貳．記號三

信仰中的情感
第二部，記號三（2.03）

III.
01(2.03)

“情感使有這情感的人流利地、熱切地、大量地談論信仰的事”並不是它真正出於上帝恩典、或不出於上帝恩典的記號。

It is no sign that affections are truly gracious affections, or that they are not, that they cause those who have them, to be fluent, fervent, and abundant, in talking of the things of religion.

有許多人看到別人有這現象，就60極不以為然。對他們來說，別人這樣滔滔不絕，就足以將之定罪為法利賽人、喜愛表現的假冒為善者了。另一方面，有許多人看到任何人有這反應，就立刻無知鹵莽地用熱切積極的態度斷定這些人是上帝的真兒女，說這反應是聖靈影響或注入in他們裏面的結果，有救贖的功效，並且將它說成是新造之人的重要明證。他們說「這樣的人現在口開了，祂他本來不善言詞，現在滔滔不絕。他現在得到釋放，可以將心打開，講述他的經驗，公開讚美上帝。這些話從他口中發出，自由釋放的程度好比水從泉源湧出。」或類似的話。尤其如果這些人不僅自由釋放，滔滔不絕，言談間還極富感情，十分熱切，他們就陷入一種滿有把握，深信不疑的光景，堅持這是聖靈動工的結果，有救贖的功效。

There are many persons who, if they see this in others, are 60 greatly prejudiced against them. Their being so full of talk, is with them a sufficient ground to condemn them as pharisees and ostentatious hypocrites. On the other hand, there are many who, if they see this effect in any, are very ignorantly and imprudently forward at once to determine, that they are the true children of God, and are under the saving influences of his Spirit, and speak of it as a great evidence of a new creature: they say, “such an one’s mouth is now opened: he used to be slow to speak; but now he is full and free: he is free now to open his heart, and tell his experiences, and declare the praises of God; it comes from him as free as water from a fountain;” and the like,. And especially are they captivated into a confident and undoubting persuasion, that they are savingly wrought upon, if they are not only free and abundant, but very affectionate and earnest in their talk.

02
但許多事上已顯明，這種判斷是有欠考慮、經驗貧乏短淺的結果，也是人常犯的錯誤，問題出在信任自己的聰明與判斷，把自己的想法變成準則，而不以聖經為準則。雖然聖經對我們應該怎樣判斷自己的屬靈光景、在衡量別人時應該受怎樣的引導，都充滿了準則，但我們找不到任何準則，讓我們可以據此判斷自己或別人，認為有上段所說的這些反應就代表屬靈光景很好；因為這只是言語和舌頭的信仰，聖經將它說成是樹的葉子，而雖然樹不該沒有葉子，但沒有人說一棵樹有葉子就可以證明它是好樹。

But this is the fruit of but little judgment, a scanty and short experience, as events do abundantly show, and is a mistake persons often run into, through their trusting to their own wisdom and discerning, and making their own notions their rule, instead of the holy scripture. Though the scriptures be full of rules, both how we should judge of our own state, and also how we should be conducted in our opinion of others; yet we have no where any rule by which to judge ourselves or others to be in a good estate from any such effect: for this is but the religion of the mouth and of the tongue, and what is in the scripture represented by the leaves of a tree, which, though the tree ought not to be without them, yet are no where given as an evidence of the goodness of the tree.

03

一個人有滔滔不絕談論信仰事物的傾向。可能是出於好的原因，也可能是出於不好的原因。有可能是因為心中大大充滿神聖的情感，「因為心裏所充滿的，口裏就說出來。」（太十二34）。也有可能是因為心中大大充滿信仰的情感，但並不神聖，而仍是「因為心裏所充滿的，口裏就說出來。」這是情感的本性使然，無論是哪種情感，也無論是哪個對象，只要這情感是強烈的，就會使人很有談論受感動之事的傾向，而且不只是多多地說，更是非常認真而熱切地說。因此，人滔滔不絕且非常熱切地談論信仰的事，只能證明他因信仰之事大受感動，僅此而已，不能更多。這有可能並無上帝恩典在其中，（前面的論述也已顯示）這其實並無上帝恩典在其中。人對於他在情感持續高昂時所大受感動的事，會認真投入，也可能會在言談舉止中顯出這認真的態度。當年在猶大和加利利各地，大部分猶太人有一段時間都喜愛施洗約翰講的道，施的洗，他們暫時喜歡施洗約翰的光（約五35），這位大先知在全地各階層的人中間，都興起極大的作為。群眾對基督所講的道、所行的奇事，也常常同樣表現得非常認真，在每件外表事物上也顯得十分慎重，「都希奇他的教訓，當下歡喜領受這道」，有時日夜跟隨他，丟下飲食羊群去聽他講道，有時向他呼喊，聲音響徹雲霄，說「從來沒有像他這樣說話的！」（約七46）對他們說的話極為熱切認真。但這些人大部分後來又如何？

