图谋大事

在牧之滨 https://bin.zaimu.de/post/20110509/

犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬第四年，尼利亚的儿子巴录将先知耶利米口中所说的话写在书上。耶利米说： 巴录啊，耶和华以色列的 神说： 巴录曾说：哀哉！耶和华将忧愁加在我的痛苦上，我因唉哼而困乏，不得安歇。 你要这样告诉他，耶和华如此说：我所建立的，我必拆毁；我所栽植的，我必拔出；在全地我都如此行。 你为自己图谋大事么？不要图谋！我必使灾祸临到凡有血气的。但你无论往那里去，我必使你以自己的命为掠物。这是耶和华说的。
[耶 45](和合)

Jeremiah’s Address to Baruch.
B. C. 607.

How Baruch was employed in writing Jeremiah’s prophecies, and reading them, we had an account ch. xxxvi., and how he was threatened for it by the king, warrants being out for him and he forced to abscond, and how narrowly he escaped under a divine protection, to which story this chapter should have been subjoined, but that, having reference to a private person, it is here thrown into the latter end of the book, as St. Paul’s epistle to Philemon is put after his other epistles. Observe,

第三十六章中记载过巴录成为了耶利米的助手，他被王恐吓，被迫逃亡，幸亏蒙神保守才得逃脱。本章是那个故事的一个补充，讲巴录个人的事。

I. The consternation that poor Baruch was in when he was sought for by the king’s messengers and obliged to hide his head, and the notice which God took of it.

I.  神重提巴录被王追捕的时候的惊恐。
He cried out, Woe is me now! v. 3. He was a young man setting out in the world; he was well affected to the things of God, and was willing to serve God and his prophet; but, when it came to suffering, he was desirous to be excused. Being an ingenious man, and a scholar, he stood fair for preferment, and now to be driven into a corner, and in danger of a prison, or worse, was a great disappointment to him.

巴录曾高呼哀哉。他本是一个很好的青年，对 神的事有热心，愿意服事
神。但是，当因事工而导致的逼迫临到的时候，他却想以自己的软弱为借口来逃脱责任。巴录很聪明，又是一个学者，他本应有很好的前途，但现在却被迫逃亡，这对他是一个很大的挫折。

When he read the roll publicly he hoped to gain reputation by it, that it would make him to be taken notice of and employed; but when he found that, instead of that, it exposed him to contempt, and brought him into disgrace, he cried out, “I am undone; I shall fall into the pursuers’ hands, and be imprisoned, and put to death, or banished: The Lord has added grief to my sorrow, has loaded me with one trouble after another. After the grief of writing and reading the prophecies of my country’s ruin, I have the sorrow of being treated as a criminal; for so doing; and, though another might make nothing of this, yet for my part I cannot bear it; it is a burden too heavy for me. I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest, no satisfaction in my own mind. I cannot compose myself as I should and would to bear it, not have I any prospect of relief or comfort.” Baruch was a good man, but, we must say, this was his infirmity.

当他公开宣读耶利米的书卷的时候，他本希望能够因此获得声誉以及王室的重用，但他得到的却是轻蔑与嘲讽。于是他哀呼：我死定了，我会被捉住，会被投入监牢，会被处死—— 神给我痛上加痛，我的麻烦一个连着一个。我因耶利米对犹大将被掳的预言已经很难过了，现在自己又被当作罪犯。我无法承担了，这个担子太重了。我内心愁苦，不能安息，我前面的路一片漆黑。
巴录本是个很好的人，但是，这反而成了他的障碍。

Note, 1. Young beginners in religion, like fresh-water soldiers, are apt to be discouraged with the little difficulties which they commonly meet with at first in the service of God. They do but run with the footmen, and it wearies them; they faint upon the very dawning of the day of adversity, and it is an evidence that their strength is small (Prov. xxiv. 10), that their faith is weak, and that they are yet but babes, who cry for every hurt and every fright.

