the Lord is soon to come in the clouds of heaven.?{KC 74.5}
§18
在我们的弟兄中有少数身负重责的人，他们的行动竟背离了那原来的路标，以致整个团体都蒙了极大的羞辱。有人因要实行个人的计划，竟在言词上否认了自己的信仰。这事显明人的智慧和人的见解是何等地不足靠。现今我们较诸以往更需要看出那因疏忽而被引诱违背上帝吩咐的危险；也需要认识清楚：上帝已给我们一种警告世人的确定信息，正如祂古时给挪亚警告洪水前之人的信息一般。我们的信徒应当谨慎，切莫为了与不信之人联合而轻视安息日的重要性。他们也当小心，谨防离开了本会信仰的原则，使人认为随从世俗并无错误。更要提防，不受任何人的怂恿，不论其地位如何，只要他所行的是与上帝保守祂子民与世俗隔离的原则不符，都不可听从。{KC 74.6}
§19
We have been greatly humiliated as a people by the course that some of our brethren in responsible positions have taken in departing from the old landmarks. There are those who in order to carry out their plans have by their works denied their faith. This shows how little dependence can be placed on human wisdom and human judgment. Now, as never before, we need to see the danger of being led unguardedly away from loyalty to God’s commands. We need to realize that God has given us a decided message of warning for the world, even as He gave Noah a message of warning for the antediluvians. Let our people beware of belittling the importance of the Sabbath, in order to link up with unbelievers. Let them beware of departing from the principles of our faith, making it appear that it is not wrong to conform to the world. Let them be afraid of heeding any man’s counsel, whatever his position may be, who works counter to that which God has wrought in order to keep His people separate from the world.?{KC 74.6}
§20
上帝正在测试和考验祂的子民，要察看研究谁是忠于祂真理之原则的。我们的任务是向世人宣传第一，第二，和第三位天使的信息。在履行任务时，我们既不要畏敌，也不要轻敌。用合同将我们自己和那些与我们信仰不同的人捆绑在一起，是与上帝的旨意不合的。固然我们应当对那般拒绝效忠上帝的人友好仁慈谦恭有礼，但却绝对不能与他们联合商议上帝圣工的重大利害关系；因为这不是主的道路。我们要完全信托上帝，毅然决然地向前迈进，大公无私地办理祂的事，谦谦卑卑地倚靠祂，将我们自己以及有关个人现在未来的种种，都付托于祂明智的安排，将我们起初确实的信心坚持到底；时常记得我们得蒙上天的福佑，并非因为自己是配得的，而是由于基督的配得，并且藉着相信祂，我们才得以接受上帝丰盛的恩典。{KC 75.1}
§21
The Lord is testing and trying His people, to see who will be loyal to the principles of His truth. Our work is to proclaim to the world the first, second, and third angel’s messages. In the discharge of our duties, we are neither to despise nor fear our enemies. To bind ourselves up by contracts with those not of our faith is not in the order of God. We are to treat with kindness and courtesy those who refuse to be loyal to God, but we are never, never to unite with them in counsel regarding the vital interests of His work; for this is not the way of the Lord. Putting our trust in God, we are to move steadily forward, doing his work with unselfishness, in humble dependence upon Him, committing ourselves and all that concerns our present and future to His wise providence, holding the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end, remembering that it is not because of our worthiness that we receive the blessings of heaven, but because of the worthiness of Christ, and our acceptance, through faith in Him, of God’s abounding grace.?{KC 75.1}
§22
祈愿我的弟兄们要认清楚：第三位天使的信息对于我们关系至大；同时，遵守真安息日，要作为辨别侍奉上帝和不侍奉上帝之人的标记。凡打盹睡觉和漠不关心的人，都当警醒起来。因为我们原是蒙召成圣的，故此当谨防给人留下一种印象，认为保持我们信仰的特色与否是无足轻重的。我们身负严肃的职责，要为真理和正义采取较诸以往更为坚定的立场。那守上帝诫命和不守上帝诫命之人的界线，应该毫无疑误地显明出来。我们要本着良心尊荣上帝，勤谨地利用各种方法，以求保守与祂立约的关系，这样，我们就可承受祂所赐的福分，就是那要受严重试炼之人所不可或缺的福分。至于给人留下印象，以为我们的信仰，我们的宗教并非支配我们生活的能力，这实在是大大地侮慢了上帝。我们如此转离作为我们生命的诫命，便否认祂是我们的上帝，我们是祂的子民了。{KC 75.2}
§23
I pray that my brethren may realize that the third angel’s message means much to us, and that the observance of the true Sabbath is to be the sign that distinguishes those who serve God from those who serve Him not. Let those who have become sleepy and indifferent awake. We are called to be holy, and we should carefully avoid giving the impression that it is of little consequence whether or not we retain the peculiar features of our faith. Upon us rests the solemn obligation of taking a more decided stand for truth and righteousness than we have taken in the past. The line of demarcation between those who keep the commandments of God and those who do not, is to be revealed with unmistakable clearness. We are conscientiously to honor God, diligently using every means of keeping in covenant relation with Him, that we may receive His blessings,—the blessings so essential for the people who are to be so severely tried. To give the impression that our faith, our religion, is not a dominating power in our lives, is greatly to dishonor God. Thus we turn from His commandments, which are our life, denying that He is our God and we His people.?{KC 75.2}
§24
1900年8月20日August 20, 1900.