基督徒

《愛的四百句箴言》
St. Maximus the confessor著
376 - 400

《400 sayings about love》
by St. Maximus the confessor
376 - 400

76. 請淨化心中的忿怒、怨恨與不道德的思想，這樣，你才可能認識住在你心中的基督。
76. Purify your mind of anger, resentment, and shameful thoughts, and then you will be able to know the indwelling of Christ.

77. 是誰以神聖的三位一體的信仰來啟發你？又是誰讓你知道了聖三位一體中的一位，道成肉身的安排？又是誰教導你無形生命的法則、教導你這個看得見的世界的起點 和終點、教導你從死裡復活和永恆的生命，或是教導你天國的榮光與最後的審判？難道這不是基督的恩典，也就是聖靈的保證住在你的心裡嗎？有什麼比這個恩典還 要更大的呢？有什麼比這個智慧和知識更高的呢？還有比這個允諾更崇高的呢？然而，若是因為我們懶惰、粗心，以及不肯從那些污染我們、遮蔽我們心靈的情欲中 潔淨自己，為了可以比太陽更清楚地了解這些事物的法則。讓我們把過錯歸咎於我們自己，不要拒絕住在我們心裡的恩典。
77. Who enlightened you with the faith of the holy, adorable, and consubstantial Trinity? Or who made known to you the incarnate dispensation of one of the holy Trinity? Or who taught you about the principles of incorporeal beings and those concerning the origin and end of the visible world, or about the resurrection from the dead and eternal life, or about the glory of the kingdom of heaven and the awful judgment? Was it not the grace of Christ dwelling in you, which is the pledge of the Holy Spirit? What is greater than this grace, or what is better than this wisdom and knowledge? Or what is loftier than these promises? But if we are lazy and careless and do not purify ourselves from the passions which defile us and blind our mind, in order to be able to see the principles of these things more clearly than the sun, let us blame ourselves and not deny the indwelling of grace.

78. 上帝允諾你無盡的幸福，並賜聖靈在我們心裡作保證。上帝已經囑咐你要好好照顧自己的行為，以致於可以讓內在的靈魂從情欲中解脫出來，在此時此地，你就可以 享受到這種幸福。
78. God who has promised you everlasting happiness and placed in your heart the pledge of the Spirit has enjoined you to tend to your behavior so that the inner man, freed from the passions, might begin here and now to enjoy this happiness.

79. 如果你已經被賜予神聖而莊嚴的默觀，就要更留心在愛與自制上。所以，藉由維持情感元素維持穩定，你就可以保持靈魂永恆的光輝。
79. If you have been granted divine and sublime contemplations, pay close attention to love and self-mastery, so that by maintaining your sensitive element undisturbed you will also keep unfailing the splendor of your soul.

80. 讓我們以愛來約束靈魂中易怒的元素，以自制來削弱靈魂中欲望的元素，以祈禱來讓靈魂中理性的元素翱翔，如此，你心靈的燈將永不熄滅。
80. Curb the irascible element of the soul with love, weaken its concupiscible element with self-mastery, and give flight to its rational element with prayer, and the light of your mind will never be eclipsed.

81. 破壞愛的東西有：恥辱、傷害、毀謗（無論是對信仰或是品行）、挫敗、打擊…等。無論這發生在自己身上、親人身上，或是朋友身上。任何一個因此而破壞愛的 人，都還沒有學會基督誡命的宗旨。
81. The things which destroy love are these: dishonor, damage, slander (either against faith or against conduct), beatings, blows, and so forth, whether these happen to oneself or to one's relatives or friends. The one who destroys love on account of any of these has not yet learned what is the purpose of Christ's commandments.

82. 盡你一切的熱情去愛世人，若是你還不能做到這個地步，至少也不可以恨任何的人。除了輕對塵世的輕蔑之外，你完全不能有恨。
82. Be as eager as you can to love every man, but if you cannot do this yet, at least do not hate anyone. And you cannot do this unless you scorn the things of this world.

83. 對於一個冒犯過你的人，請不要恨他，而是要恨這個罪，而這個罪正是惡魔所指使的。如果你恨這個冒犯者，你就恨了別人，這樣就違反了上帝的誡命。這樣一來， 那個人只在言語上犯了誡，而你卻在行動上犯了誡。如果你持守誡命，證明心中的愛，就要盡一切可能，幫助冒犯你的人，使他從罪當中解脫出來。
83. Such a one has offended you; do not hate him but rather the offense and the demon who contrived the offense. If you hate the offender, you hate a person and transgress the commandment, and what he did in word you do in deed. But if you keep the commandment, give proof of your love, and if you in any way can, help him so that he can be delivered from wickedness.

