你当知道的司布真十件事10Things You Should Know about Charles Spurgeon
作者：Morgan Lee译者: Duncan Liang
1.他在年轻归正时就开始侍奉。
His
ministry began in the year of his conversion as a young man.
司布真在一个基督徒家庭成长，1850年15岁时归正。他被一场暴风雪困住，在科尔切斯特一家小型原初循道会会堂逃避风雪。在聚会开始约十分钟后，那位讲道人当着在场十二到十五个人得免，定睛在司布真身上，直接对他说：
Spurgeon
was raised in a Christian home, but was converted in 1850 at fifteen years old.
Caught in a snowstorm, he took refuge in a small Primitive Methodist chapel in
Colchester. After about ten minutes, with only twelve to fifteen people
present, the preacher fixed his eyes on Spurgeon and spoke to him directly:
“年轻人，你看起来很愁苦。”然后他举起手高呼：“年轻人，你要仰望耶稣基督。仰望！仰望！仰望！除了仰望活过来，你就别无其他事可做。”司布真后来写道：“啊！我仰望，直到我眼睛都几乎望得要掉出来了。”[1]
“Young
man, you look very miserable.” Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, “Young
man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look
and live.” Spurgeon later wrote, ‘Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked
my eyes away.’
在同一年，某人设下计谋让这位“讲道王子”传讲他的第一篇讲道。一个比他年龄大的人邀请司布真在第二天晚上前往特维闪这座小村庄，“因为一位年轻人要到那里讲道，但他不大熟悉聚会，有人作伴会很乐意。”只到第二天他才意识到那“年轻人”就是他自己。[2]
The
‘Prince of Preachers’ was tricked into preaching his first sermon that same
year. An older man had asked Spurgeon to go to the little village of Teversham
the next evening, “for a young man was to preach there who was not much used to
services, and very likely would be glad of company.” It was only the next day
that he realized the ‘young man’ was himself.
2.他是一个努力工作的人，极具影响力。
He
was a man of hard work and huge influence.
他后来亲自讲道，最多曾达每周十三次，建立了当时最大的教会，可以让两万三千人听他讲道（没有扩音设备）。他印刷发表了大约一千八百万字的作品，还在世的时候，销售超过五千六百万份他的讲道，以将近四十种语言印行。
He
went on to preach in person up to thirteen times per week, gathered the largest
church of his day, and could make himself heard in a crowd of twenty-three
thousand people (without amplification). In print he published some eighteen
million words, selling over fifty-six million copies of his sermons in nearly
forty languages in his own lifetime.
3.他是一位刻意强调神学和教义的讲道人。
He
was self-consciously a theological and doctrinal preacher.
虽然司布真不是以身为神学家闻名遐迩，却是一位有深入思考的思想家，他的讲道满溢着对历史神学，特别是清教徒的认识。
While
Spurgeon is not known as a theologian as such, he was nevertheless a deeply
theological thinker and his sermons were rich in doctrine, and dripping with
knowledge of historical theology – especially the Puritans.
一些讲道人似乎害怕他们的讲道在教义方面太丰富，以为这就伤了听众的灵命消化功能。这种担心是多余的……这并不是一个讲求神学的世代，因此这世代抱怨纯正的教义教导，根据的原则就是无知藐视智慧。清教徒时代荣耀巨人吃的食物，要比现在如此大大流行的稀奶油和糕点要好。[3]
Some
preachers seem to be afraid lest their sermons should be too rich in doctrine,
and so injure the spiritual digestions of their hearers. The fear is
superfluous. . . . This is not a theological age, and therefore it rails at
sound doctrinal teaching, on the principle that ignorance despises wisdom. The
glorious giants of the Puritan age fed on something better than the whipped
creams and pastries which are now so much in vogue.3
4.他是一位突出的十字架神学家和讲道人。
He
was pre-eminently a theologian and preacher of the cross.
司布真的神学是以十字架为中心，由十字架塑造的神学，因为十字架是基督得荣耀的“时候”（约12:23-24），基督曾经和现在得尊崇的地方，唯一能让原本被罪奴役的男男女女内心回转的信息。除了以赛亚书45:22，司布真最喜欢的其中一段经文就是约翰福音12：32，“我若从地上被举起来，就要吸引万人来归我。”
Spurgeon’s
was a cross-centered and cross-shaped theology, for the cross was “the hour” of
Christ’s glorification (John 12:23–24), the place where Christ was and is
exalted, the only message able to overturn the hearts of men and women
otherwise enslaved to sin. Along with Isaiah 45:22, one of Spurgeon’s favorite
Bible verses was John 12:32: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will
draw all people to myself.”
