2. THE PURSUIT OF GOD: 2. 追求上帝：

2. THE PURSUIT OF GOD: 

Preface

In this hour of all-but-universal darkness, one cheering gleam appears: Within the fold of conservative Christianity, there are to be found increasing numbers of people whose religious lives are marked by a growing hunger after God Himself. They are eager for spiritual realities and will not be put off with words, nor will they be content with correct "interpretations" of truth. They are thirsty for God, and they will not be satisfied until they have drunk deep at the fountain of living water.

This is the only real harbinger of revival that I have been able to detect anywhere on the religious horizon. It may be the cloud the size of a man's hand for which a few saints here and there have been looking. It can result in a resurrection of life for many souls and a recapture of that radiant wonder which should accompany faith in Christ, that wonder which has all but fled the church in our day.

It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the kingdom of heaven, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table.

But this hunger must be recognized by our religious leaders. Current evangelicalism has (to change the figure) laid the altar and divided the sacrifice into parts, but now seems satisfied to count the stones and rearrange the pieces with never a care that there is not a sign of fire upon the top of lofty Mount Carmel. But God be thanked that there are a few who care. They are those who, while they love the altar and delight in the sacrifice, are yet unable to reconcile themselves to the continued absence of fire. They desire God above all. They are thirsty to taste for themselves the "piercing sweetness" of the love of Christ about whom all the holy prophets did write and the psalmists did sing.

There is today no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles of the doctrines of Christ, but too many of these seem satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives. They minister constantly to believers who feel within their breasts a longing, which their teaching simply does not satisfy. 

I trust I speak in love, but the lack in our pulpits is real. Milton's terrible sentence applies to our day as accurately as it did to his: "The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed." It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table. The truth of Wesley's words is established before our eyes: "Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is, at best, a very slender part of religion. Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without the right tempers. There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him. Satan is a proof of this."

Thanks to our splendid Bible societies and to other effective agencies for the dissemination of the Word, there are today many millions of people who hold "right opinions," probably more than ever before in the history of the church. Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the "program." This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us.

Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the church of the living God. Without it, no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such a way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatsoever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself; and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience, they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their being, their spirit.

This book is a modest attempt to aid God's hungry children to find Him. Nothing here is new except in the sense that it is a discovery that my own heart has made of spiritual realities most delightful and wonderful to me. Others before me have gone much farther into these holy mysteries than I have done, but if my fire is not large, it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame.

by A. W. Tozer

Chicago, Ill.

June 16, 1948

2. 追求上帝：

序言

在这个几乎普遍黑暗的时刻，出现了一丝令人振奋的光芒：在保守的基督教徒中，越来越多的人开始在宗教生活中寻求上帝。他们渴望精神上的现实，不会因言语而退缩，也不会满足于对真理的正确“解释”。他们渴望上帝，除非他们深深地饮下生命之泉，否则他们不会满足。

这是我在宗教界所能发现的唯一真正的复兴预兆。它可能是一些圣徒一直在寻找的、手掌大小的云。它可以使许多灵魂复活，重新获得信仰基督所伴随的光芒四射的奇迹，这种奇迹在我们这个时代几乎已经从教堂中消失了。

 看到上帝的孩子们坐在天父的餐桌旁却挨饿，这是一件严肃的事，也是天国里不小的丑闻。

但我们的宗教领袖必须认识到这种饥饿。当前的福音派（换个说法）已经布置了祭坛，把祭品分成几部分，但现在似乎满足于数石头和重新排列碎片，从不关心高耸的卡梅尔山顶上有没有火的迹象。但感谢上帝，有少数人关心。他们是那些虽然热爱祭坛并喜欢祭品，但无法接受持续没有​​火的人。他们渴望上帝高于一切。他们渴望亲自品尝基督之爱的“刺骨甜蜜”，所有圣先知都写过关于基督的事，诗篇作者也歌颂过基督。

 如今，圣经教师中不乏正确地阐述基督教义原则的教师，但其中太多教师似乎满足于年复一年地教授信仰的基本原则，奇怪的是，他们没有意识到他们的传道工作中没有明显的存在，他们的个人生活中也没有任何不寻常之处。他们不断地向信徒传道，信徒们内心有一种渴望，但他们的教导根本无法满足这种渴望。我相信我是在用爱说话，但我们的讲台上确实缺乏爱。弥尔顿那句可怕的话适用于我们这个时代，就像适用于他那个时代一样：“饥饿的羊抬头仰望，却得不到食物。”看到上帝的孩子们坐在天父的餐桌旁挨饿，这是一件严肃的事情，也是王国里不小的丑闻。 卫斯理的话的真理在我们眼前确立：“正统，或正确的观点，充其量只是宗教的一个非常微小的部分。虽然没有正确的观点，正确的性情就无法存在，但正确的观点可以存在而没有正确的性情。对上帝可能有正确的看法，但没有对他的爱或正确的性情。撒旦就是一个证明。”

