第55章 致弟兄姐妹
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第55章 致弟兄姐妹
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Chapter 56—Address in Regard to the Sunday Movement
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《信函》1889年第57号B-57-18891889年11月20日写于密歇根州巴特尔克里克
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Battle Creek, Mich. Nov. 20, 1889
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亲爱的弟兄姐妹们：
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Dear Brethren and Sisters,
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“散布亮光是为义人；预备喜乐是为正直人”（诗97:11）。1889年快要结束了。斗争、失败和考验成了我们经历的标志，但此外我们还有别的东西。我们在软弱中间有平安、喜乐和胜利。我们已经变得刚强了。我们既有即将结束的这一年经验的优势，岂不是更好地预备要开始新的一年了吗？虽然有挫折，但我们岂不是更好地学会在艰难的境地倚靠上帝了吗？{1888 498.1}
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“Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” (Psalm 97:11) The year 1889 is almost ended. Struggles, defeat and trials mark the history of our experience, but we have something beside this. We have had peace and joys and victories amid weakness. We have been made strong. With the advantages of the experiences of the year now about to close, are we not better prepared to enter upon the New Year? There have been discouragements but have we not learned better to trust God in the hard places? {1888 498.1}
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让我们考虑一下我们在即将过去的这一年中的机会和特权并且扪心自问吧：“我有没有比以前更有资格知道如何作为上帝的同工做我的工作呢？”{1888 498.2}
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Let us consider our opportunities and privileges of the year which will all soon be in the past and inquire, “Am I not better qualified to know how to do my work as laborers together with God than heretofore?” {1888 498.2}
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要查看你过去的经验，看看你在这些经验中从上帝的教训学到了什么好东西。增加的亮光已经照在我们身上。古老而且宝贵的真理已经以新的形式介绍给我们，我们若是充分赏识之，就会预备好正确的开始下一年，1890年。我们若是完全学会了天天在基督门下受教，岂不会避免许多的挫折和许多仓促的决定，以致上帝指导了人生中的事件吗？只要我们愿意不挡在路上，祂就会在祂自己的时间并以让我们惊奇的方式回应我们的祈祷，以祂自己的智慧和方式方法实现祂的宗旨。我们岂不要感恩吗？因为上帝知道我们的弱点，而我们对这些弱点的认识应该与上帝的认识更加一致。惟有上帝的儿女和那些在开始抵抗之前绝不会知道罪恶权势的人，才会知道与试探作斗争和抵抗罪恶。{1888 498.3}
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Look over your experience in the past and see what good things you have learned from the lessons of God in these experiences. Increased light has shown upon us. Old and precious truths have been presented to us in new forms which, if we fully appreciate, will prepare us for the entering aright upon the near year, 1890. Will not the many discouragements as well as many of our hasty conclusions be avoided if we fully learned the lessons daily in the school of Christ, that God has the guiding of events in human life? And if we will only stand out of the way, in his own time and by ways that will surprise us, He will answer our prayers and will bring about His purposes in His own wisdom in ways and means. Shall we not be thankful that God knows our frailties and we ought to know them more in harmony with God’s knowledge. The warfare with temptation and resistance of sin is not known and understood except by the sons and daughters of God, and those will never know the power of sin until they begin to resist it. {1888 498.3}
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我们落在永生上帝的手中而非人的手中是很好的。这是我们应该感恩的事，因为全智慈悲的人上帝把持着衡量品格的金天平。只要撒但活着，基督徒就不会有显然的胜利，却会有不断的斗争。但我们在事奉耶稣基督上不要动摇。我们要面对仇敌，“并不是与属血气的争战（原文作摔跤；下同），乃是与那些执政的、掌权的、管辖这幽暗世界的，以及天空属灵气的恶魔争战”（弗6:12）。{1888 498.4}
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It is well that we fall into the hands of the living God and not into the hands of men. It is something that we should be grateful for that God, the all-wise, merciful God holds the golden scales that weigh character. As long as Satan 499lives there will not be apparent triumph to Christians but continual conflict. But yet we are not to waver in our service to Jesus Christ. Our faces are toward the foe, warring “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) {1888 498.4}
