貳．記號六

信仰中的情感
第二部，記號六（2.06）

VI.

01(2.06)
“信仰情感看起來有愛”並不是它具有救贖果效、或不具有救贖果效的記號。

It is no evidence that religious affections are saving, or that they are otherwise, that there is an appearance of love in them.

01a

沒有哪個真心信主的基督徒會宣稱這（即“信仰情感看起來有愛”）對“信仰情感本質上是真實的，有救贖果效”是不利的論據。但是另方面來說，有些人認為這（即“信仰情感看起來有愛”）對“情感是來自聖靈，受其使人成聖、具有救贖果效的影響所致”是有利的證據。他們的論點是：撒但沒有愛的能力，因為“愛”這個情感直接違背撒但仇恨惡毒的本質。確實，沒有什麼比基督徒對上帝對人真實的愛更優美、更屬天、更神聖。這愛比知識、先知講道、行神蹟、說方言和天使的話語更超越、更優美、這愛是上帝的靈帶來的主要恩典，是真信仰的生命、本質與總和，也是72我們與天堂最相合、與地獄魔鬼最相反的憑藉。

There are no professing Christians who pretend that this is an argument against the truth and saving nature of religious affections. But, on the other hand, there are some who suppose it is a good evidence that affections are from the sanctifying and saving influences of the Holy Ghost. Their argument is, that Satan can not love; this affection being directly contrary to the devil, whose very nature is enmity and malice. And it is true that nothing is more excellent, heavenly, and divine, than a spirit of true Christian love to God and men: it is more excellent than knowledge, or prophecy, or miracles, or speaking with the tongue of men and angels. It is the chief of the graces of God’s Spirit, and the life, essence, and sum of all true religion; and that by 72 which we are most conformed to heaven, and most contrary to hell and the devil.

01b

不過問題出在下一步的推論，要得說這愛沒有仿冒才行。我們可以留意檢視，任何東西只要愈是好得無比，仿冒的情形就愈嚴重。為此之故，金銀的仿冒就比鐵銅的仿冒嚴重許多倍。假鑽石假寶石有許多，但普通的石頭有誰會去仿冒？雖然東西愈是好得無比，就愈難做出與其本質和內在性質相似的東西；但是其仿冒也會愈多樣，在外表的模仿上也會愈顯出手藝與靈巧。為此之故，買最好最高等的藥，要冒最大的風險買到偽藥，雖然要模仿這種等級與品質的東西是最難的，而我們如果買到這種仿冒品，這乃是完全無用的廢物。基督徒的美德與恩典也是這樣。撒但的詭計和人心的欺哄總是以模仿有最好名聲的東西為首要的發動目標。因此可能沒有其他恩典比愛和謙卑這兩種特別表現出真基督徒優美的德行受到更多的模仿了。
But yet it is in arguing from hence that there are no counterfeits of it. It may be observed that the more excellent any thing is, the more will be the counterfeits of it. Thus there are many more counterfeits of silver and gold than of iron and copper: there are many false diamonds and rubies, but who goes about to counterfeit common stones? Though the more excellent things are, the more difficult it is to make any thing that shall be like them, in their essential nature and internal virtue; yet the more manifold will the counterfeits be, and the more will art and subtilty be displayed in an exact imitation of the outward appearance. Thus there is the greatest danger of being cheated in buying of medicines that are most excellent and sovereign, though it be most difficult to imitate them with any thing of the like value and virtue, and their counterfeits are good for nothing when we have them. So it is with Christian virtues and graces; the subtilty of Satan and mens deceitful hearts are wont chiefly to be exercised in counterfeiting those that are in highest repute. So there are, perhaps, no graces that have more counterfeits than love and humility; these being virtues wherein the beauty of a true Christian does especially appear.

02

可是對於愛，從聖經明顯可知，人可以有某種信仰上的愛，但沒有具救贖果效的恩典。基督提到有許多真心相信的基督徒有一種愛是無法持久，搆不上使人得救。太 廿四12-13「只因不法的事增多，許多人的愛心才漸漸冷淡了。惟有忍耐到底的，必然得救。」後面這句清楚顯示前面那句提到的人，就是愛心沒有堅持到底，反倒逐漸冷淡的人，將不會得救。

But with respect to love, it is plain, by the scripture, that persons may have a kind of religious love, and yet have no saving grace. Christ speaks of many professing Christians that have such love, whose love will not continue, and so shall fail of salvation, Matt. xxiv. 12,13. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Which latter words plainly show, that those spoken of before, whose love shall not endure to the end, but wax cold, should not be saved.

03

人可能看起來對上帝對基督有愛，喔，不只這樣，有非常強大而激烈的這種性質的情感，但沒有恩典在其中。因為許多猶太人在並無上帝恩典的情況下，向耶穌大聲呼求，日夜跟隨他，不吃不喝，也不睡覺，且說「夫子，你無論往哪裏去，我要跟從你。」（太八19），或高聲呼喊「和散那歸於大衛的子孫！」（太廿一15），顯然就是這個情形。 

Persons may seem to have love to God and Christ, yea, to have very strong and violent affections of this nature, and yet have no grace. For this was evidently the case with many graceless Jews, such as cried Jesus up so high, following him day and night, without meat, drink, or sleep; such as said, “Lord, I will follow thee 73 whithersoever thou goest,” and cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”

04

使徒在寫弗六24「並願所有誠心愛我們主耶穌基督的人都蒙恩惠！」時似乎暗示當時有許多人對基督的愛是虛假的。「誠心」這字原文的意思是「沒有朽壞」，顯示使徒知道許多人對基督有一種愛，是不純淨也不屬靈的。

The apostle seems to intimate that there were many in his days who had a counterfeit love to Christ, in Eph. vi. 24. “Grace be with all of them, that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” The last word, in the original, signifies in corruption incorruption in incorruption; which shows that the apostle was sensible that there were many who had a kind of love to Christ, whose love was not pure and spiritual.

05

同樣，基督徒對上帝百姓的愛也可以有假冒。從聖經清楚可知，這種基督徒對上帝百姓的愛可能非常強烈，但沒有救贖果效的恩典在其中，就如加拉太人對使徒保羅的情形。他們準備把自己的眼睛剜出來給保羅，但保羅怕他們的情感歸於徒然，惟恐我在你們身上是枉費了工夫，加四11,15。
So also Christian love to the people of God may be counterfeited. It is evident, by the scripture, that there may be strong affections of this kind without saving grace, as there were in the Galatians towards the apostle Paul, when they were ready to pluck out their eyes and give them to him; although the apostle expresses his fear that their affections were come to nothing, and that he had bestowed upon them labour in vain, Gal. iv. 11, 15.