多亏了我们出色的圣经协会和其他有效的传播圣经的机构，今天有数百万人持有“正确的观点”，可能比教会历史上任何时候都多。然而，我想知道真正的精神崇拜是否曾经处于低潮。对于教会的大部分人来说，崇拜的艺术已经完全消失了，取而代之的是那个奇怪而陌生的东西，叫做“节目”。这个词被从舞台上借用，并以可悲的智慧应用于现在在我们中间被视为崇拜的公共服务类型。

在活着的上帝的教会中，健全的圣经阐释是必不可少的。 没有它，任何教会都不能成为严格意义上的新约教会。但是，讲解的方式可能会让听众得不到任何真正的精神滋养。因为滋养灵魂的不仅仅是言语，还有上帝本身；除非听众在亲身经历中找到上帝，否则他们不会因为听到真理而变得更好。圣经本身不是目的，而是一种让人们对上帝有亲密和令人满意的认识的手段，这样他们就可以进入他，他们可以在他的面前感到高兴，可以在他们存在的核心和中心，他们的精神中品尝和了解上帝自己的内在甜蜜。

这本书是一种谦虚的尝试，旨在帮助上帝饥饿的孩子们找到他。这里没有什么新的，除了这是我自己的心对对我来说最愉快和最奇妙的精神现实的发现。 在我之前，其他人比我更深入地探究这些神圣的奥秘，但如果我的火焰不够大，它仍然是真实的，也许有人可以用它的火焰点燃他们的蜡烛。

作者：A. W. Tozer

伊利诺伊州芝加哥

1948 年 6 月 16 日

2. Zhuīqiú shàngdì:

Xùyán

zài zhège jīhū pǔbiàn hēi'àn de shíkè, chūxiànle yīsī lìng rén zhènfèn de guāngmáng: Zài bǎoshǒu de jīdū jiàotú zhōng, yuè lái yuè duō de rén kāishǐ zài zōngjiào shēnghuó zhōng xúnqiú shàngdì. Tāmen kěwàng jīngshén shàng de xiànshí, bù huì yīn yányǔ ér tuìsuō, yě bù huì mǎnzú yú duì zhēnlǐ de zhèngquè “jiěshì”. Tāmen kěwàng shàngdì, chúfēi tāmen shēn shēn de yǐn xià shēngmìng zhī quán, fǒuzé tāmen bù huì mǎnzú.

Zhè shì wǒ zài zōngjiào jiè suǒ néng fāxiàn de wéiyī zhēnzhèng de fùxīng yùzhào. Tā kěnéng shì yīxiē shèng tú yīzhí zài xúnzhǎo de, shǒuzhǎng dàxiǎo de yún. Tā kěyǐ shǐ xǔduō línghún fùhuó, chóngxīn huòdé xìnyǎng jīdū suǒ bànsuí de guāngmáng sì shè de qíjī, zhè zhǒng qíjī zài wǒmen zhège shídài jīhū yǐjīng cóng jiàotáng zhōng xiāoshīle.

Kàn dào shàngdì de háizimen zuò zài tiān fù de cānzhuō páng què āi è, zhè shì yī jiàn yánsù de shì, yěshì tiānguó lǐ bù xiǎo de chǒuwén.

Dàn wǒmen de zōngjiào lǐngxiù bìxū rènshí dào zhè zhǒng jī'è. Dāngqián de fúyīn pài (huàngè shuōfǎ) yǐjīng bùzhìle jìtán, bǎ jì pǐn fēnchéng jǐ bùfèn, dàn xiànzài sìhū mǎnzú yú shù shítou hé chóngxīn páiliè suìpiàn, cóng bù guānxīn gāosǒng de kǎ méi ěr shāndǐng shàng yǒu méiyǒu huǒ de jīxiàng. Dàn gǎnxiè shàngdì, yǒu shǎoshù rén guānxīn. Tāmen shì nàxiē suīrán rè'ài jìtán bìng xǐhuān jì pǐn, dàn wúfǎ jiēshòu chíxù méiyǒu​​huǒ de rén. Tāmen kěwàng shàngdì gāo yú yīqiè. Tāmen kěwàng qīnzì pǐncháng jīdū zhī ài de “cìgǔ tiánmì”, suǒyǒu shèng xiānzhī dōu xiěguò guānyú jīdū de shì, shīpiān zuòzhě yě gēsòngguò jīdū.

