卫斯理约翰的祷告观（24）

祷告会 21.09.2011

引言：

大家平安！

我们这几个星期都在思考卫斯理约翰的讲章第廿七篇，有关禁食。我们已分享过第二部份，今晚我们要看第三部份，反对禁食（Objections Against Fasting），共有八项。

今晚只分享四项，28/9/11另四项。

1〕人常问：「让基督徒禁罪而非禁食，这才是神所要求的」是否还有其他的？

Let a Christian fast from sin and not from food, this is what God requires at his hands. Does he require the other also?

假如一个基督徒必须戒掉罪，那他就不用戒掉食物。如果是如此，卫斯理约翰鼓励要双管齐下。

That a Christian ought to abstain from sin, then he ought not to abstain from food. If it is so, let him do both the one and the other.

2〕在此不是戒掉骄傲及虚荣心，无知及有损害的情欲，由恼怒与生气及不满足比禁食物更好，乃是藉着这外在的途径而输通内在的管道，而有能力来戒掉眼目所不对的情绪，因为我们禁食而领受由上头来的能力。

藉着这一个小途径而克己是神所拣选的，我们在其中得着救恩。

But it is not better to abstain from pride and vanity, from foolish and hurtful desires, from perishes and anger and discontent than from food? Through this outward meals, in conjunction with all the other channels of his grace which he hath appointed, we may be enabled to abstain from every passion and temper which is not pleasing in his sight, then we ought thus to abstain from food, since these little mistakes of self denial are the ways God hath chose, wherein to bestow that great salvation.

3〕但我们没有觉得这是重点，我们曾经一度常禁食，但不见得有果效，也没有蒙赐福。不但没有帮助，反而拦阻，以为会阻止生气最后更是一团糟。

如此的现象是可能的，比以前更不如，不高兴及不圣洁，但请不要埋怨或灰心，要继续按神的吩咐，不疑惑，他的应许不落空。他的赐福永远长存，天父在暗中必报答。

But we do not find it so in fact: “We have fasted much and often; but what did it avail? We were not a whit better; we found no blessing therein. Nay, we have found it a hindrance rather than a help. Instead of preventing anger, for instance, or fretfulness, it has been a means of increasing them to such a height,that we could neither bear others nor ourselves. ” This may very possibly be the case. It is possible, either to fast or pray in such a manner, as to make you much worse than before; more unhappy, and more unholy. Yet the fault does not lie in the means itself, but in the manner of using it. Use it still, but use it in a different manner. Do what God commands, as he commands it; and then, doubtless, his promise shall not fail: his blessing shall be withheld no longer; but, when thou fastest in secret, “He that seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

4〕这并非是迷信，神是否计较这一件小事。我们如果如此看，我们就得罪许许多上帝的儿女们。因为神的仆人们，如；摩西、约书亚、撒母耳、大卫、以斯拉、尼希米及众先知都不是将禁食看为小事。

由使徒中我们也发觉，他们是由禁食来选出执事。

But is it not mere superstition, to imagine that God regards such little things as these? If you say it is you condemn all the generations of God’s children. Can you be so hardly as to affirm this both of Moses and Joshua, of Samuel and David, Ezra, Nehemiah and all the prophets? All these His servants, did imagine that fasting is not a little thing.

The apostles did fast and chose the deacons to help them.

结论

禁食祷告当然也不忽略注重罪恶，隐藏，必须是双管齐下，非重此轻彼。
由禁食也自动由外在进入内在的改变，而达致一股由上头来的能力。
禁食也可能带来无效能，但不要灰心，要继续信靠他的应许，他必报答。
禁食非一件小事，因此，不要轻视或忽略。

问题讨论

禁食或禁罪及两者同行，你的看法如何？
分享你的禁食祷告的结果。
禁食祷告是否是一种「迷信」或蒙恩的途径？为什么？