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不可草草断定任何人或其工作或其意图。需要有谦卑痛悔的心。我们所传当代的信息是来自上头的。它对凡接受之人的影响是好的，结果也是好的；然而却有些人站着批评论断上帝差来的信使和信息。他们是极为自负的。他们心里说：“我要照着我喜欢的做事，按着我的判断照着我所喜欢的作工。我要做我已经做的，——讨论这些古老的真理，但与现在带给我们的问题——因信称义和基督我们的义——无关。我要很严谨，”实际上他们却在继续粉饰坟墓却不洁净它。从内心出来邪恶的思想，口中说出恶言恶语，嫉妒、猜忌和恶意的猜度。心灵的圣殿需要洁净。这些不愿接受主所传信息的人不久就会开始长篇大论攻击它。他们虽看到足够的证据去平衡他们的心智到正确的方向，但他们太骄傲了，不肯顺服。他们不愿承认他们所认定完全错误的乃是正确的，于是就开始动脑筋找借口，找托辞，好规避这个问题。他们下定决心在屈服意志的这个紧急呼召上不顺从上帝。他们会把某个次要问题夸大，设法叫人争论不是要点的东西。他们越这样就越困惑迷茫。出现了针对证言的问题，因为撒但会把每一个怀疑不信的人带到这个地步。他们要下的工夫就是把自己交给上帝；他们的意志不要再对抗上帝的旨意。{1888 499.1}
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Judgment must not be passed hastily on any man or on his work or his purposes. There is need of humble hearts and contrition of soul. The message we bear at this time is from above. Its influence upon human hearts of all who have received it is good and the fruits are good; while some stand criticizing and passing judgment both upon the message and the messenger sent of God. They are self-sufficient. They say in their hearts, “I will do as I please and work as I please on my own judgment. I will do just as I have done,—talk these old truths but I will have nothing to do with the matter now brought to us,—Justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ. I will be religious, “in fact they continue to whiten the sepulcher but do not cleanse it. From the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, the lips speak evil, jealousy, envy, evil surmisings. The soul temple needs cleansing. These who will not accept of the message the Lord sends will soon begin a tirade against it. They see evidence enough to balance the mind in the right direction but they are too proud to submit. They are not willing to say that which they decided was all wrong is right and then the mind begins to seek some excuse, some subterfuge to evade the issue. They are resolved not to obey God in this urgent call for the will to be yielded. They will make a mountain of some minor question and seek to get up a controversy on minor points. The longer he remains as he is the more is he puzzled and perplexed. Questions arise against the testimonies for Satan will bring every doubter and unbeliever over this ground. The work is before him to give himself up to God; His will be no longer arrayed against God’s will. {1888 499.1}
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有人针对教会管理提出异议，还对许多事提出反对和质疑。撒但正在撒播怀疑和质问、抱怨和挑剔的种子。他选择黑暗。他自己的手关闭了知识的门。他不肯遵行上帝的旨意，他既拒绝主藉以行事的过程，就不会看见亮光，怀疑和苛责一直使他的心灵处在顽梗拒绝中。上帝说：“我是世界的光。跟从我的，就不在黑暗里走”（约8:12）。{1888 499.2}
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There are objections against church government, objections and questions in regard to many things. Satan is sowing the seed of doubt and questioning, murmuring and fault-finding. He chooses the darkness. His own hand has closed the door of knowledge. He has refused to comply with God’s will, If he rejects the process 500through which the Lord works he will see no light, The doubts and cavils are all the time setting his soul in stubborn rejection. God says, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness.” (John 8:12) {1888 499.2}
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但任性的人却说：“我不会挪动一步，直到我把一切看明白了。”他们闭塞了悟性以免看见，却说：“解释一下吧。”这使他们即使得到了令人满意的回答也无心接受，而当他们看出自己无法拒绝一个问题时，就会提出另一个问题，然后又一个，不让亮光照在他们身上。上帝会教导这种人吗？不会。他们曾有足够的亮光迈出第一步，要是他们抛弃了那使他们对自己很残忍的意志的骄傲，他们就会迈出第一步和第二步；但是当亮光被拒绝的时候，主就不会行奇事使那人相信了。他若愿意凭信而行，就有足够的亮光照着上帝的命令行动，好看到上帝正在哪里作工，并与祂同工。{1888 500.1}
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But the wilful ones say, “I will not move a step till I see all things plainly. “When they close the understanding lest they shall see, they say, “Explain.” This brings questions with no spirit to receive if they are answered satisfactorily but when they see they cannot turn down with (one) question, they will start another, and still another, not admitting the rays of light that do shine upon them. Will God teach such ones? No. They had light enough to take the first step and if they had put away that pride of will which makes them cruel to themselves, they would, in taking the first step (have) taken the second; but when light is rejected the Lord will not work a miracle to make that man believe. If he will walk by faith he has light enough to move at God’s bidding to see where God is working and to work with Him. {1888 500.1}