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第14章

barlaam and ioasaph-第14章

小说: barlaam and ioasaph 字数: 每页4000字

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〃By his grace also; I came to know thy ease; and was sent to teach thee the lessons that I have learned and observed from my youth even to these grey hairs。  If then thou shalt believe and be baptized; thou shalt be saved; but if thou believe not; thou shalt be damned。  All the things that thou seest to…day; wherein thou gloriest;  pomp; luxury; riches; and all the deceitfulness of life;  quickly pass away; and they shall cast thee hence whether thou wilt or no。  And thy body will be imprisoned in a tiny grave; left in utter loneliness; and bereft of all company of kith and kin。  And all the pleasant things of the world shall perish; and instead of the beauty and fragrance of to…day; thou shalt be encompassed with horror and the stink of corruption。  But thy soul shall they hurl into the nether…regions of the earth; into the condemnation of Hades; until the final resurrection; when re…united to her body; she shall be cast forth from the presence of the Lord and be delivered to hell fire; which burneth everlastingly。  These; and far worse haps than these; shall be thy destiny; if thou continue in unbelief。

〃But and if thou readily obey him that calleth thee to salvation; and if thou run unto him with desire and joy; and be signed with his light; and follow him without turn; renouncing every thing; and cleaving only unto him; hear what manner of security and happiness shall be thine。  ‘When thou sittest down; thou shall not be afraid of sudden fear。  When thou liest down; sweet shall be thy sleep。'  And thou shalt not be afraid of terror coming or the assaults of evil spirits; but shalt go thy way bold as any lion; and shalt live in bliss and everlasting joyaunce。  For joy and praise shall crown thy head; and gladness shall befall thee there; where pain and sorrow and wailing shall flee away。'  ‘Then shall thy light break forth as the morning; and thine health shall rise speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward。'  Then shalt thou call; and the Lord shall answer; while thou art yet speaking; he shall say; ‘Here am I。'  ‘I; even I; am he that blotteth out thy transgressions; and will not remember them。  Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou thy sins that thou mayst be justified。'  ‘Though thy sins be as scarlet; I will make them white as snow: though they be red as crimson I will make them white as wool; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it。'〃


XI。

Ioasaph said unto him; 〃All thy words are fair and wonderful; and; while thou spakest; I believed them and still believe them; and I hate all idolatry with all my heart。  And indeed; even before thy coming hither; my soul was; in uncertain fashion; doubtful of it。  But now I hate it with a perfect hatred; since I have learned from thy lips the vanity thereof; and the folly of those who worship idols; and I yearn to become the servant of the true God; if haply he will not refuse me; that am unworthy by reason of my sins; and I trust that he will forgive me everything; because he is a lover of men; and compassionate; as thou tellest me; and will count me worthy to become his servant。 So I am ready anon to receive baptism; and to observe all thy sayings。  But what must I do after baptism?  And is this alone sufficient for salvation; to believe and be baptized; or must one

add other services thereto?〃

Barlaam answered him; 〃Hear what thou must do after baptism。  Thou must abstain from all sin; and every evil affection; and build upon the foundation of the Catholick Faith the practice of the virtues; for faith without works is dead; as also are works without faith。  For; saith the Apostle; ‘Walk in the Spirit; and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh。'  Now the works of the flesh are manifest; which are these: Adultery; fornication; uncleanness; lasciviousness; idolatry; witchcraft; hatred; variance; emulations; wrath; strife; seditions; heresies; envyings; murders; love of money; railing; love of pleasure; drunkenness; revelling; arrogance; and such like; of the which I tell you before; as I have also told you in time past; that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God。  But the fruit of the Spirit is love; joy; peace; longsuffering; gentleness; goodness; faith; meekness; temperance; sanctification of soul and body; lowliness of heart and contrition; almsgiving; forgiveness of injuries; loving…kindness; watchings; perfect repentance of all past offences; tears of compunction; sorrow for our own sins and those of our neighbours; and the like。  These; even as steps and ladders that support one another and are clinched together; conduct the soul to heaven。  Lo; to these we are commanded to cleave after baptism; and to abstain from their contraries。

〃But if; after receiving the knowledge of the truth; we again lay hold on dead works; and; like a dog; return to our vomit; it shall happen unto us according to the word of the Lord; ‘for;' saith he; ‘when the unclean spirit is gone out of a man' (to wit; by the grace of baptism) ‘he walketh through dry places; seeking rest; and finding none。'  But enduring not for long to wander homeless and hearthless; he saith; ‘I will return to my house whence I came out。'  And; when he cometh; he findeth it swept and garnished; but empty and unoccupied; not having received the operation of grace; nor having filled itself with the riches of the virtues。  Then goeth he; and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first。'  For baptism burieth in the water and completely blotteth out the hand…writing of all former sins; and is to us for the future a sure fortress and tower of defence; and a strong weapon against the marshalled host of the enemy; but it taketh not away free will; nor alloweth the forgiving of sins after baptism; or immersion in the font a second time。  For it is one baptism that we confess; and need is that we keep ourselves with all watchfulness that so we fall not into defilement a second time; but hold fast to the commandments of the Lord。  For when he said to the Apostles; ‘Go make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father; and of the Son; and of the Holy Ghost;' he did not stop there; but added; ‘teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you。'

〃Now he commanded men to be poor in spirit; and such he calleth blessed and worthy of the kingdom of heaven。  Again he chargeth us to mourn in the present life; that we may obtain comfort hereafter; and to be meek; and to be ever hungering and thirsting after righteousness: to be merciful; and ready to distribute; pitiful and compassionate; pure in heart; abstaining from all defilement of flesh and spirit; peacemakers with our neighbours and with our own souls; by bringing the worse into subjection to the better; and thus by a just decision making peace in that continual warfare betwixt the twain; also to endure all persecution and tribulation and reviling; inflicted upon us for righteousness' sake in defence of his name; that we may obtain everlasting felicity in the glorious distribution of his rewards。 Ay; and in this world he exhorteth us to let our ‘light so shine before men; that they may see;' he saith; ‘your good works; and glorify your Father which is in heaven。'

〃For the law of Moses; formerly given to the Israelites; saith; 'Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness:' but Christ saith 'Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement; and whosoever shall say; Thou fool; shall be in danger of hell fire:' and; ‘if thou bring thy gift to the altar; and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar; and go thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother。'  And he also saith; 'Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her; hath committed adultery with her in his heart。'  And hereby he calleth the defilement and consent of the affection adultery。  Furthermore; where the law forbade a man to forswear himself; Christ commanded him to swear not at all beyond Yea and 

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