《评论与通讯》
THE REVIEW AND HERALD
1855年6月12日
致教会
应当担心上帝的子民没有为即将临到地上的事做好准备。教会里岂不是缺少活力吗?我们岂不是身处魔境并在这个重要的时期睡着了吗?我们行事为人太想凭着眼见了。我们行事为人必须更多凭着信心。我们必须有更多的活力，更加坚定不移地信靠上帝。骄傲岂不是已经潜入教会了吗?有没有应有的那种对自我的严密监视呢?我们各人都当省察己心，仔细地察看我们自己的生活若与那位真正的模范相比会如何，祂穿一件朴素的无缝外衣，祂的生活是牺牲的一生，祂周流四方行善事，使别人幸福快乐。我们各人都当仔细省察自己是否有圣灵的果子。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 1}
骄傲一进入人心，上帝的灵就被关在外面了。我们中间岂不是有些人沉湎于骄傲和不必要的花费吗?他们很快就会后悔的;因为艰难的时期就我们前面，他们那时就会需要并且渴望拥有所浪费的钱财了，因为他们必感到缺乏，使人感到痛苦的缺乏必四面包围着他们。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 2}
在一些人沉湎于骄傲和不必要的花费时，一些人却走了相反的极端，他们的生活和外表就好像整洁和秩序是骄傲和罪恶似的。事实并非如此。他们可以整洁有序，并且心中没有骄傲。穷人和更加富有的人一样可以保持整洁。他们不应忽视自己的房子和身子，而应干净整洁。他们的居所应当保持整洁有序，然后上帝的仆人才能愉快地来到他们家里，跪在他们的地板上，祈求神圣纯洁的上帝赐福与他们。祂是一位有秩序的上帝，那些容许自己不干净无秩序的人使自己丧失了许多原可享有的福气。自称上帝子民之人中间的污秽是令祂不悦的。我们的上帝是一位忌邪的上帝，祂必有一班干净、纯洁、圣善的子民，祂必不承认一个污秽不洁的人为祂的孩子。那些自称归顺上帝并且自称为基督徒(像基督)的人应当是世界上最整洁的人。自称归顺上帝和真理，却不改正马虎邋遢的习惯，乃是羞辱上帝，也是祂圣工的一个污点。这样的人必须进行改革，他们的转变必须更加彻底。宗教的果子不是混乱和不洁。那些没有志向以得体的方式出现在弟兄姐妹面前的人，应该为基督的缘故，也为真理的缘故认真地把握工作，彻底改革。世人藐视上帝的儿女，在注意找他们的过失，给世人机会羞辱基督的宗教在上帝眼中乃是一宗罪。如果这些懒散的习惯已随着他们的成长而成长，随着他们的力量而增强，就更有必要做出坚决的努力去改正这些习惯了。要认真地开始，不要只在几件事上改革，而要立刻开始下工夫，并且继续努力直到这些马虎懒散的习惯全部被根除，有了一番彻底的改革。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 3}
上帝如此讲究，以致指示以色列人在出了埃及之后要做什么，免得耶和华经过的时候看见他们的不洁，就不愿和他们的军队一起上去与他们的敌人作战了。主现在和那时一样讲究。如果祂当时曾注意到不洁的罪，祂现在也必注意这罪;那些有过错的人若想取悦上帝，不让祂皱眉，就必须改革，以免祂看见他们的不整洁，就不在他们的聚会上赐给他们胜利和救恩了。那些已经纵情于骄傲的人应当速速改革，抛弃他们的骄傲。他们没有时间可以浪费。他们应当使自己与世人分别，与世人的交往不要超过实际上所必要的。凡狂傲的和作恶的，必如碎秸，在那日必被烧尽，这是耶和华说的。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 4}
我们中有许多人把主的降临推迟得太远了，他们的行为也与他们的信仰相符。父母们身上负有很大的责任。他们的孩子在看着他们，他们的榜样或给孩子的建议若有丝毫鼓励他们自己不活出自己的信仰，反与世人混杂在一起，都会被孩子们注意到并对他们产生影响。父母们哪，不要通过你们的沉默或同意容许你们的孩子去与那些不爱上帝或不爱真理的人交往;真理对我们来说如此珍贵，要试验我们，净化我们，而且，我们藉着顺从真理，最终会成为得胜者。那条又直又窄的路并不在宽路旁边。窄路通向天国，宽路通向死亡和地狱。父母们哪，不要试图把这两条路拉近。应当始终将跟从柔和谦卑的耶稣的人和那些以这个世界为神的人之间的差别摆在他们面前。保持基督徒和罪人之间的区别。父母的职责是培养他们的孩子，他们应当及早制服自己的情欲。这一点被严重忽视了。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 5}
上帝的仆人和教会岂不是缺乏信心吗?我们岂不是太容易灰心了吗?太乐于相信我们的命运是艰难的，也太容易认为上帝离弃了我们。这是不对的。上帝如此爱了我们，甚至舍了祂的爱子为我们而死;全天庭都关心我们的得救，在这一切之后，我们岂可认为难以信赖如此善良的天父吗?祂乐于赐圣灵给那些求祂的人，过于父母把好东西给儿女。我们不必灰心，而要以信心和信任向我们天上的父祈求我们需要的东西;我们的祷告若是没有立即得到答复，我们也不可放弃勇气和信心，容让一种抱怨的精神控制我们。这只会使我们离上帝更远，因为这令上帝不悦。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 6}
每位圣徒诚心来到上帝面前，本着信心献上诚恳的请求，他的祈祷是必蒙应允的;但我们必须有持久的信心。如果我们不见或不觉自己的祈祷立时蒙允，我们也片刻不可放弃上帝的应许。我们切不可动摇。我们必须仰赖祂可靠的应许：“你们求，就必得着”(约16:24)。以上帝的睿智，必不至于有错误;祂太善良了，必不留下一样好处不给那些行动正直的人。人是会做错的，虽然他所献的祈求是出于诚心，但他所求的事，却未必总是对己有益或能荣耀上帝的。若能那样，我们聪明良善的父，就会听我们的祈祷，且会应允;有时是立即应允，然而祂所赐给我们的，却是祂知道与我们有益并能使祂得荣耀的。我们得到的福气必是我们最需要的。我们若能看透上帝的计划，就必清楚地看见祂的智慧，明白祂知道什么与我们最有益处。我们若是本着信心献上祈祷，就必得蒙应允，但祂不会赐给我们任何有害的东西。我们若是诚心祈求了什么东西是上帝看明不会对我们有益的，祂就可能不照我们所求而改将我们最需要的福气赐给我们。如果我们的祈祷没有在我们正期待的时候得到应允，我们也切不可不信任上帝，因为那会带来黑暗。我们对上帝的信心必须坚强。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 7}
大受忽视的私祷乃是基督徒的生命。我们应当单独去找上帝并将我们的意念固定在祂身上，将其它一切的事都关在外面，然后用活泼的信心从圣所提取亮光和力量。我们不应当站起来，直到我们能以毫不动摇的信心倚赖上帝的应许。这样我们就必因私祷而受益。 {RH June 12, 1855, par. 8}
孩子们向父母求自己想要的某样东西，父母知道那东西会伤害他们，就给他们会对他们有益的健康的东西，代替他们想要的东西。真圣徒的每一个祷告若是诚心献上的，就都不会落空。{RH June 12, 1855, par. 9}
怀爱伦
rh1855
June 12, 1855
To the Church
It is to be feared that the people of God are not prepared for what is coming upon the earth. Is there not a lack of energy in the church? Are we not upon the enchanted ground, and falling asleep in this important time? We desire to walk too much by sight. We must walk more by faith. We must have more energy, more unwavering faith and confidence in God. Has not pride crept into the church? Is there that close watchfulness of self that there should be? Let us each examine our own hearts and look carefully to our own lives and see how they will compare with the true Pattern who wore a plain seamless coat, whose life was a life of sacrifice, who went about doing others good, and making others happy. Let us search closely and see if we have the fruits of the Spirit.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 1}
