SELF-EXAMINATION ｜ 省察自己

ENSELF-EXAMINATION. Texts for thoughtful study: 2 Cor. 13:5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Gal. 6:4. But let every man prove his own work. Lam. 3:40. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Ps. 26:2. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. Ps. 77:6. I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Ps. 139:23, 24. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. In these passages it is to be noted that the examination respects, not the feeling, but the "faith," the "work" and the "way"—that is, the radical convictions of truth and duty, and their effect in the life.

BSB2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test?

中省察自己。可供仔细研读的经文：哥林多后书 13:5 —— 你们总要自己省察有信心没有，也要自己试验。加拉太书 6:4 —— 各人应当察验自己的行为。耶利米哀歌 3:40 —— 我们当深深考察自己的行为，再归向耶和华。诗篇 26:2 —— 耶和华啊，求你察看我，试验我，熬炼我的肺腑心肠。77:6 —— 我心里默想，我的灵仔细省察。139:23-24 —— 神啊，求你鉴察我，知道我的心思，试炼我，知道我的意念，看在我里面有什么恶行没有，引导我走永生的道路。要留意：在这几处经文中，省察所针对的都不是『感受』，而是『信心』『行为』与『道路』——也就是人对真理与本分的根本信念，以及这些信念在生活中所产生的效果。

ENThe natural order of the mind's action in a genuine religious experience is: (1) actual and profound consideration by the intellect or reason of the revealed truths and facts which relate to and vitally affect the present and eternal well-being of the soul; (2) knowledge of these truths wakens and excites the appropriate feeling, in view of their personal bearings and effects; (3) knowledge thus disclosed and feeling thus awakened act together in stirring the will and moving it to corresponding action. In accord with this natural action of the mind, a careful study of the above texts shows that the sphere of right and helpful self-examination does not lie so much in the region of feeling as of convictions, choices and actions. Conduct, not feeling, is to be examined; the grounds, motives, qualities and tendencies of action, not their merely accompanying emotions or frames of feeling. The essential point of self-searching is not so much the reality or measure of love to God and man, as the character of the life-ruling convictions, affections and choices, as these are realized in the actual ordering of the life—whether they accord with the disclosures and demands of Christ respecting personal salvation and duty. These deeper, more radical matters of knowledge and faith, of heart-choice and pursuit, present the true sphere of wise, healthful and effective self-examination.

BSBLamentations 3:40 Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.

中在一段真实的宗教经历中，心思运作的自然次序是：（1）理智（理性）实实在在地、深入地思量那些已启示出来的真理与事实——它们关乎并深切影响灵魂现今与永远的福祉；（2）对这些真理的认识，因其与个人的关联与作用，唤起并激发相应的感受；（3）如此被揭示的认识与如此被唤起的感受，一同作用，激动意志，推动它作出相应的行动。与心思这一自然运作相符，仔细研读上列经文可以看出：正当而有益的省察，其范围与其说在于『感受』一域，不如说在于信念、抉择与行为。当受省察的是行为，不是感受；是行为的根据、动机、性质与走向，而不是伴随行为的情绪或心境。省察自己的要害，与其说是对神对人之爱的真实性或分量，不如说是那些主宰生命的信念、情感与抉择的性质——就是看这些信念与抉择在生活的实际安排中如何落实，看它们是否与基督在个人得救与本分上所启示的、所要求的相符。这些关乎认识与信心、关乎内心抉择与追求的更深、更根本的事，才是明智、健康而有效之自我省察的真正范围。

ENPaul nowhere speaks of feeling in connection with questions of spiritual experience. He says, "I know whom I have believed." "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark." He prays for heart-enlightenment: Eph. 1:17, 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling. And John, the apostle of love, lays the same superior emphasis upon knowledge and faith in his references to spiritual experience: 1 John 4:16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. Again he says: 1 John 3:18, 19. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. These words of Paul and John furnish, in their thorough study, a large basis for helpful self-examination. [A religion divested of earnest and lofty thought has always, down the whole history of the Church, tended to become weak and unwholesome; while the intellect, deprived of its proper rights in religion, has sought its satisfaction in a godless rationalism. J. Orr.]

BSBEphesians 1:18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

中保罗在论及属灵经历的问题时，从来不谈『感受』。他说：『我知道我所信的是谁。』『我只有一件事，就是忘记背后，努力面前的，向着标竿直跑。』他所祈求的是心里得开启：以弗所书 1:17-18 —— 求我们主耶稣基督的神，荣耀的父，将那赐人智慧和启示的灵赏给你们，使你们真知道他；并且照明你们心中的眼睛，使你们知道他的恩召有何等指望。而那位『爱的使徒』约翰，在提到属灵经历时，同样把首要的重点放在认识与信心上：约翰一书 4:16 —— 神爱我们的心，我们也知道也信。他又说：约翰一书 3:18-19 —— 小子们哪，我们相爱，不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行为和诚实上。从此就知道我们是属真理的，并且我们的心在神面前可以安稳。保罗与约翰这几句话，若加以彻底研读，便能为有益的自我省察提供宽广的根基。〔一种被剥去了严肃高远之思想的宗教，纵观教会整部历史，总是趋于软弱而不健全；而理智一旦在宗教中被剥夺了它应有的权利，便会转到一种无神的理性主义中去寻求满足。奥尔（J. Orr）〕