84. 無論在任何情況下，出於任何塵世的理由，基督都不希望你去恨任何人，不希望你悲傷、生氣或怨恨。關於這一點，四部福音已經徹底的宣揚了。
84. Christ does not want you to have hate for anyone, or grief, or anger, or resentment in any way at all or for any temporal reason whatsoever. And this is thoroughly proclaimed in the four Gospels.

85. 多數人都只是空談而無實際的行動。然而，沒有人可以因為自己的粗心，就曲解了上帝的話語。因此，人們要為自己的脆弱懺悔，不要隱瞞上帝的真理，以免他被控 違反了誡命，曲解了上帝。
85. Many of us talk but few of us act. But no one should falsify the word of God by his own carelessness. Rather, he should confess his weakness and not hide from God's truth, lest he be charged with transgressing the commandments and misrepresenting God.

86. 愛與自制可以讓靈魂從情欲中解脫出來；閱讀和默觀，可以讓心靈從無知中解脫出來；而祈禱的狀態，則可以讓心靈找到上帝。
86. Love and self-mastery free the soul from passions; reading and contemplation deliver the mind from ignorance; and the state of prayer places it with God himself.

87 當惡魔發現我們為了不要因為他們的緣故，而去憎恨其它的人或是失去了愛，進而努力的輕視塵世的事物時，他們就會引起許多毀謗我們的事，希望我們無法承受這 樣的傷害，進而開始憎恨那些中傷我們的人。
87. When the demons see us disdaining the things of the world in order through them not to hate men and fall away from love, they then incite slanders against us, hoping that, unable to bear the hurt, we will come to hate those who slander us.

88. 沒有比「毀謗」更能中傷人的靈魂，無論是信仰上或品行上的毀謗。沒有人可以忽視毀謗這件事，除非這個人可以像蘇撒拿一樣，依靠著上帝，那個唯一可以在急難 時解救他的人，就像上帝營救蘇撒拿一樣，祂營救了人們；就像在蘇撒拿故事中上帝所做的一樣，祂鼓舞了靈魂，使它充滿了希望。
88. There is no hardship more oppressive to the soul than slander, whether one is slandered in his faith or in his conduct. And no one can disdain it except the one who like Susanna looks to God who alone can rescue in need, as he rescued her, and to reassure men, as he did in her case, and to encourage the soul with hope.

89. 如果有人毀謗你，你還能夠發自靈魂深處為對方祈禱，上帝就會將事實顯現在所有聽眾面前，使眾人明瞭真相。
89. To the extent that you pray from your soul for the one who spread scandal about you, God will reveal the truth to those who were told the scandal.

90. 只有上帝才有可能天生就是善的，也只有藉著意志，努力仿效上帝的人，才可能是善的。祂的計畫，就是要讓惡人與全善的祂結合，進而使惡人成為善的。因此，當 他們毀謗祂時，祂就賜福給他們。當祂遭受迫害時，祂就忍耐。當祂遭到辱罵時，祂就放低身段來懇求。當祂被迫害致死時，祂還為他們說情。祂所做的一切，都是 為了不要遠離愛的初衷。這就是我們的上帝。
90. Only God is good by nature, and only the one who imitates God is good by his will. His plan is to join the wicked to himself who is good by nature in order that they may become good. So, then, when he is reviled by them, he blesses them; when persecuted, he endures; when slandered, he entreats; when put to death, he intercedes for them. He does all things in order not to fall away from the purpose of love, which is our God himself.

91. 主的誡命教導我們，如何以正確的方法運用不同的事物。這樣做幫助我們淨化靈魂，靈魂純淨的狀態使我們擁有敏銳的洞察力和超然的態度，這樣才能使完美的愛在 我們的心中升起。
91. The Lord's commandments teach us to use indifferent things in a correct way. The correct use of indifferent things purifies the state of the soul; the pure state of the soul gives rise to discernment, which gives rise to detachment, from which is begotten perfect love.

92. 當誘惑來臨時，如果無法寬容朋友的錯誤，就算眼前的錯誤明顯又真實，我們都可以說，他尚未達到超然的態度。因為，當潛藏於靈魂中的情欲被挑起時，他們蒙蔽 了自己的認知，不讓自己的心看到真理的光芒，也不讓自己察覺繁蕪當中的精華。所以，此人不但無法擁有完美的愛，心中對審判也沒有任何敬畏。
92. One does not yet possess detachment if when temptation comes he is unable to overlook the fault of a friend whether it is real or apparent. For when the underlying passions of the soul are aroused, they blind the understanding and do not allow it to look at the rays of truth or to discern the better from the worse. So then neither does such a person possess perfect love, which casts out the fear of judgment.

