卫斯理约翰的祷告观（25）
祷告会 28.09.2011
引言
大家好！我们已分享过四项回答有关反对禁食的理论。今晚让我们继续来分享另四项。
（一）
既然禁食是如此的重要并带来许多福气，那么只偶尔禁食就是不佳了？有建议要多禁食，不要停顿或间隔，但如此进行试问我们的体力能够支撑吗？人建议不要为此事而受干扰并不学习禁食，我们必定要自我抑制进少食物并按体力能力能否支撑来进行。因神的祝福藉此也许有许多的伟大事件发生。虽圣经没有将全体禁食讲解，但禁食的操练并非如同以上的论调，也非神的命令，特制定一种审判的见解来达致上帝的儿女们得福气的途径。
1〕
“But if fasting be indeed of so great importance, and attended with such a blessing, is it not best,” say some, fifthly, “to fast always? Not to do it now and then, but to keep a continual fast? To use as much abstinence, at all times, as our bodily strength will bear?” Let none be discouraged from doing this. By all means use as little and plain food, exercise as much self denial herein at all times, as your bodily strength will bear. And this may conduce, by the blessing of God, to several of the great ends above mentioned. I may be a considerable help, not only to chastity, but also to heavenly mindedness, to the weaning your affections from things below, and setting them on things above. But this is not fasting, scriptural fasting; it is never termed so in all the Bible. It, in some measure, answers some of the ends thereof; but still it is another thing. Practice it by all means; but not so as thereby to set aside a command of God, and an instituted means of averting his judgments, and obtaining the blessings of his children.
（二）
应用连续不停的禁欲，这也是基督徒的自我节制，这不干涉我们眼所见的禁食与祷告。比如，你的禁欲习惯或节制不能防止你在暗中的禁食。如果是突然被极大的痛苦及懊悔所压制并在极大的惧怕与沮丧。如此的情况必须抑制你禁食，你对每日的食物讨厌，虽肉身需要食物，但你也缺乏忍耐来供应，直到上帝将你由深坑提拔出来，站立在磐石上并吩咐你行走。同样，当你在痛苦的意欲中并与神猛烈的摔跤为得祝福，你不需任何人来指示不用吃面包直到你得着你口中所祈求的。
2〕
Use continually then as much abstinence as you please; which, taken thus, is no than Christian temperance; but this need not at all interfere with your observing times of fasting and prayer. For instance: Your habitual abstinence or temperance would not prevent your fasting at secret, if you were suddenly overwhelmed with huge sorrow and remorse, and with horrible fear and dismay. Such a situation of mind would almost constrain you to fast; you would loathe your daily food; you would scarce endure even to take such supplies as were needful for the body, till God “lifted you up out of the horrible pit, and set your feet upon a rock, and ordered your goings.” The same would be the case if you were in agony of desire, vehemently wrestling with God for his blessing. You would need none to instruct you not to eat bread till you had obtained the request of your lips.
（三）
在尼尼微城的宣告中：「任何人，动物与羊群都不准吃、喝与喂养，但却向神哭泣呼唤。」你的连续的禁食是否有任何的因由，有不体面的举止。这必定是不会的，你的注意力全部会贯注在当天不吃任何食物上。
禁欲或连续禁食的关注在任何以色列百姓中，特别在七月第十天的救赎日是没有的宽恕不禁食。在圣旨的吩咐之下，「任何人没有禁食就必由百姓中剪除。」
3〕
Again, had you been at Nineveh when it was proclaimed throughout the city, “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed or drink water, but let them cry mightily unto God;” – would you continual fast have been any reason for not bearing part in that general humiliation? Doubtless it would not. You would have been as much concerned as any other not to taste food on that day.
No more would abstinence, or the observing a continual fast, have excused any of the children of Israel from fasting on the tenth day of the seventh month, the great annual day of atonement. There was no exception for these in that solemn decree, “Whatsoever soul it shall be, that shall not be afflicted, [shall not fast] in that day, he shall be cut off from among his people.”
（四）
请看安提阿教会，在未差遣保罗与巴拿巴出去，他们禁食与祷告。在你的自我节制与禁欲中你有否想过不参与在其中？如果是，你迟早将会由基督徒社体中被隔绝，因在其中你带来困扰。
4〕
Had you been with the brethren in Antioch, at the time when they fasted and prayed, before the sending forth of Barnabas and Saul, can you possibly imagine that your temperance or abstinence would have been a sufficient cause for not joining therein? Without doubt, if you had not, you would soon have been cut off from the Christian Community. You would have deservedly been cast out from among them, as bringing confusion into the church of God.
结论
- 禁食必定带给信徒祝福，也有许多益处，但人不能自己自定一些方法。我们禁食只按圣经中的教导来进行。
- 在特别的情况中禁食，这是一项非常自然的事情，因为这是出于自动自发的，也是人无法阻止他的。
- 禁食在圣经中的教导是非常清楚并直接的，正如安提阿教会与救赎目的禁食，是人无法抗拒的。
讨论问题
- 分享禁食带来的福气。
- 在痛苦与患难中人为何会自动禁食？
- 对第四点，不禁食会被基督徒社体隔绝，你的看法如何？