Just as soon as pride enters the heart, the Spirit of God is shut out. Are there not those among us who indulge in pride and needless expense? They will soon regret it; for trying times are just before us, and they will then need, and desire to have, the misspent means, for they will feel want, and pinching want will be all around them.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 2}
While some indulge in pride and needless expense, some are on the opposite extreme, and by their lives and appearance act as though neatness and order are pride and sin. This is not so. They can be neat and orderly, and not have pride in their hearts. The poor can keep tidy as well as the more wealthy. They should not neglect their houses and persons, but should be neat and cleanly. Their dwellings should be kept neat and in order, and then the servants of God can find pleasure in coming to their houses and kneeling upon their floors to ask the blessing of the holy and pure God to rest upon them. He is a God of order and those who suffer themselves to be unclean and disorderly deprive themselves of many blessings they might otherwise enjoy. Filthiness among God’s professed people is displeasing to him. Our God is a jealous God, he will have a clean, pure and holy people: a filthy and unclean person he will not acknowledge as his child. Those who profess to be converted to God and take upon themselves the name of Christians (Christ-like) should be the neatest people in the world. It is a dishonor to God, and a stain upon his cause, to profess to be converted to God and the truth, and yet go with slack, untidy habits uncorrected. Such must have a reformation, and their conversion must be more thorough. The fruits of religion are not disorder and uncleanness. Those who have had no ambition to appear in a becoming manner before their brethren and sisters, should, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of the truth take hold of the work in earnest, and thoroughly reform. The world is watching for their faults, they despise God’s children, and to give them occasion to reproach the religion of Christ is a sin in the sight of God. If these slack habits have grown with their growth and strengthened with their strength, there is greater necessity for decided efforts to correct these habits. Begin in earnest; do not reform in only a few things, but commence the work at once, and continue it until these slack habits are all rooted out and there is a thorough reformation.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 3}
God was so particular as to give direction to the children of Israel, after they came out of Egypt, what to do lest the Lord should pass by and see their uncleanness, and would not go up with their armies to battle against their enemies. The Lord is no less particular now, than he was then. If he noticed the sin of uncleanness then, he will notice it now; and those who are in fault, if they want to please God, and shun his frown, must reform lest he should see their untidiness and withhold victory and salvation in their meetings. Those who have indulged in pride should speedily reform, and put away their pride. They have no time to lose. They should separate themselves from the world, and not mingle with worldly company more than is actually necessary. Soon all the proud, and all that do wickedly will be as stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 4}