他坚持每个礼拜天举行主餐，常常也在周间掰饼。他相信多年以来如此大批群众被吸引来他教会的唯一原因，就是他传讲钉十字架的基督。
He
insisted on celebrating the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, and often broke bread
during the week as well. He believed his preaching of the crucified Christ was
the only reason why such great crowds were drawn to his church for so many
years.
有谁能抵挡祂的魅力呢？一眼看祂的双眼，我们就被祂折服。用你的心眼看这双眼，它们满含为灭亡罪人流下的泪水，你就成为甘心乐意的臣民。配得称颂的祂，为我们的缘故被人鞭打吐唾沫，看祂一眼，比做任何别的事情都要让我们更认识祂的王权。往祂被刺的心里看，这心为我们流出生命的血，我们心中一切关于祂主权的质疑就都烟消云散。我们承认祂是主，因为我们看到祂是如何爱我们。[4]
Who
can resist his charms? One look of his eyes overpowers us. See with your heart
those eyes when they are full of tears for perishing sinners, and you are a
willing subject. One look at his blessed person subjected to scourging and
spitting for our sakes will give us more idea of his crown rights than anything
besides. Look into his pierced heart as it pours out its life-flood for us, and
all disputes about his sovereignty are ended in our hearts. We own him Lord
because we see how he loved.4
5.他侍奉和讲道的目标是新生。
He
aimed his ministry and preaching at new birth.
重生是司布真总是努力传讲的“三个R”的其中一样（败坏Ruin，救赎Redemption和重生Regeneration）。他传讲福音时，总是期望看到有人重生。他的一位朋友有一次来找他，这人沮丧，因他侍奉三个月，却没有看到一个人归正。司布真顽皮地问：“每次你开口，你都期望主要救人灵魂吗？”这人感到尴尬，回答说：“哦，先生，不是的！”司布真回答：“那么这正是你还没有看到人归正的原因：‘照着你们的信给你们成全了吧！’”[5]
Regeneration
was one of the “three Rs” (ruin, redemption, and regeneration) Spurgeon always
sought to preach. And regeneration was something he always expected to see as
he preached the gospel. A friend of his once came to him, depressed because for
three months of ministry he had not seen a single conversion. Spurgeon slyly
asked, “Do you expect the Lord to save souls every time you open your mouth?”
Embarrassed, the man answered “Oh, no, sir!” “Then,” Spurgeon replied, “that is
just the reason why you have not had conversions: ‘According to your faith be
it unto you.’”5
他看重生是纯粹恩典的作为，主重生的人，主要住在他们里面。“有如此一位内住的主，我们就无需惧怕，我们这可怜的内心要变得完全，正如神完全一样；通过祂的内住，我们的本性要提升，直到完全准备好与众圣徒在光明中同得基业。”[6]
Regeneration,
he saw, is a work of pure grace—and those the Lord regenerates, he will
indwell. And “with such an indweller we need not fear, but that this poor heart
of ours will yet become perfect as God is perfect; and our nature through his
indwelling shall rise into complete meetness for the inheritance of the saints
in light.”6
6.他知道如何享受生活。
He
knew how to enjoy life.
司布真热爱生活，看创造界是神让人享受的祝福。对疲倦的牧师，他建议：
Spurgeon
loved life and saw the creation as a blessing from God to be enjoyed. For tired
ministers, he recommended:
用一天在山上呼吸新鲜的空气，或者花几个钟头的时间漫步在山毛榉林成荫的宁静当中，就会把我们的一些劳苦工作，变得半死不活的牧师脑袋里的蜘蛛网扫得干干净净。满吸一口海风，或者迎着风疾走，这虽不会赐恩典给人的灵魂，却会给身体带来氧气，而氧气是除了恩典以外最好的东西。[7]
A
day’s breathing of fresh air upon the hills, or a few hours’ ramble in the
beech woods’ umbrageous calm,’ which ‘would sweep the cobwebs out of the brain
of scores of our toiling ministers who are now but half alive. A mouthful of
sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind’s face, would not give grace to the soul,
but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best.’7
他无法抗拒在暴风雨中户外散步的乐趣（“我喜欢听我天父在雷鸣中的声音”）他以抽雪茄闻名，对植物学有浓厚兴趣。像我们所有人一样，司布真是一个独一无二的人。但当他在他天父的创造界中行走时，他宽宏的内心和喜乐正正彰显出那种总是源自他所相信神学的生命。
He
couldn’t resist walking outside in thunderstorms (‘I like to hear my Heavenly
Father’s voice in the thunder’), he is known for his cigar smoking, and he had
a keen interest in botany. Like us all, Spurgeon was uniquely himself. Yet his
big-heartedness and joy as he walked through his Father’s creation displays
exactly the sort of life that will always grow from the theology he believed.
