眾人湧進主的國度
Many Crowd the Saviour's Kingdom
一、
眾人湧進主的國度,十架少人負;眾人爭奪主的賞賜,世界有誰辭?
人雖無心走主道路,仍想主祝福,人雖無心走主道路,仍想主祝福。
二、
眾人都慕得主榮耀,羞辱少人要;眾人都愛同主掌權,損失有誰願?
幾乎無人因主緣故,看萬事如土。幾乎無人因主緣故,看萬事如土。 三、
多人都貪享主甘旨,少有願禁食;多人都喜登主寶座,少有願飄泊。
同祂唱詩雖然有人,儆醒卻不能。同祂唱詩雖然有人,儆醒卻不能。
四、
眾人都想同主高貴,卑賤卻都畏。當主凡事為他預備,他就大讚美。
當主稍微求他一點,就立發怨言。當主稍微求他一點,
就立發怨言
五、
但那誠實愛主的人,禍福都不問;就是他們寶貴心血,也願為主捨。 求主給我這樣心志,赤忠忘生死。求主給我這樣心志,赤忠忘生死。 |
肯培(Thomas Kempis, 1380-1471)是以編寫《效法基督》(Imitation of Christ)而聞名於世。他生於德國,活了九十多歲,一生與主交通、寫作、抄寫。他把聖經重頭到尾抄寫,一共抄寫了四遍。他的《效法基督》很幫助人,詩人牛頓在奴隸船上,飄洋過海工作的時候,就是讀了這本書而得救。這首詩歌是效法《效法基督》的結果。原來有人根據書中第二冊《內在的生命》第十一章「少有願意愛主十架」中的片段,重新用英文詩的體裁發表;最後倪柝聲將這首詩歌(《聖徒诗歌》第390首)介紹到中文世界來。這首英文詩是「印度之兵」艾梅可(Amy Carmichael)的最愛。茲將書中之片段抄錄並翻譯如下:
JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the shame of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection. Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus ? love that is flee from all self-interest and self-love! ―摘自《詩歌寶藏》