Many among us put off the coming of the Lord too far, and their works correspond with their faith. There is a great responsibility resting upon parents. Their children are watching them, and any encouragement of the parents, by their example or advice to their children, a neglect to live out their faith themselves, and a mingling with the world is noticed and has its effect upon the children. Parents, do not, by your silence or consent, suffer your children to associate with those who have no love for God or for the truth which is so dear to us; the truth which is to test us, to purify us, and, by our obedience to it, make us finally overcomers. The straight and narrow path does not lay along side of the broad road. The first leads to heaven, the second to death and hell. Parents, do not try to bring these roads any nearer together. Let the contrast between the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus and those whose god is this world, be kept ever before them. Keep up the distinction between the christian and sinner. Parents whose duty it is to train up their children, should subdue their passions early. This is greatly neglected.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 5}
And have not the servants of God and the church a lack of faith? Have we not been too easily discouraged? too willing to believe that our lot was hard, and too ready to think that God had forsaken us? This is not right. God has so loved us as to give his dearly beloved Son to die for us; all heaven is interested in our salvation, and after all this, shall we consider it hard to trust so good a Father? He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. We will not be discouraged, but with faith and confidence ask our Father in heaven for the things we need; and if we do no [not] receive the immediate answer to our prayers, we must not give up our courage and faith, and suffer a murmuring spirit to take possession of us. This only separates us farther from God, for it is displeasing to him.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 6}
Every saint who comes to God with a true heart, and sends earnest petitions to him in faith will be answered; but we must have?enduring?faith. We must not for a moment let go the promises if we do not see and realize the immediate answers to our prayers. We must not waver. We must rely upon his sure promise, “Ask and ye shall receive.” God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. Man is erring, and although his petitions are sent up from an honest heart, he does not always ask the things that are good for himself, or that will glorify God. When this is so, our wise and good Father hears our prayers and will answer them, sometimes immediately, but gives us the things that he knows are for our good and his own glory. The blessing received by us will be that which we need the most. If we could look into the plan of God, we should plainly see his wisdom and that he knows what is for our best good. Our prayers will be answered if they are sent up in faith, but nothing hurtful will be given. If we have, in the honesty of our hearts, asked any thing that God sees will not be good for us, he may withhold the thing desired, but in its place give us the blessings we most need. If the answer to our prayers does not come just when we expect it, we must not distrust God, for that will bring darkness. Our confidence in God must be strong.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 7}
Secret prayer, which is too much neglected, is the life of the Christian. Let us go to God alone and fix our minds upon him, have every thing else shut out, and then draw by living faith, light and strength from the Sanctuary. Let us not rise from our knees until we can rely upon God’s promises with an unwavering faith. Then we shall be benefitted by secret prayer.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 8}
Children ask their parents for something they desire: the parent knows it will injure them, and gives them the things that will be good and healthy for them in the place of that which they desired. Not a prayer of the true saint is lost, if sent up from an honest heart.?{RH June 12, 1855, par. 9}
E. G. White.
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