加爾文基督教要義(5)卷一第一章 認識上帝與認識我們自己之間的關係

第一章 認識上帝與認識我們自己之間的關係
　　真實的智慧主要地是由兩部分所組成，即對上帝的認識，與對我們自己的認識。不過因為這兩種認識相互的密切關係，所以二者孰先孰后，很難確定。第一因為，人一觀察自己，就必要立時思念上帝，就是人「生活動作」（徒17： 28）在他裡面的上帝；我們所具有的才智絕非自己所本有的，甚至我們的存在也無非是單靠上帝。這些從天上一滴滴不停地降與我們的恩賜，彷彿成了許多河流，引我們到水源去。第二、我們的貧乏更顯出上帝的無限豐富。尤其是我們因始祖背叛而陷入的可悲的敗壞，使我們不得不仰視上蒼，不僅如饑饉之需要飲食，而且因恐懼而學習謙卑。因為人既受諸般愁苦所制，被剝奪了神聖的衣飾，畸形殘廢暴露無餘，每人因深感自己的不幸，而多少得著一些對上帝的認識。我們因感到自己的無知、空虛、貧乏、軟弱，邪惡與敗壞，於是叫我們察覺而且承認，只有在主里才找得著真實的智慧，堅強的力量，完全的仁慈，與無疵的公義，這樣，我們因為自己的不完全，而想念及上帝的完全。直到我們對自己開始不滿，我們才能真心仰望上帝。因為有誰不願意依靠自己呢？當人還不明了自己的真處境，而以自己的稟賦為滿足，忘記了或茫然不知自己的不幸之時，有誰不自滿自得呢？所以，自我認識不僅激勵人尋求上帝，也幫助人發現上帝。
　　二．另一方面，人若不先想念神的性格，繼而觀察自己，即得不著真正的自我認識，這是很明顯的。我們因與生俱來的驕傲，總以為自己是公正、無辜、聖潔和聰明的；除非我們因證據確鑿而深知自己的不義、邪惡、愚蠢和卑污的話，我們若只注意自己而不也注意主，就不能有這種判斷，因為惟有上帝是這種判斷的準繩。我們既然生性慣於假冒為善，所以虛有義的外表而無其實，便足以使我們滿足。當我們所想的只限於人的敗壞，而那在我們內外四圍的既然都是污穢不堪的，所以我們只要看到稍許潔凈一點的東西，便以為是極其純潔。正如人看慣了黑色，便以略帶白色或甚而棕色之物為極白的。誠然，我們的感官很可以幫助我們發現我們對精神能力估計的極大錯誤。我們在午間看地面和四周的物體，覺得一目了然，目光敏銳，但當舉目注視太陽之時，即覺雙目昏花，於是只好承認，我們的目光雖能洞察地上的東西，而對著太陽看，就只有模糊不清了。論到我們精神上的稟賦，也是如此。因為我們的眼光若只限於塵世，以自己的公義，智慧和力量為滿足，我們必然得意洋洋，自視為半個神明。可是如果我們一旦把思想提高，想到上帝，他的特性，與他那理當作為我們標準的公義，智慧和能力的無上完全，那麼，以前冒稱公義而使我們心醉的，將要被看為是最大的不義；以前假智慧之名蒙蔽我們的，將要被看輕為極端愚妄；以前看來似乎有力量的，將要被證明是最可憐的無能。我們所看為最完全的，與神的純潔卻有天淵之別。
　　三．因此，聖經描寫聖徒每逢發現上帝臨在，都是如何地恐懼戰兢。我們知道那些在上帝顯現之前站立得穩的人，面對著上帝的榮光便非常驚駭，甚至因恐懼而發暈，幾乎氣絕，我們只有說，人未經與神的尊嚴比較，絕不能充分認識自己的卑賤，在士師記和先知書中常有這種驚恐的例子，所以在主的百姓當中有這樣的一句流行話： 「我們必要死，因為看見了上帝」（士13：22）。所以約伯記的主旨從描寫神的純潔、權能和智慧中，使人因自覺污穢、無能、愚蠢而謙虛。這是有理由的，因為我們知道，亞伯拉罕越接近主的榮光，越承認自己是「灰塵」（創18：27）；主的顯現既如此可畏，以致以利亞不蒙著臉，即不能面對著主（參王上19： 13）。若是天使尚且因恐懼而蒙著自己的臉，何況污穢敗壞的人呢？正如先知以賽亞所說的，「月亮要蒙羞，太陽要慚愧，因為萬軍之主必作王」（賽6：2； 24：23）；這即是說，當他更充分地表現自己的榮光之時，其他一切最光亮的東西，都將為之失色。認識上帝與認識自己雖如此密切地互相關連，但教導的正當次序必須先論對上帝的認識，然後論對自己的認識。

[本話題由 追求永生 於 2010-01-23 13:03:08 編輯]

Chapter 1.

1. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND OF OURSELVES MUTUALLY CONNECTED. - NATURE OF THIS CONNECTION.
Sections.