7.他是一个淘气风趣的人。
He
was a mischievous, funny man.
他的朋友威廉·威廉姆斯写道：“司布真先生有何等一座沸腾的幽默源泉！我确实认为，我和他在一起的时候笑得更多，超过除此以外我的整个人生。”[8]司布真的《自传》有一整章，标题是《纯粹的乐趣》，他经常让那些以为这位热心的牧师是严厉紧张的人大吃一惊。浮夸、虚伪虔诚和阿谀奉承的人，总会感觉自己被他的才智刺痛。
'What
a bubbling fountain of humour Mr. Spurgeon had!’ wrote his friend William
Williams. ‘I have laughed more, I verily believe, when in his company than
during all the rest of my life besides.’8A whole chapter of Spurgeon’s
‘autobiography’ is entitled ‘Pure Fun,’ and he regularly surprised people who
expected the zealous pastor to be dour and intense. Grandiosity, religiosity,
and humbug could all expect to be pricked on his wit.
8.他严肃看待喜乐。
He
was serious about joy.
司布真的幽默和喜乐并不是无聊肤浅。对他来说，喜乐是一个神学问题，彰显出只有在基督里才能找到的幸福欢乐。他拒绝太过当真看自己或任何别的罪人，相信在基督里活着，这意味着不仅与罪的习惯和作为争战，也要对抗闷闷不乐、不知感恩、苦毒和绝望这些罪的性情。
Spurgeon’s
humour and jollity were not trivial or frivolous. For him, joy was a
theological matter and a manifestation of that happiness and cheer which is
found in Christ alone. He refused to take himself—or any other sinner—too
seriously, believing that to be alive in Christ means to fight not only the
habits and acts of sin but also sin’s temperamental sullenness, ingratitude,
bitterness, and despair.
基督希望祂的百姓快乐。他们完全的时候（因为祂要在恰当的时候使他们变得完全），他们也要变得完全快乐。正如天堂是纯粹圣洁的地方，同样它也是纯粹快乐的地方；按我们预备好上天堂的程度，我们必得着一些属于天堂的喜乐，我们救主的旨意，就是即使现在，祂的喜乐也要存在我们心里，我们的喜乐应当完全。[9]
Christ
wishes his people to be happy. When they are perfect, as he will make them in
due time, they shall also be perfectly happy. As heaven is the place of pure
holiness, so is it the place of unalloyed happiness; and in proportion as we
get ready for heaven, we shall have some of the joy which belongs to heaven,
and it is our Saviour’s will that even now his joy should remain in us, and
that our joy should be full.9
9.他深受抑郁之苦。
He
suffered with depression.
司布真充满活力和喜乐，但也深受他个人悲剧、疾病和压力带来的抑郁之苦。他若生活在今天，就几乎可以肯定会被诊断患有临床的抑郁症，要服药和接受治疗。他的妻子苏珊娜写道：“我亲爱的焦虑忧虑如此之深和强烈，以至于理性似乎在宝座上摇摇欲坠，我们有时恐怕他绝不会再讲道了。”[10]
Spurgeon
was full of life and joy, but also suffered deeply with depression as a result
of personal tragedies, illness, and stress. Today he would almost certainly be
diagnosed as clinically depressed and treated with medication and therapy. His
wife, Susannah, wrote, “My beloved’s anguish was so deep and violent, that
reason seemed to totter in her throne, and we sometimes feared that he would
never preach again.”10
司布真认为，基督徒牧师应料到神会把一种程度特别的苦难加给他们，以此塑造他们，让他们做像基督一样、满有怜悯的侍奉工作。基督祂自己与祂软弱、受试探的弟兄相同，为要帮助那些受试探的人（来2:16-18），同样，神已拣选软弱受苦的人来服侍软弱受苦之人。
Spurgeon
believed that Christian ministers should expect a special degree of suffering
to be given to them as a way of forming them for Christlike, compassionate
ministry. Christ himself was made like his weak and tempted brothers in order
that he might help those who are tempted (Heb. 2:16–18), and in the same
manner, it is weak and suffering people that God has chosen to minister to the
weak and suffering.
