BookⅣ Chapter10
上帝是真福

If bodies please thee, praise God on occasion of them, and turn back thy love upon their Maker; lest in these things which please thee, thou displease. If souls please thee, be they loved in God: for they too are mutable, but in Him are they firmly stablished; else would they pass, and pass away. In Him then be they beloved; and carry unto Him along with thee what souls thou canst, and say to them, "Him let us love, Him let us love: He made these, nor is He far off. For He did not make them, and so depart, but they are of Him, and in Him. See there He is, where truth is loved. He is within the very heart, yet hath the heart strayed from Him. Go back into your heart, ye transgressors, and cleave fast to Him that made you. Stand with Him, and ye shall stand fast. Rest in Him, and ye shall be at rest. Whither go ye in rough ways? Whither go ye? The good that you love is from Him; but it is good and pleasant through reference to Him, and justly shall it be embittered, because unjustly is any thing loved which is from Him, if He be forsaken for it. To what end then would ye still and still walk these difficult and toilsome ways? There is no rest, where ye seek it. Seek what ye seek; but it is not there where ye seek. Ye seek a blessed life in the land of death; it is not there. For how should there be a blessed life where life itself is not?
如果你歡喜肉體,你該因肉體而讚頌上帝,把你的愛上升到肉體的創造者,不要因歡喜肉體而失歡於上帝。如果你歡喜靈魂,你應在上帝之中愛靈魂,因為靈魂也變易不定,唯有固著於上帝之中,才能安穩,否則將走向毀滅。因此你該在上帝之中愛靈魂,儘量採取靈魂,拉它們和你一起歸向上帝;你該對它們說:“愛上帝,是上帝創造了一切,上帝並不遙遠。上帝並非創造萬物後便功成身退;萬有來自上帝,就存在於上帝之中。哪裡聞到真理的氣息,上帝就在哪裡。上帝在人心曲中,而心卻遠遠離開上帝。“叛逆的人,回心轉意吧!”[16]依附於創造你們的上帝。和他一起,你們便能站住,獲得安寧。為何你們要走上崎嶇的道路?你們要上哪裡去呢?你們所愛的美好都來自他,但惟有歸向他,才是美好甘飴,否則即變成苦澀。這是理所必然的,因為美好既來自上帝,如放棄上帝而愛上這些美好,當然是不合理的。為何你們始終奔逐於艱苦的途徑?你們想在哪裡找到憩息之處,哪裡也找不到。你們找尋吧;決不在你們找尋的地方。你們在死亡的區域中找尋幸福的生命,幸福的生命並不在那裡。那裡連生命都沒有,怎能有幸福的生命呢?
"But our true Life came down hither, and bore our death, and slew him, out of the abundance of His own life: and He thundered, calling aloud to us to return hence to Him into that secret place, whence He came forth to us, first into the Virgin's womb, where in He espoused the human creation, our mortal flesh, that it might not be for ever mortal, and thence like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, rejoicing as a giant to run his course. For He lingered not, but ran, calling aloud by words, deeds, death, life, descent, ascension; crying aloud to us to return unto Him. And He departed from our eyes, that we might return into our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and lo, He is here. He would not be long with us, yet left us not; for He departed thither, whence He never parted, because the world was made by Him. And in this world He was, and into this world He came to save sinners, unto whom my soul confesseth, and He healeth it, for it hath sinned against Him. O ye sons of men, how long so slow of heart? Even now, after the descent of Life to you, will ye not ascend and live? But whither ascend ye, when ye are on high, and set your mouth against the heavens? Descend, that ye may ascend, and ascend to God. For ye have fallen, by ascending against Him."
他,[17]我們的生命,卻惠然下降,他負擔了我們的死亡,用他充沛的生命消毀了死亡,用雷霆般的聲音呼喊我們回到他身邊,到他神秘的聖殿中,他本從此出發來到人間,最先降到童女的懷中,和人性、和具有死亡性的人身結合,使吾人不再永處於死亡之中,“他如新郎一般,走出洞房,又如壯士欣然奔向前程”。[18]他毫不趑趄地奔走著,用言語、行動、生活、死亡、入地、上天,呼喚我們回返到他身邊。他在我們眼前隱去,為了使我們退回到自己內心,能在本心找到他。他不願和我們長期在一起,但並不拋開我們。他返回到他寸步不離的地方,因為“世界是憑藉他而造成的,他本在世界上,他又現身於這世界上為了拯救罪人”。[19]我的靈魂得罪他,向他懺悔,他便治療我的靈魂。“人的子孫們,你們的心顧慮重重到何時為止?”[20]生命降到我們中間,你們還不願上升而生活嗎?但上升到哪裡呢?你們不是已高高在上嗎?“你們的口不是在侮辱上天嗎?”[21]要上升,要上升到上帝面前,你們先該下降,因為你們為了反抗上帝而上升,才墮落下來的。
Tell them this, that they may weep in the valley of tears, and so carry them up with thee unto God; because out of His spirit thou speakest thus unto them, if thou speakest, burning with the fire of charity.
我的靈魂啊,把這些話告訴它們,使它們在“涕泣之谷”中痛哭,帶領它們到上帝跟前,如果你本著熱烈的愛火而說話,那麼你的話是上帝“聖神”啟發你的。

[16] 見《舊約·以賽亞書》46章8節。
[17] 按指上文的“道”。
[18] 見《詩篇》18首6節。
[19] 見《約翰福音》1章10節。
[20] 見《詩篇》40首3節。
[21] 同上,72首9節。

排版:文靜 校對:Snow
