第29章 一种责无旁贷的工作
§1
第29章 一种责无旁贷的工作
§2
Chap. 29 - A Work That Cannot Be Transferred
§3
父母的责任别人不能代负——作父母的人哪，你们所有的责任是别人不能代负的。在你们有生之日，你们在上帝面前都有责任要遵行他的道。凡以上帝的圣言为依归，并感悟到儿女怎样仰赖着他们而塑造其品格的父母们，必为儿女树立一个可以安全仿效的楷模。[1]
§4
Parental Responsibilities Which No One Else Can Bear.--Parents, you carry responsibilities that no one can bear for you. As long as you live, you are accountable to God to keep His way. . . . Parents who make the word of God their guide, and who realize how much their children depend upon them for the characters they form, will set an example that it will be safe for their children to follow. {AH 187.1}[1]
§5
作父母的对于自己儿女的健康、体质，与品格的发展都负有全责。此一天职不应交与任何人代负。你们既已成为儿女的父母，理应与主合作，以正当的原则教育他们。[2]
§6
Fathers and mothers are responsible for the health, the constitution, the development of the character of their children. No one else should be left to see to this work. In becoming the parents of children, it devolves upon you to co-operate with the Lord in educating them in sound principles. {AH 187.2}[2]
§7
许多作父母的人，竟将上帝交托他们对于儿女的责任弃置不顾，而甘愿由外人来代替他们承担，这真是何等可悲的事啊！他们宁可让别人来为他们的儿女操劳，在这件事上完全卸却自己的责任。[3]
§8
How sad it is that many parents have cast off their God-given responsibility to their children, and are willing that strangers should bear it for them! They are willing that others should labor for their children and relieve them of all burden in the matter. {AH 187.3}[3]
§9
现今许多为自己的儿女刚愎任性而嗟叹的人，其实只应归咎于他们自己。但愿这些人去查考《圣经》，看看上帝对于他们身为父母与监护者的人究竟有什么吩咐。但愿他们负起自己疏忽已久的责任来。他们必须自卑，在上帝面前为自己忽于遵循他的指导以训练儿女而忏悔。他们也必须改变自己的行径，严格而谨慎地信奉《圣经》为他们的向导和顾问。[4]
§10
Many who are now bemoaning the waywardness of their children have only themselves to blame. Let these look to their Bibles and see what God enjoins upon them as parents and guardians. Let them take up their long-neglected duties. They need to humble themselves and to repent before God for their neglect to follow His directions in the training of their children. They need to change their own course of action and to follow the Bible strictly and carefully as their guide and counselor. {AH 187.4}[4]
§11
教会无法单独负起这项责任——啊，但愿青年和儿童们都肯将自己的心献给基督！这样就会兴起一支何等庞大的军旅，以拯救别人归向公义啊！但是，父母们切不可将这项工作完全留给教会单独去作。[5]
§12
The Church Alone Cannot Assume These Responsibilities.--Oh, that the youth and children would give their hearts to Christ! What an army might then be raised up to win others to righteousness! But parents should not leave this work for the church to do alone. {AH 188.1}[5]
§13
传道人也无法胜任——你们将许多责任堆在传道人身上，并且要他来为你们儿女的灵命负责；但你们却全然没有自觉兼为父母与教师者所当负的责任。你们的儿女因你们的榜样和散漫的教训而败坏了；并且，家庭教育既如此缺乏，你们竟还指望传道人能抵消你们日常的影响，而成全那不可思议的工作，训练他们的心灵与生活倾向道德和敬虔。有时，传道人也尽其所能地借着忠诚而亲切的劝告，耐心的教导，和热诚的祈祷企图挽救他们的灵命，然而至终仍归于失败，父母们便每每因子女不肯悔改而非难传道人，其实很可能是由于自己的疏忽而造成这样的情形。这项责任原是落在父母身上的；他们肯不肯负起上帝交托他们的使命，而忠心地加以履行呢？他们愿不愿意抱着谦卑、忍耐、坚毅的态度，努力向前向上迈进，以求自己达到，并帮助儿女一同达到那崇高的标准呢？[6]
§14