10.他很明显是以基督为中心。
He
was emphatically Christ-centered.
司布真看神学和天文学非常相似：正如太阳系只有以太阳为中心才有意义，同样，神学思想体系只有当基督是中心时才连贯一致。每一种教义都必须按它与基督的恰当关系找到自己的本位和意义。“可以肯定的是，除非我们正确看祂，否则我们在其余的事上都不可能正确……基督在你的神学体系中处在什么位置？”[11]
Spurgeon
saw theology much like astronomy: as the solar system makes sense only when the
sun is central, so systems of theological thought are coherent only when Christ
is central. Every doctrine must find its place and meaning in its proper
relation to Christ. “Be assured that we cannot be right in the rest, unless we
think rightly of HIM. . . . Where is Christ in your theological system?”11
司布真对圣经的看法，他的加尔文主义，以及他对基督徒人生的观点，都是深深地以基督为中心——甚至连那天文学的比喻可能也太过薄弱，无法完全捕捉司布真以基督为中心进行思想的风范。
Spurgeon’s
view of the Bible, his Calvinism, and his view of the Christian life are all
deeply Christocentric–and even that astronomical analogy may be too weak to
capture quite how Christ-centered Spurgeon was in his thinking.
对司布真而言，基督不仅是福音这更大机制的一个组件（不管这组件是起多么大的枢纽作用）。基督祂自己就是我们认识的真理，我们信心的对象和赏赐，那光照一个正确神学系统每一部分的光。他写道：“祂自己是医生和教义，启示的主和启示，光照的主和人的光。他在真理的每一句话上得尊崇，因祂是真理的精义。祂坐在福音之上，就像王坐在自己宝座上一样。当我们看教义是从祂口中精炼而出，体现在祂自己身上，教义就是至为宝贵。讲道的价值与它们如何讲到祂，指向祂成正比。”[12]
For
him, Christ is not merely one component—however pivotal—in the bigger machinery
of the gospel. Christ himself is the truth we know, the object and reward of
our faith, and the light that illumines every part of a true theological
system. He wrote, ‘He himself is Doctor and Doctrine, Revealer and Revelation,
the Illuminator and the Light of Men. He is exalted in every word of truth,
because he is its sum and substance. He sits above the gospel, like a prince on
his own throne. Doctrine is most precious when we see it distilling from his
lips and embodied in his person. Sermons are valuable in proportion as they
speak of him and point to him.’12
[1]C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Compiled
from His Diary,Letters, and Records, by His Wife and His Private Secretary,
1834–1854,vol. 1 (Chicago: Curts & Jennings, 1898),106.
[2]C.
H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Compiled from His Diary,Letters, and Records, by
His Wife and His Private Secretary, 1834–1854,vol. 1 (Chicago: Curts &
Jennings, 1898), 200.
[3]C.
H. Spurgeon, The Sword and Trowel(London: Passmore & Alabaster,1865–1891),
125–26.
[4]C.
H. Spurgeon, The MetropolitanTabernacle Pulpit Sermons,63 vols. (London:
Passmore & Alabaster, 1855–1917),* vol. 23, 269.
[5]C.
H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Compiled from His Diary,Letters, and Records, by
His Wife and His Private Secretary, 1834–1854,vol. 2:151.
[6]C.
H. Spurgeon, The MetropolitanTabernacle Pulpit Sermons,63 vols. (London:
Passmore & Alabaster, 1855–1917),* vol.18:225.
[7]C.
H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students,Addresses Delivered to the Students of the
Pastors’ College, MetropolitanTabernacle (New York:Robert Carter and Brothers,
1889) vol. 1, 172.
[8]William
Williams, PersonalReminiscences of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (London: Passmore
& Alabaster,1895),, 17–18.
[9]C.
H. Spurgeon, The MetropolitanTabernacle Pulpit Sermons,63 vols. (London:
Passmore & Alabaster, 1855–1917),* vol. 51:229.
[10]Charles
Ray, “The Life of Susannah Spurgeon,” in Morning Devotions by Susannah Spurgeon:
Free Grace and DyingLove (Edinburgh: Bannerof Truth, 2006), 166.
[11]C.
H. Spurgeon, An All-Round Ministry:Addresses to Ministers and Students (London:
Passmore & Alabaster, 1900), 364.
[12]C.
H. Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit Sermons, 6vols. (London: Passmore &
Alabaster, 1855–1860),1:vi.