93. 「忠實的朋友，是無價之寶」（德訓篇6:15），這是因為，忠實的朋友會將朋友的不幸，當作自己的不幸，而且盡全力支持對方，直到生命的最後一刻。
93. "Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend." This is because he regards his friend's misfortunes as his own and supports him in hardships until death.

94. 處於順境的時後，身邊的朋友總是一大堆；然而，受到試探而變得落魄的時後，就連一個朋友也留不住。
94. Friends are abundant—that is, in times of prosperity. In time of trial you can barely find one.

95. 你應該要發自靈魂去愛每一個人，只將希望放在上帝身上，全心全意做上帝的僕人。只要上帝保護我們，身邊的朋友就會敬重我們，敵人也無法傷害我們。然而，一 旦上帝「遺棄」我們，身邊所有的朋友都會離開我們，敵人也會戰勝我們。
95. You are to love every man from your soul, but in God alone are you to place your hope and to serve him with your whole strength. For so long as he protects us, all our friends respect us and all our enemies can do nothing against us. But if he should ever abandon us, all our friends shall turn away from us and all our enemies will prevail over us.

96. 然而，所謂的「遺棄」，有四種型態：第一種，是「主的道成肉身」，透過這種看似遺棄行為，使得那些被遺棄的人得以獲救。第二種，是「試探」，例如：約伯和 約瑟，他們立下「勇氣」與「貞節」兩個典範。第三種，是父親的教導，例如：宗徒，他們藉著謙卑的心，保有豐沛的恩典。第四種，是為了使人悔改，如：猶太 人，因為受到懲罰所以悔改。以上四種情況都充滿了神性的善與智慧。
96. There are four general types of abandonment: The first is in the Lord's incarnation in order that through seeming abandonment those who had been forsaken might be saved. The second type is for testing, as in the case of Job and Joseph, so that they might appear as pillars: one of courage, the other of chastity. The third type is for paternal instruction, as in the case of the Apostle, so that by being humble he might preserve the abundance of grace. The fourth type is a turning away, as with the Jews, so that by being punished they might be brought down to repentance. All of these types are saving and full of the divine goodness and wisdom.

97. 只有勤奮實踐上帝誡命的人，還有真正看重神性審判的人，在朋友受到上帝的試探時，不會離棄他。然而，那些蔑視上帝誡命的人，還有完全不看重神性審判的人， 在朋友歡欣愉悅時，才樂意投入友誼中；然而，當朋友困厄時，卻拋棄朋友，甚至轉而與他的敵人為伍。
97. Only the diligent observers of the commandments and the genuine initiates into the divine judgments do not forsake their friends who are undergoing trials with God's consent. Those, however, who disregard the commandments and are not initiated into the divine judgments enjoy their friend when he is cheerful; but when he is feeling badly in adversity, they forsake him, and, it is even possible, side with his enemies.

98. 屬於基督的朋友們，以真誠的心愛著所有人，然而，卻得不到世人的愛。屬於塵世的朋友們，對別人沒有愛，也得不到世人的愛。屬於基督的朋友們，維持著心中的 愛直到生命最後一刻。相反地，屬於塵世的朋友們，心中只有自我，直到他們為了世俗的事物與別人起衝突。
98. The friends of Christ love everyone sincerely but are not loved by everyone. The friends of the world do not love everyone nor are they loved by everyone. The friends of Christ maintain the continuity of their love till the end. The friends of the world, on the contrary, maintain theirs until they clash with each other over the world's goods.

99. 「忠實的朋友，是穩固的保障」（德訓篇6:16），因為，當朋友處在順境時，他總是能當一位好的諮商者，成為討人喜歡的伙伴。而且當朋友處在逆境時，他總 是能當一個最好的支持者，也是最討人喜愛的守衛。
99. "A faithful friend is a strong defense," for when his friend is prospering he is a good counselor and sympathetic collaborator, and when he is in distress he is his sincerest supporter and most sympathetic defender.

100. 關於「愛是什麼」許多人發表過許多言論，然而我認為，如果只是仔細從基督的門徒當中去尋求，也必定能夠找到答案，因為，他們是「愛的導師」，他們瞭解真正 的愛。他們曾說：「假使我有神言傳講的才能，又明白一切奧秘，一切知識；假使我有全備的信，能夠移山，卻沒有愛，我就算不了什麼。」（哥林多前書 13:2）因此，「心中有愛」的人，就是「心中有上帝」的人，因為「上帝是愛」。願光榮永遠歸於主。阿門。
100. Many people have said much about love, but only in seeking it among Christ's disciples will you find it, for only they have the true love, the teacher of love, of whom it is written, "If I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge but do not have love, it profits me nothing." Therefore, the one who possesses love possesses God himself, since "God is love. " To him be glory forever. Amen.