Nor Can the Minister.--You roll vast responsibilities upon the preacher and hold him accountable for the souls of your children; but you do not sense your own responsibility as parents and as instructors. . . . Your sons and daughters are corrupted by your own example and lax precepts; and, notwithstanding this lack of domestic training, you expect the minister to counteract your daily work and accomplish the wonderful achievement of training their hearts and lives to virtue and piety. After the minister has done all he can do for the church by faithful, affectionate admonition, patient discipline, and fervent prayer to reclaim and save the soul, yet is not successful, the fathers and mothers often blame him because their children are not converted, when it may be because of their own neglect. The burden rests with the parents; and will they take up the work that God has entrusted to them and with fidelity perform it? Will they move onward and upward, working in a humble, patient, persevering way to reach the exalted standard themselves and to bring their children up with them? {AH 188.2}[6]
§15
许多作父母的不是在把自己的责任委于他人之手么？他们当中不是有很多人都以为传道人应该挑起这项重担，并须为他们儿女的悔改而承受上帝印记的事负全责么？[7]
§16
Are not many fathers and mothers placing their responsibilities into others hands? Do not many of them think that the minister should take the burden and see to it that their children are converted and that the seal of God is placed upon them? {AH 188.3}[7]
§17
安息日学也不能负这项责任——他们（父母们）有权帮助自己的儿女，以获得那能随身带入未来生活中的知识。可是由于某些原因，父母们不喜欢给予儿女以宗教的教训。他们任凭孩子们在安息日学中自行收集那原应由他们传授的，关于儿女对上帝所当负之责任的知识。这等父母应该明白；上帝期望着他们去教育、训导，并锻炼自己的儿女，常常使他们注意这一事实：他们现今正在为此生与来世而铸造品格。[8]
§18
Nor Can the Sabbath School.--It is their [the parents] privilege to help their children obtain that knowledge which they may carry with them into the future life. But for some reason many parents dislike to give their children religious instruction. They leave them to pick up in Sabbath school the knowledge they should impart concerning their responsibility to God. Such parents need to understand that God desires them to educate, discipline, and train their children, ever keeping before them the fact that they are forming characters for the present and the future life. {AH 188.4}[8]
§19
不可依靠安息日学的教员来替代你们训练儿女走当行之道。安息日学原是一种极大的福惠；它可以辅助你们的工作，却决不能取代你们的地位。上帝已将责任交给凡作父母的人，要他们引领自己的儿女来就耶稣，指教他们如何祷告，如何相信上帝的圣言。[9]
§20
Do not depend upon the teachers of the Sabbath school to do your work of training your children in the way they should go. The Sabbath school is a great blessing; it may help you in your work, but it can never take your place. God has given to all fathers and mothers the responsibility of bringing their children to Jesus, teaching them how to pray and believe in the word of God. {AH 189.1}[9]
§21
在教育你们儿女的事上，不要将《圣经》中伟大的真理撇置一旁，以为安息日学和传道人能作成你们忽略已久的工作。《圣经》决不是太神圣，太崇高，以至不能天天打开来殷勤研读的。要将上帝圣言中所蕴含的真理，与所谓生活中的琐事相接触。这些真理若加以适当的重视，必使日常生活中充满光明，并提供服从的动机和养成良好品格的原则。[10]
§22
In the education of your children lay not the grand truths of the Bible to one side, supposing that the Sabbath school and the minister will do your neglected work. The Bible is not too sacred and sublime to be opened daily and studied diligently. The truths of the word of God are to be brought into contact with the supposed little things of life. If rightly regarded they will brighten the common life, supplying motives for obedience and principles for the formation of a right character. {AH 189.2}[10]