LESSON 116

THE BIBLE THE BEST OF CLASSICS

《圣经》——最好的经典

Thomas S. Grimke (b. 1786, d. 1834). This eminent lawyer and scholar was born in Charleston, S.C. He graduated at Yale College in 1807. He gained considerable reputation as a politician, but is best known as an advocate of peace, Sunday schools, and the Bible. He was a man of deep feeling, earnest purpose, and pure life.

1. There is a classic^[1] the best the world has ever seen, the noblest that has ever honored and dignified the language of mortals. If we look into its antiquity, we discover a title to our veneration unrivaled in the history of literature. If we have respect to its evidences, they are found in the testimony of miracle and prophecy; in the ministry of man, of nature, and of angels, yea, even of “God, manifest in the flesh,” of “God blessed forever.”

2. If we consider its authenticity^[2], no other pages have survived the lapse of time that can be compared with it. If we examine its authority, for it speaks as never man spake, we discover that it came from heaven in vision and prophecy under the sanction^[3] of Him who is Creator of all things, and the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

3. If we reflect on its truths, they are lovely and spotless, sublime and holy as God himself, unchangeable as his nature, durable as his righteous dominion, and versatile^[4] as the moral condition of mankind. If we regard the value of its treasures, we must estimate them, not like the relics of classic antiquity, by the perishable glory and beauty, virtue and happiness, of this world, but by the enduring perfection and supreme felicity of an eternal kingdom.

4. If we inquire who are the men that have recorded its truths, vindicated^[5] its rights, and illustrated the excellence of its scheme, from the depth of ages and from the living world, from the populous continent and the isles of the sea, comes forth the answer: “The patriarch and the prophet, the evangelist^[6] and the martyr.”

5. If we look abroad through the world of men, the victims of folly or vice, the prey of cruelty, of injustice, and inquire what are its benefits, even in this temporal state, the great and the humble, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the learned and the ignorant reply, as with one voice, that humility and resignation, purity, order, and peace, faith, hope, and charity are its blessings upon earth.

6. And if, raising our eyes from time to eternity; from the world of mortals to the world of just men made perfect; from the visible creation, marvelous, beautiful, and glorious as it is, to the invisible creation of angels and seraphs^[7]; from the footstool of God to the throne of God himself, we ask, what are the blessings that flow from this single volume, let the question be answered by the pen of the evangelist, the harp of the prophet, and the records of the book of life.

7. Such is the best of classics the world has ever admired; such, the noblest that man has ever adopted as a guide.

【中文阅读】

托马斯 · 艾斯 · 格里姆克(1786～1834)，为著名律师兼学者，出生于美国南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿。1807年，格里姆克先生毕业于耶鲁大学，作为声名显赫的政治家，他更为积极地倡导和平运动、周日学校以及弘扬《圣经》，在美国民众中极富声望。格里姆克先生情感深厚，意愿真切，生活纯粹美好。

1.这是世界文明迄今为止的古典精粹，这是有史以来人类语言的庄严高贵。如果走入沧桑阅尽的尘封过往，我们将在文学史上发现那种无愧人类无与伦比的崇敬描述。倘若，我们见证其存在而心生景仰，它们在神迹与预言中得以验证：造福人类，关爱自然，敬畏天神，的确，“神，以肉身显现，”“上帝，赐福永远。”

2.如果我们怀疑《圣经》的真实性，那么，任何留存于漫长时光流逝里文献典籍无法与其媲美；倘若我们质疑《圣经》的权威性，因为它从未发出类似人类声音，我们最终发现《圣经》原本来自上天的视角，来自创造万物造物主掌控中预言，来自世间所有仁爱善行与无私馈赠的授予。

3.如果我们探求《圣经》真相，它如此崇高神圣，甚至委实无可挑剔，因为它与上帝本身无异，与圣父本质同样不可改变，与上天公正掌控同样连绵经久，与人类道德标准同样万能通用。倘若我们关注《圣经》的珍贵价值，我们必须对它做出评价，就价值而言，历代珍宝遗迹荣耀精美但易于衰败，美德快乐稍纵即逝；而《圣经》凭借永恒王国日久弥新的完美，以及至高无上的幸福永存于世。

4.如果我们探询究竟何人记载下《圣经》真迹，印证《圣经》的权利，阐明《圣经》的卓越建构，从岁月幽深的尘封，到凡世红尘的喧嚣，从芸芸众生的洲陆，到天涯的寥落之角，所及之处的回音异口同声：“上帝是世界创始人与预言者，人类福音的传道者及殉道人。”

