第62章 力行节俭
§1
第62章 力行节俭
§2
Chap. 62 - Economy to be Practiced
§3
“把剩下的零碎收拾起来”——有一次，基督曾给他的门徒以一番值得细心注意的，有关节俭的教训。他行了一个神迹，给数千饥饿的听他教训的会众吃饱；大家饱足之后，他却不许糟蹋剩下的零碎。那位在他们需要之时能借其神力供给他们食物的主，吩咐他的门徒把剩下的零碎收拾起来，免得有所糟蹋。这项教训不但是为生存于基督那时代的人，也是为我们的益处而赐下的。上帝的圣子关心世人今生的需要。他虽然能够随时任意摆设筵席，却绝不忽略筵席所剩下的零碎。[1]
§4
Gather Up the Fragments.--Christ once gave His disciples a lesson upon economy which is worthy of careful attention. He wrought a miracle to feed the hungry thousands who had listened to His teachings; yet after all had eaten and were satisfied, He did not permit the fragments to be wasted. He who could, in their necessity, feed the vast multitude by His divine power bade His disciples gather up the fragments, that nothing might be lost. This lesson was given as much for our benefit as for those living in Christs day. The Son of God has a care for the necessities of temporal life. He did not neglect the broken fragments after the feast, although He could make such a feast whenever He chose. {AH 381.1}[1]
§5
耶稣基督的教训应贯彻于现实生活的每一方面。在一切的事上都当力行节俭。要收拾零碎，以免有所浪费。有一种宗教根本不能感动人心，因而成了徒具空言的形式，它并不贯彻于实际生活之中。宗教的义务必须与商业方面最高尚的俭约调和在一起。[2]
§6
The lessons of Jesus Christ are to be carried into every phase of practical life. Economy is to be practiced in all things. Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost. There is a religion that does not touch the heart and therefore becomes a form of words. It is not brought into practical life. Religious duty and the highest human prudence in business lines must be co-mingled. {AH 381.2}[2]
§7
效法基督的克己——为要了解人类所经常遭遇的失望、试炼和忧伤，基督乃亲身经验了最深的悲痛与耻辱。他曾走过他指定给门徒所必须奔行的道途。他对他们说：“若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，天天背起他的十字架来跟从我。”然而自称为基督徒的人，却未必肯时常实践救主所要求的牺牲。他们不愿抑制自己的欲望与需求，俾有更多的金钱可以献给主。有人说：“我家里的人在他们各人的爱好上所费不少，因而必须用许多的钱方能维持下去。”这无非证明他和他的家人都须学习基督的人生所给予有关节俭的教训。[3]
§8
Follow Christ in Self-denial.--In order to become acquainted with the disappointments and trials and griefs that come to human beings, Christ reached to the lowest depths of woe and humiliation. He has traveled the path that He asks His followers to travel. He says to them, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. But professing Christians are not always willing to practice the self-denial that the Saviour calls for. They are not willing to bind about their wishes and desires in order that they may have more to give to the Lord. One says, My family are expensive in their tastes, and it costs much to keep them. This shows that he and they need to learn the lessons of economy taught by the life of Christ. . . . {AH 381.3}[3]
§9
众人都会遭遇餍足私欲与奢望的试探，但愿我们记住：生命与荣耀之主到这世界上来，乃要给予世人以克己自约的教训。[4]
§10
To all comes the temptation to gratify selfish, extravagant desires, but let us remember that the Lord of life and glory came to this world to teach humanity the lesson of self-denial. {AH 382.1}[4]
§11
那些不为自己而活的人，必不将每一块钱都耗费于餍足他们想象中的需要，为求取自身的安舒而购置种种陈设，却必记得他们乃是基督的门徒，而且还有别的人正缺衣缺食呢！[5]
§12
Those who do not live for self will not use up every dollar meeting their supposed wants and supplying their conveniences, but will bear in mind that they are Christs followers, and that there are others who are in need of food and clothing. {AH 382.2}[5]
