Faithful tests Talkative.
So Faithful stepped aside and said
to talkative, “How is it now?” Talkative:
Thank you, well. I thought we should
have had a long talk by this time.
Faithful: If you wish, let us talk about
this question. How does the saving
grace of god show itself in the human
heart?
139
盡忠試驗唇徒
於是盡忠走上前去對唇徒說:
「你現在如何?」唇徒:「謝謝你,
很好,我想現在我們應當已說過許多
話了。」盡忠:「如果你願意,讓我
們談談這個問題,就是 上帝的救恩
如何顯明在人心裡?」
They discuss sin and grace.
Talkative: That is a good question.
First, grace causes a great outcry against
sin. Faithful: I think you should rather
way it causes the soul to hate sin.
140
他們討論罪惡與恩典
唇徒:「這是一個好題目。第
一,恩典將引人大聲疾呼地反對
罪。」盡忠:「我想你不如說他促使
人的靈魂恨惡罪。」
Talkative fails the test.
Talkative: Why, what difference
is there between crying out against sin
and hating it? Faithful: A great deal.
I have heard many cry out against sin
in the pulpit who enjoy it in the heart
and in the home. Is your religion only
in word and speech or is it in deed and
truth? At that Talkative got red in the
face and asked, “Why do you ask me
such a question?”
141
唇徒 在考驗中失敗
唇徒:「為什麼?在大聲疾呼反
對罪與恨惡罪之間有什麼分別麼?」
盡忠:「大有分別,我聽過許多
人在講壇上大聲疾呼反對罪,但在心
裡,在家中,卻在享受罪中之樂。請
問你的宗教信仰是僅在字句和言語上
還是在行為與實行上?」講到這裡唇
徒臉紅起來問道:「你為什麼問我這
樣一個問題?」
天路歷程
44
Faithful and Talkative part
company.
Faithful: Because you are so
ready to talk. But with you, drinking,
covetousness, swearing, lying and
religion all stand together. Talkative:
Since you are so ready to judge me,
I conclude that you are a peevish
pessimist not fit to converse with. So I
bid you good-by.
142
盡忠和唇徒斷交
盡忠:「因為你是擅於口講,但
你與醉酒,貪婪,咒罵,謊言,和宗
教都混合不分。」唇徒:「因你專想
論斷我,我看出你是一個脾氣乖張的
悲觀主義者,我們話不投機,所以,
再見罷。」
“From such withdraw thyself.”
Then up came Christian and said
to his brother, “I told you how it would
be. Your words and his lusts could
not agree. He would rather leave your
company than reform his life. He has
saved us the trouble of leaving him, for
he would only have been a blot on our
company. Besides, the apostle Paul
says, “From such withdraw thyself” (I
Tim. 6:5).
143
「要 遠 離 他 們」
於是基督徒走過來對他的弟兄
說:「我已經告訴你會有什麼結果
了。你的話和他的淫行是不能相合
的,他寧可捨棄你作同伴而不願改正
他的生活。他主動離開倒省了我們的
麻煩,因他只能沾污你我的名譽,況
且使徒保羅也說過『對這種人要遠離
他們。 』」 (提前6/5)
Christian commends Faithful.
Faithful: I am glad we had this
little talk with him. I have spoken
plainly; if he refuses to repent, I am
clear of his blood. Christian: You did
well to talk so plainly. I wish that all
men would speak in such a way. Then
would men either learn to be sincere
or they would be uncomfortable in the
company of saints.
144
基督徒稱讚盡忠
盡忠:「我高興我已和他有過短
短談話。我是爽直地和他談,倘若他
不悔改,他的滅亡與我無關。」
基督徒:「你這樣爽直地談很
好。我希望所有的人都能如此談話,
這樣可使一些人學習真誠,否則他們
在聖徒中就會自覺不安了。」