THE ADVANCE
1899年3月1日
1、给新西兰的证言
在新西兰，许多自称相信真理的人在讲话中表现了他们自己的精神。自尊和自负是如此突出，以至于看不見基督了。可怕的事实证明：很多站在世人面前为基督作见证的人是在高举自己,崇拜自己和自己的想法意愿。他们的愿望和策略与上帝当代的工作不一致。耶稣被藏在可怜自私的人后面。人出来的时候，他的缺点被他夸耀为完美。{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 1}
新西兰的弟兄们：我有信息要传给你们，或用笔，或用口。你们必须向自己死，把自己钉在十字架上，并在基督的学校里学习。大教师用慈爱的语言邀请你们说:“凡劳苦担重担的人，可以到我这里来，我必使你们得安息。我心里柔和谦卑，你们当负我的轭，学我的样式。这样，你们心里就必得享安息，因为我的轭是容易的，我的担子是轻省的。”你们学习了这一课，就必为基督作真实的见证;但你们不学习这一课，自己的一切缺点就必显露，耶稣必被隐藏在背后。当你们每个人都知道你们在地上的工作要推进，要在基督的生命里以柔和谦卑之心重生，你们就有资格成为基督的见证人。每一个真正跟随基督的人，在意识到是突出自己以代替耶稣时，就会充满忧伤和懊悔。他后悔自己没有结满慈怜美好的果实，自我吹嘘，夸夸其谈，却没有向世界显示上帝的品格。有些人觉得自己很富足，已经发了财，一样都不缺。但当他们看见基督所看见的时，他们就会承认自己是贫穷、瞎眼、困苦、可怜和赤身露体的。“我劝你向我买火炼过的金子(就是信心和爱心)，叫你富足;又买白衣(就是基督的义)穿上，叫你赤身的羞耻不露出来;又买眼药(就是属灵的眼光)擦你的眼睛，使你能看见”(启3：18)。{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 2}
弟兄们：你们以自我为中心，充满了自私的满足，但你们若倒空自己，耶稣就会来帮助你们。祂会把祂的温柔、忍耐、爱心和慈怜给你们。这样，你们就可以把真理告诉你们的同胞，在他们面前高举耶稣。你们要为基督工作，完全忘记自己，甘愿受苦，忍受因祂的名所受的凌辱和羞辱，因为这是你们生活的目的和宗旨。.{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 3}
不要让任何读到这些话的人气馁，说:“哦，如果这是我的状态，我不妨停下来。”-如果这就是标准的话，我就永远不能成为基督的真正见证者。我要求你们为你们灵魂的缘故接受上帝的话，以前所未有的方式去探索，好叫你知道基督化是什么意思。不要感到气馁,因为从为你舍命的基督口中，向你发出这样的应许： “圣灵降在你们身上，你们就必得着能力，并要在耶路撒冷、犹太全地和撒玛利亚，直到地极，为我作见证”(徒1：8)。你们要记住，你们是领受从上头来的能力。所有要除去一切的冷酷，一切的责备，一切的批评，俯伏在主脚前。你们要以诚挚为心，并要有热切的爱心。你们若相咬相吞，就会被对方吞下去。苛刻和不友善是任何家庭的祸根，就像教堂里的一场冰雹。惟愿我能对千万人说：“要到耶稣那里去。不可穿上你法利赛的衣服，说：我相信真理。我是义人。”宁可降服你们所崇拜的自己的意愿，让上帝的旨意完全成就。你们既顺从上帝的旨意，基督的祈祷——使我们合而为一、像祂与父合而为一——就会应验。 {Advance March 1, 1899, par. 4}
要团结起来。不要把意见上的细微分歧看得太大，那样就会把彼此的心分开。你们要彼此相爱，好像基督爱你们一样。你们一定要饶恕得罪你们的人，正如你们求你们的天父饶恕你们的过犯一样。这样你就有把握求上帝。你们要承受属天的证书，就是祂自己的义。你们可以说，基督已经垂听和祝福。你们也可以说：“我是属祂的，祂也是属我的。”Advance March 1, 1899, par. 5}
怀爱伦
THE ADVANCE
March 1, 1899
Testimony To New Zealand
In New Zealand many who claim to believe the truth manifest their own spirit in the presentation. Self-esteem and self-sufficiency are so prominent that Christ is lost to view, and the terrible fact remains substantiated that many are standing before the world as witnesses for Christ who exalt self, who idolize self, and their own ideas and wills, when their wills and devices are out of harmony with the work of God for these times. Jesus is hid behind poor, selfish humanity. The man appears with his defects glorified by him as perfection.?{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 1}
I have a message for you, brethren in New Zealand, which I must bear to you either by pen or voice. You must die to self, be crucified to self, and become learners in the school of Christ. In words of tenderness the great Teacher invites you saying, “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When you learn this lesson you will become true witnesses for Christ, but until you do learn this lesson, self with all its defects will appear and Jesus will be kept in the back-ground. When you individually know that your work upon earth is to go forth and live over again in meekness and lowliness of heart the life of Christ, then you will become qualified to become Christ’s witnesses. Every one who would follow Christ truly, will be filled with sorrow and repentance when he realizes that he has brought self to the front instead of Jesus. He will regret that he has not been full of mercy and good fruits, that he has boasted and talked much, but failed to reveal the divine character to the world. Some have felt that they are rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; when, could they see as Christ sees, they would acknowledge themselves poor and blind and miserable and wretched and naked. To these the true witness says: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold, tried in the fire, (which is faith and love) that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, (which is Christ’s righteousness) that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, (which is spiritual discernment) that thou mayest see.?{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 2}
Brethren, you are self-centered. You are filled with selfish sufficiency, but when you are emptied of self, Jesus will come to your help, and will give you His gentleness, His patience, His love, and His tenderness. Then you can present the truth to your fellow-men, and lift up Jesus before them. You will work for Christ, and lose all thoughts of self, become willing to suffer, to endure reproach and shame for His dear name, for this will be the aim and object of your life.?{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 3}
Let no one who reads these words be discouraged and say, “Oh, if this is my state, I may as well stop.—If this is the measure, I can never be a true witness for Christ.” For your soul’s sake I ask you to take the word of God and search it as never before, in order that you may know what it means to be Christ-like. Do not feel discouraged, for from the lips of Christ who died to save you, you have this promise: “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Judea, and in Jerusalem, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” Mark it,—you are to receive power from on high. Then put away all hardness, all denunciation of your brethren, all criticisms, and lie broken at the feet of your Lord. Let earnestness come into your hearts, and fervent charity among yourselves. If you bite and devour one another, you shall be devoured one of another. Harshness and unkindness is a curse to any home, and it is like a desolating hail in the church. O, that I could speak unto thousands: “Come unto Jesus.” Do not wrap your Pharisaical garment about you and say, “I believe the truth. I am righteous.” Rather surrender your wills which you have idolized, and let the will of God be done in you perfectly. When you all respond to the will of God, the prayer of Christ “That we may be one as he is one with the Father,” will be fulfilled.?{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 4}
Press together. Do not make much of slight differences of opinion, and so separate heart from heart; but see how you can love one another, even as Christ has loved you. See how you can forgive those who have trespassed against you, even as you want your heavenly Father to forgive your trespasses. Then you can be definite in your requests to God. You will bear the heavenly credentials which is His own righteousness, and you can say Christ does hear and He does bless, and you can say, “I am His, and He is mine.”?{Advance March 1, 1899, par. 5}
E. G. White.
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