§13
节俭以助上帝的圣工——论到关于青年们的特权，就是借着学习节俭和克己的教训以助上帝圣工这件事，有许多可说的话。很多人以为他们必须爱好一种或那一种娱乐，而为了这样行，他们惯于耗尽其全部进项。上帝希望我们对此事有较佳的表现。我们若单以吃喝穿着为满足，就无异乎是自己得罪自己了。上帝为我们的前途已有比此更崇高的安排。当我们甘心放弃自私的愿望，并将心智的能力献与上帝圣工的时候，属天的工作者就必与我们合作，使我们成为全人类的福惠。[6]
§14
Economize to Help Gods Cause.--Much might be said to the young people regarding their privilege to help the cause of God by learning lessons of economy and self-denial. Many think that they must indulge in this pleasure and that, and in order to do this, they accustom themselves to live up to the full extent of their income. God wants us to do better in this respect. We sin against ourselves when we are satisfied with enough to eat and drink and wear. God has something higher than this before us. When we are willing to put away our selfish desires and give the powers of heart and mind to the work of the cause of God, heavenly agencies will co-operate with us, making us a blessing to humanity. {AH 382.3}[6]
§15
勤奋节俭的青年，虽然贫穷，仍可省下一点钱来维持上帝的圣工。[7]
§16
Even though he may be poor, the youth who is industrious and economical can save a little for the cause of God. {AH 382.4}[7]
§17
被引诱作不必需的花费时——你若被引诱去花钱买那些没有价值的琐碎物之时，就应该想起基督为救赎堕落的人类所忍受的克己牺牲。我们的儿女当受教实行克己牺牲。许多传道人觉得他们的经济窘困，原因就是他们不约束自己的嗜好、食欲和癖性。许多人之所以破产，而以不正当的方法挪用金钱，都是由于他们力图满足妻子的奢侈之欲。作父母的该如何慎重地借着训诲和榜样，将节俭之道指教自己的儿女啊！[8]
§18
When Tempted to Needless Spending.--When you are tempted to spend money for knickknacks, you should remember the self-denial and self-sacrifice that Christ endured to save fallen man. Our children should be taught to exercise self-denial and self-control. The reason so many ministers feel that they have a hard time in financial matters is that they do not bind about their tastes, their appetites and inclinations. The reason so many men become bankrupt and dishonestly appropriate means is because they seek to gratify the extravagant tastes of their wives and children. How careful should fathers and mothers be to teach economy by precept and example to their children! {AH 382.5}[8]
§19
我深愿我能使每一个人都明白：耗费主的金钱来满足想象中的需要，乃是何等严重的罪过。花费那看起来虽然很少的一点钱，也许会牵涉到与永恒有关的事。当审判之日，案卷都要展开，一切损耗都要显示在你眼前——就是那些累积起来原可用以成全圣工的涓滴之数，以及那些纯为自私的目的而糜费的巨额金钱。[9]
§20
I wish I could impress on every mind the grievous sinfulness of wasting the Lords money on fancied wants. The expenditure of sums that look small may start a train of circumstances that will reach into eternity. When the judgment shall sit, and the books are opened, the losing side will be presented to your view--the good that you might have done with the accumulated mites and the larger sums that were used for wholly selfish purposes. {AH 383.1}[9]
§21
注意辅币与小钱——不要浪费你的辅币与小钱于购买不必需的物品。或许你以为这区区之数无关紧要，可是积少成多，就会成为一个庞大的数目。倘若可行，我们就当恳劝节省这些浪费在购买不必要的物品、衣着，以及放纵私欲方面的金钱。各种不同程度的贫乏比比皆是。而且上帝已命定用各种可能的方法解除人类的痛苦，乃是我们应尽的义务。[10]
§22
Watch the Pennies and Nickels.--Waste not your pennies and your shillings in purchasing unnecessary things. You may think these little sums do not amount to much, but these many littles will prove a great whole. If we could, we would plead for the means that is spent in needless things, in dress and selfish indulgence. Poverty in every shape is on every hand. And God has made it our duty to relieve suffering humanity in every way possible. {AH 383.2}[10]