Rújīn, shèngjīng jiàoshī zhōng bùfá zhèngquè de chǎnshù jīdū jiàoyì yuánzé de jiàoshī, dàn qízhōng tài duō jiàoshī sìhū mǎnzú yú nián fù yī nián de jiàoshòu xìnyǎng de jīběn yuánzé, qíguài de shì, tāmen méiyǒu yìshí dào tāmen de chuándào gōngzuò zhōng méiyǒu míngxiǎn de cúnzài, tāmen de gèrén shēnghuó zhōng yě méiyǒu rènhé bù xúncháng zhī chù. Tāmen bùduàn dì xiàng xìntú zhuàn dào, xìntúmen nèixīn yǒuyī zhǒng kěwàng, dàn tāmen de jiàodǎo gēnběn wúfǎ mǎnzú zhè zhǒng kěwàng. Wǒ xiāngxìn wǒ shì zài yòng ài shuōhuà, dàn wǒmen de jiǎngtái shàng quèshí quēfá ài. Mí ěr dùn nà jù kěpà dehuà shìyòng yú wǒmen zhège shídài, jiù xiàng shìyòng yú tā nàgè shídài yīyàng:“Jī'è de yáng táitóu yǎngwàng, què dé bù dào shíwù.” Kàn dào shàngdì de háizimen zuò zài tiān fù de cānzhuō páng āi è, zhè shì yī jiàn yánsù de shìqíng, yěshì wángguó lǐ bù xiǎo de chǒuwén. Wèisīlǐ dehuà de zhēnlǐ zài wǒmen yǎnqián quèlì:“Zhèngtǒng, huò zhèngquè de guāndiǎn, chōngqíliàng zhǐshì zōngjiào de yīgè fēicháng wéixiǎo de bùfèn. Suīrán méiyǒu zhèngquè de guāndiǎn, zhèngquè dì xìngqíng jiù wúfǎ cúnzài, dàn zhèngquè de guāndiǎn kěyǐ cúnzài ér méiyǒu zhèngquè dì xìngqíng. Duì shàngdì kěnéng yǒu zhèngquè de kànfǎ, dàn méiyǒu duì tā de ài huò zhèngquè dì xìngqíng. Sādàn jiùshì yīgè zhèngmíng.”

Duōkuīle wǒmen chūsè de shèngjīng xiéhuì hé qítā yǒuxiào de chuánbò shèngjīng de jīgòu, jīntiān yǒu shù bǎi wàn rén chí yǒu “zhèngquè de guāndiǎn”, kěnéng bǐ jiàohuì lìshǐ shàng rènhé shíhòu dōu duō. Rán'ér, wǒ xiǎng zhīdào zhēnzhèng de jīngshén chóngbài shìfǒu céngjīng chǔyú dīcháo. Duìyú jiàohuì de dà bùfèn rén lái shuō, chóngbài de yìshù yǐjīng wánquán xiāoshīle, qǔ'érdàizhī dì shì nàgè qíguài ér mòshēng de dōngxī, jiàozuò “jiémù”. Zhège cí bèi cóng wǔtái shàng jièyòng, bìng yǐ kěbēi de zhìhuì yìngyòng yú xiànzài zài wǒmen zhōngjiān bèi shì wéi chóngbài de gōnggòng fúwù lèixíng.

Zài huózhe de shàngdì de jiàohuì zhōng, jiànquán de shèngjīng chǎnshì shì bì bùkě shǎo de. Méiyǒu tā, rènhé jiàohuì dōu bùnéng chéngwéi yángé yìyì shàng de xīn yuē jiàohuì. Dànshì, jiǎngjiě de fāngshì kěnéng huì ràng tīngzhòng dé bù dào rènhé zhēnzhèng de jīngshén zīyǎng. Yīnwèi zīyǎng línghún de bùjǐn jǐn shì yányǔ, hái yǒu shàngdì běnshēn; chúfēi tīngzhòng zài qīnshēn jīnglì zhōng zhǎodào shàngdì, fǒuzé tāmen bù huì yīnwèi tīng dào zhēnlǐ ér biàn dé gèng hǎo. Shèngjīng běnshēn bùshì mùdì, ér shì yī zhǒng ràng rénmen duì shàngdì yǒu qīnmì hé lìng rén mǎnyì de rènshí de shǒuduàn, zhèyàng tāmen jiù kěyǐ jìnrù tā, tāmen kěyǐ zài tā de miànqián gǎndào gāoxìng, kěyǐ zài tāmen cúnzài de héxīn hé zhōngxīn, tāmen de jīngshén zhōng pǐncháng hé liǎojiě shàngdì zìjǐ de nèizài tiánmì.

Zhè běn shū shì yī zhǒng qiānxū de chángshì, zhǐ zài bāngzhù shàngdì jī'è de háizimen zhǎodào tā. Zhèlǐ méiyǒu shé me xīn de, chúle zhè shì wǒ zìjǐ de xīn duì duì wǒ lái shuō zuì yúkuài hé zuì qímiào de jīngshén xiànshí de fǎ xiàn. Zài wǒ zhīqián, qítā rén bǐ wǒ gēng shēnrù dì tànjiù zhèxiē shénshèng de àomì, dàn rúguǒ wǒ de huǒyàn bùgòu dà, tā réngrán shì zhēnshí de, yěxǔ yǒurén kěyǐ yòng tā de huǒyàn diǎnrán tāmen de làzhú.

Zuòzhě:A. W. Tozer

yīlìnuòyī zhōu zhījiāgē

1948 nián 6 yuè 16 rì