5.如果我们纵览整个人类世界，目睹那些愚蠢或恶习的受害者，残虐暴行或非正义的牺牲者，我们将会质问，究竟有谁才是世间罪孽的受益者？甚至在当下世俗层面，伟大抑或卑微，富人抑或穷人，权高望重抑或渺小卑微，饱学之士抑或无知之徒，亦会发出同一声音，即谦卑、顺从、纯粹、守序、平和、信仰、希望以及善行皆为上帝带给世界的美好福音。

6.因此，如果我们仰望上天，想象时间进入永恒，想象滚滚红尘进入人类梦寐以求的世界大同，想象那些恰如上帝本体、触目可及的创造与神奇、美丽与荣光，乃至众多天使亦无法察觉的恢弘创造；从上帝脚趾直抵上帝皇冠，我们一直在探求，从这人类唯一卷轶浩繁的《圣经》中流泻的福祉究竟是什么？不妨追溯传道士手中的蘸笔，先知吟唱的竖琴，以及生命大书的誊撰记录，答案自会知晓。

7.这是世界文明迄今为止高山仰止的古典精粹，这是有史以来人类升华自身的庄严高贵。

LESSON 117

MY MOTHER’S BIBLE

妈妈的《圣经》

George P. Morris (b. 1802, d. 1864) was born in Philadelphia. In 1823 he became one of the editors of the “New York Mirror,” a weekly literary paper, In 1846 Mr. Morris and N. P. Willis founded “The Home Journal.” He was associate editor of this popular journal until a short time before his death.

1. This book is all that’s left me now,—

Tears will unbidden start,—

With faltering lip and throbbing brow

I press it to my heart.

For many generations past

Here is our family tree;

My mother’s hands this Bible clasped,

She, dying, gave it me.

2. Ah! well do I remember those

Whose names these records bear;

Who round the hearthstone used to close,

After the evening prayer,

And speak of what these pages said

In tones my heart would thrill!

Though they are with the silent dead,

Here are they living still!

3. My father read this holy hook

To brothers, sisters, dear;

How calm was my poor mother’s look,

Who loved God’s word to hear!

Her angel face,—I see it yet!

What thronging memories come!

Again that little group is met

Within the walls of home!

4. Thou truest friend man ever knew,

Thy constancy I’ve tried;

When all were false, I found thee true,

My counselor and guide.

The mines of earth no treasures give

That could this volume buy;

In teaching me the way to live,

It taught me how to die.

【中文阅读】

乔治 · 皮 · 莫里斯(1802～1864)出生于美国费城，1823年，他成为文学周报《纽约镜报》编辑。1846年，莫里斯先生和恩 · 皮 · 威利斯先生共同创建了《家庭期刊》，直到去世前不久，他还担任该流行杂志副总编。

1．这本《圣经》，妈妈留下的唯一纪念。

每当看见，禁不住泪水扑簌，

双唇嗫嚅，痛苦的心在悸动，

珍惜万分，我将它捧在心窝。

追溯沧桑岁月，不堪回首，

庞大家庭树，清晰的家族脉络，

相片上， 妈妈将《圣经》紧握，

她永远离开了，将书留给我。

2．啊！我清晰记得，

《圣经》上，那多鲜活过去，

壁炉边，家庭聚集的气息，

晚间祷告后，每天热烈话题，

报纸上，时事奇闻轶事，

历历如目，触手可及的震撼。

尽管，亲人们早已谢世，

宛如昨天，热闹非凡的场景。

3．爸爸大声朗读，这本《圣经》，

兄弟姐妹，依偎他的身旁，

窘困中的妈妈，神采飞扬，

急切期盼，聆听上帝声音，

流水的日子，蜂拥而至，

万家灯火，难以磨灭的记忆，

生死重逢，我们再度相遇。

4．《圣经》，我最信任的朋友，

那恒久的忠贞不渝。

即便世界，充满谎言欺诈，

唯一真诚的你，引我前行。

即便世界，所有金矿，

亦无法，替代你的珍贵。

上帝，它教我如何处世豁达，

《圣经》，它教我怎样直面生死。

^[1]Classic, a work of acknowledged excellence and authority.

^[2]Authenticity, of established authority for truth and correctness.

^[3]Sanction, authority, support.

^[4]Versatile, readily applied to various subjects.

^[5]Vindicated, defended, justified.

^[6]Evangelist, a writer of the history of Jesus Christ.

^[7]Seraph, an angel of the highest order.