That persons are disposed to be abundant in talking of things of religion, may be from a good cause, and it may be from a bad one. It may be because their hearts are very full of holy affections; for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh:” and it may be because persons’ hearts are very full of religious affection which is not holy; for still out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It is very much the nature of the affections, of whatever kind they be, and whatever objects they are exercised about, if they are strong, to dispose persons to be very much in 61 speaking of that which they are affected with; and not only to speak much, but to speak very earnestly and fervently. And, therefore, persons talking abundantly and very fervently about the things of religion, can be an evidence of no more than this, that they are very much affected with the things of religion; but this may be, (as has been already shown) and there be no grace. That which men are greatly affected with while the high affection lasts, they will be earnestly engaged about, and will be likely to show that earnestness in their talk and behaviour, as the greater part of the Jews in all Judah and Galilee, did for a while, about John the Baptist’s preaching and baptism, when they were willing for a season to rejoice in his light; a mighty ado was made all over the land, and among all sorts of persons, about this great prophet and his ministry. And so the multitude, in like manner, often manifested a great earnestness, a mighty engagedness of spirit in every thing that was external, about Christ and his preaching and miracles, “being astonished at his doctrine, anon with joy receiving the word,” following him sometimes night and day, leaving meat, drink and sleep to hear him; once following him into the wilderness, fasting three days going to hear him; sometimes crying him up to the clouds, saying, “Never man spake like this man!” being fervent and earnest in what they said. But what did these things come to in the greater part of them?

04

一個人可以滔滔不絕談論自己的經驗，被這沖昏了頭，在任何地方，對任何人，都照講不誤，深陷其中。如果到了這個地步，就是黑暗的記號，不是好記號。正如一棵樹如果葉子過於茂盛，通常就不能多結果子。又如一朵雲，儘管看起來蘊藏許多水氣，如果周圍跟著太多風，通常不能帶給乾旱大地太多雨水。這些正是聖靈樂意多次使用的比喻，形容口舌大大招搖談論信仰的事，生命卻沒有結出相稱的果子。箴廿五14「空誇贈送禮物的，好像無雨的風雲。」使徒猶大也是這樣提到，自古就有些人偷著進來，在信仰的事上大大招搖一番，一時之間無人起疑，「（他們）是沒有雨的雲彩，被風飄蕩；」（猶4,12）使徒彼得談同樣問題時也說「這些人……是狂風催逼的霧氣，」（彼後二17）

A person may be over-full of talk of his own experiences; commonly falling upon it, every where, and in all companies; and when it is so, it is rather a dark sign than a good one. As a tree, that is over full of leaves, seldom bears much fruit; and as a cloud, though to appearance very pregnant and full of water, if it brings with it over-much wind, seldom affords much rain to the dry and thirsty earth: which very thing the Holy Spirit is pleased several times to make use of, to represent a great show of religion with the mouth, without answerable fruit in the life. Prov. xxv. 14. “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is like clouds and wind without rain.” And the apostle Jude, speaking of some in the primitive times, that crept in unawares among the saints, and having a great show of religion, were where were for a while 62 not suspected, “These are clouds (says he) without water, carried about of winds.” Jude, verse 4 and 12. And the apostle Peter, speaking of the same, says, 2 Peter ii. 17. “These are clouds without water carried with a tempest.”

05

虛假的情感如果與真實情感的強度相同，會比真實的情感加倍積極地宣揚自己的表現，因為虛假情感的本質就是引人表現並觀看，法利賽人就是這樣。
False affections, if they are actually equally equally strong, are much more forward to declare themselves, than true: because it is the nature of false religion to affect show and observation, as it was with the pharisees.