§23
主甚愿他的子民凡事都要深思熟虑。他希望他们在各方面都崇尚节俭，毫不浪费。[11]
§24
The Lord would have His people thoughtful and caretaking. He would have them study economy in everything, and waste nothing. {AH 383.3}[11]
§25
每天在不必需的物品上耗费些钱，心里这样想：“这不过是五分钱，”“这只花一角钱，”似乎微不足道，但是这涓滴之数积满一年或数年之后，加起来的总和便几乎是难以置信的。[12]
§26
The amount daily spent in needless things, with the thought, It is only a nickel, It is only a dime, seems very little; but multiply these littles by the days of the year, and as the years go by, the array of figures will seem almost incredible. {AH 384.1}[12]
§27
切勿效尤趋时的邻居们——强充富有，或超越自己的实际身份——就是柔和谦卑之救主的谦逊的门徒——决不是一件好事。邻居们若建造或装饰他们的房屋，而我们无法仿效他们的式样时，我们的心中不必烦恼。试想：耶稣将以怎样的心情来注视我们为放纵食欲，取悦宾客，或满足一己的癖好所作的种种自私的准备啊！自己力图作炫耀的表现，或纵任那在我们管理之下的儿女去如此作，对于我们都是一种网罗。[13]
§28
Do Not Emulate Fashionable Neighbors.--It is not best to pretend to be rich, or anything above what we are --humble followers of the meek and lowly Saviour. We are not to feel disturbed if our neighbors build and furnish their houses in a manner that we are not authorized to follow. How must Jesus look upon our selfish provision for the indulgence of appetite, to please our guests, or to gratify our own inclination! It is a snare to us to aim at making a display or to allow our children, under our control, to do so. {AH 384.2}[13]
§29
作者本人少女时代的经验——我才十二岁的时候，就懂得怎样节俭了。我和姊姊都学会了一种手艺，每天赚得的虽然只有两角五分钱，我们却常常从其中节省一些作为国外布道捐。我们一点一滴地积蓄起来，直到存了三十元。当我们听到主即将复临的信息，以及需要人员与捐款的呼召时，我们觉得将这三十元交给父亲，请他用来购买单张小册，把这信息传给在黑暗中的人，乃是一项特权。[14]
§30
Personal Experience in Mrs. Whites Girlhood.-- When I was only twelve years old, I knew what it was to economize. With my sister I learned a trade, and although we would earn only twenty-five cents a day, from this sum we were able to save a little to give to missions. We saved little by little until we had thirty dollars. Then when the message of the Lords soon coming came to us, with a call for men and means, we felt it a privilege to hand over the thirty dollars to father, asking him to invest it in tracts and pamphlets to send the message to those who were in darkness. . . . {AH 384.3}[14]
§31
姊姊和我将自己用手艺赚来的钱购买自己的衣服。我们把钱交给母亲时往往对她说：“你购买我们的衣料之后，最好还有一点钱剩下来作布道捐。”她就这样做了，借此培养我们的布道精神。[15]
§32
With the money that we had earned at our trade, my sister and I provided ourselves with clothes. We would hand our money to mother, saying, Buy so that, after we have paid for our clothing, there will be something left to give for missionary work. And she would do this, thus encouraging in us a missionary spirit. {AH 384.4}[15]
§33
基于原则而实行节俭——凡慷慨解囊以响应维持上帝圣工之呼求，并解救穷乏受苦之人的需要者，决不是那等在经商方面显出不精明、粗疏，或延迟的人。他们乃是时时谨慎，以免入不敷出。他们基于原则而实行节俭；他们觉得节俭乃是他们的本分，因为这样他们才能有所奉献。[16]
§34
Practice Economy From Principle.--Those whose hands are open to respond to the calls for means to sustain the cause of God and to relieve the suffering and the needy are not the ones who are found loose and lax and dilatory in their business management. They are always careful to keep their outgoes within their income. They are economical from principle; they feel it their duty to save, that they may have something to give. {AH 385.1}[16]