The sum of true wisdom, viz., the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Effects of the latter.
Effects of the knowledge of God, in humbling our pride, unveiling our hypocrisy, demonstrating the absolute perfections of God, and our own utter helplessness.
Effects of the knowledge of God illustrated by the examples,
of holy patriarchs;
of holy angels;
of the sun and moon.
1.Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God

Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone. In the second place, those blessings which unceasingly distil to us from heaven, are like streams conducting us to the fountain. Here, again, the infinitude of good which resides in God becomes more apparent from our poverty. In particular, the miserable ruin into which the revolt of the first man has plunged us, compels us to turn our eyes upwards; not only that while hungry and famishing we may thence ask what we want, but being aroused by fear may learn humility. For as there exists in man something like a world of misery, and ever since we were stript of the divine attire our naked shame discloses an immense series of disgraceful properties every man, being stung by the consciousness of his own unhappiness, in this way necessarily obtains at least some knowledge of God. Thus, our feeling of ignorance, vanity, want, weakness, in short, depravity and corruption, reminds us, (see Calvin on John 4: 10,) that in the Lord, and none but He, dwell the true light of wisdom, solid virtue, exuberant goodness. We are accordingly urged by our own evil things to consider the good things of God; and, indeed, we cannot aspire to Him in earnest until we have begun to be displeased with ourselves. For what man is not disposed to rest in himself? Who, in fact, does not thus rest, so long as he is unknown to himself; that is, so long as he is contented with his own endowments, and unconscious or unmindful of his misery? Every person, therefore, on coming to the knowledge of himself, is not only urged to seek God, but is also led as by the hand to find him.

2.Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self

On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also - He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly white. Nay, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when applied to the sun. Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity.

3.Man before God's majesty

Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates, holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God. When we see those who previously stood firm and secure so quaking with terror, that the fear of death takes hold of them, nay, they are, in a manner, swallowed up and annihilated, the inference to be drawn is that men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God. Frequent examples of this consternation occur both in the Book of Judges and the Prophetical Writings; so much so, that it was a common expression among the people of God, "We shall die, for we have seen the Lord." Hence the Book of Job, also, in humbling men under a conviction of their folly, feebleness, and pollution, always derives its chief argument from descriptions of the Divine wisdom, virtue, and purity. Nor without cause: for we see Abraham the readier to acknowledge himself but dust and ashes the nearer he approaches to behold the glory of the Lord, and Elijah unable to wait with unveiled face for His approach; so dreadful is the sight. And what can man do, man who is but rottenness and a worm, when even the Cherubim themselves must veil their faces in very terror? To this, undoubtedly, the Prophet Isaiah refers, when he says, (Isaiah 24: 23,) "The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign;" i. e., when he shall exhibit his refulgence, and give a nearer view of it, the brightest objects will, in comparison, be covered with darkness.

But though the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves are bound together by a mutual tie, due arrangement requires that we treat of the former in the first place, and then descend to the latter.

真實的智慧主要地是由兩部分所組成，即對上帝的認識，與對我們自己的認識。

我們因感到自己的無知、空虛、貧乏、軟弱，邪惡與敗壞，於是叫我們察覺而且承認，只有在主里才找得著真實的智慧，堅強的力量，完全的仁慈，與無疵的公義，這樣，我們因為自己的不完全，而想念及上帝的完全。直到我們對自己開始不滿，我們才能真心仰望上帝。

正確的自我認識幫助人尋求神

我們的貧乏更顯出上帝的無限豐富。尤其是我們因始祖背叛而陷入的可悲的敗壞，使我們不得不仰視上蒼，不僅如饑饉之需要飲食，而且因恐懼而學習謙卑。因為人既受諸般愁苦所制，被剝奪了神聖的衣飾，畸形殘廢暴露無餘，每人因深感自己的不幸，而多少得著一些對上帝的認識。我們因感到自己的無知、空虛、貧乏、軟弱，邪惡與敗壞，於是叫我們察覺而且承認，只有在主里才找得著真實的智慧，堅強的力量，完全的仁慈，與無疵的公義，這樣，我們因為自己的不完全，而想念及上帝的完全。直到我們對自己開始不滿，我們才能真心仰望上帝。因為有誰不願意依靠自己呢？當人還不明了自己的真處境，而以自己的稟賦為滿足，忘記了或茫然不知自己的不幸之時，有誰不自滿自得呢？所以，自我認識不僅激勵人尋求上帝，也幫助人發現上帝。

人若不先想念神的性格，繼而觀察自己，即得不著真正的自我認識，這是很明顯的。

我們因與生俱來的驕傲，總以為自己是公正、無辜、聖潔和聰明的；除非我們因證據確鑿而深知自己的不義、邪惡、愚蠢和卑污的話，我們若只注意自己而不也注意主，就不能有這種判斷，因為惟有上帝是這種判斷的準繩。

我們既然生性慣於假冒為善，所以虛有義的外表而無其實，便足以使我們滿足。當我們所想的只限於人的敗壞，而那在我們內外四圍的既然都是污穢不堪的，所以我們只要看到稍許潔凈一點的東西，便以為是極其純潔。正如人看慣了黑色，便以略帶白色或甚而棕色之物為極白的。

我們的眼光若只限於塵世，以自己的公義，智慧和力量為滿足，我們必然得意洋洋，自視為半個神明。可是如果我們一旦把思想提高，想到上帝，他的特性，與他那理當作為我們標準的公義，智慧和能力的無上完全，那麼，以前冒稱公義而使我們心醉的，將要被看為是最大的不義；以前假智慧之名蒙蔽我們的，將要被看輕為極端愚妄；以前看來似乎有力量的，將要被證明是最可憐的無能。我們所看為最完全的，與神的純潔卻有天淵之別。

人未經與神的尊嚴比較，絕不能充分認識自己的卑賤，在士師記和先知書中常有這種驚恐的例子，所以在主的百姓當中有這樣的一句流行話： 「我們必要死，因為看見了上帝」（士13：22）。

當上帝更充分地表現自己的榮光之時，其他一切最光亮的東西，都將為之失色。認識上帝與認識自己雖如此密切地互相關連，但教導的正當次序必須先論對上帝的認識，然後論對自己的認識。