跟随主的新门徒在刚开始服事的时候，往往会因一点点小困难就灰心丧志。他们只是打打下手，这让他们厌倦，其实这些只是更大的挑战的前奏罢了。这就表明他们的力量是小的，他们的信心是弱的，他们仍然是婴儿，为一点点的疼痛就大哭大叫。

  1. Some of the best and dearest of God’s saints and servants, when they have seen storms rising, have been in frights, and apt to make the worst of things, and to disquiet themselves with melancholy apprehensions more than there was cause for.

当看到暴风雨来临的时候，甚至一些 神最好的仆人都倾向于悲观，他们会过多的为自己而忧虑。

  1. God takes notice of the frets and discontents of his people and is displeased with them. Baruch should have rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer in such a good cause and with such good company, but, instead of that, he is vexed at it, and blames his lot, nay, and reflects upon his God, as if he had dealt hardly with him; what he said was spoken in a heat and passion, but God was offended, as he was with Moses, who paid dearly for it, when, his spirit being provoked, he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. Thou didst say so and so, and it was not well said. God keeps account what we say, even when we speak in haste.

神指责那些过于忧虑和不知足的人。于如此重要的事工有份，又能有幸与耶利米为同工，巴录本应感恩，但他却对此厌烦了。更甚的是，他居然抱怨 神给了他太多的负担。或许他只是一时冲动说的冒失话，但这冒犯了神。当初摩西因气愤而没有在众人面前尊主为大，结果生前不得进入迦南。我们口所说的每一句话神都纪念。

II. The reproof that God gave him for talking at this rate.

II  神对巴录的责备。

Jeremiah was troubled to see him in such an agitation, and knew not well what to say to him. He was loth to chide him, and yet thought he deserved it, was willing to comfort him, and yet knew not which way to go about it; but God tells him what he shall say to him, v. 4. Jeremiah could not be certain what was at the bottom of these complaints and fear, but God sees it. They came from his corruptions. That the hurt might therefore not be healed slightly, he searches the wound, and shows him that he had raised his expectations too high in this world and had promised himself too much from it, and that made the distress and trouble he was in so very grievous to him and so hard to be borne. Note, The frowns of the world would not disquiet us as they do if we did not foolishly flatter ourselves with the hopes of its smiles and court and covet them too much. It is our over-fondness for the good things of this present time that makes us impatient under its evil things.

也许耶利米不能确定巴录的抱怨与恐惧的真正原因，但 神知道——这些来自于他的堕落。创伤并不能不疼不痒的就得医治， 神把伤口剖开，使巴录看到他自己对世界有太多的期待，他幻想能从中得到的太多。这样，他所遇到的困苦就对他显得是如此的沉重以至于他似乎不能承担。若我们并不傻乎乎的献媚于世界、期待它的笑脸，那么，它是否向我们皱眉又有什么好担心的呢？正因为我们过于追求能给当下带来快乐的东西，所以就变得不能忍耐任何不顺心的事。

Now God shows him that it was his fault and folly, at this time of day especially, either to desire or to look for an abundance of the wealth and honour of this world

现在， 神谴责巴录的愚蠢，因为他期待个人的财富与荣誉，尤其在当时的背景下这更是不应该的。因为：

For, 1. The ship was sinking. Ruin was coming upon the Jewish nation, an utter and universal ruin: “That which I have built, to be a house for myself, I am breaking down, and that which I have planted, to be a vineyard for myself, I am plucking up, even this whole land, the Jewish church and state; and dost thou now seek great things for thyself? Dost thou expect to be rich and honourable and to make a figure now? No.”

1，这艘船正在沉没。毁灭正在逼近犹大，全方位的毁灭。“我正在拆毁我为自己所建的殿，我正在拔除我为自己所栽种的葡萄园，整个犹大教会与政权都在走向毁灭。你却要为你自己图谋大事吗？在这种情况下你自己仍妄想安乐与威信、想成为一个大人物吗？”

  1. “It is absurd for thee to be now painting thy own cabin. Canst thou expect to be high when all are brought low, to be full when all about thee are empty?” To seek ourselves more than the public welfare, especially to seek great things to ourselves when the public is in danger, is very unbecoming Israelites. We may apply it to this world, and our state in it; God in his providence is breaking down and pulling up; every thing is uncertain and perishing; we cannot expect any continuing city here. What folly is it then to seek great things for ourselves here, where every thing is little and nothing certain!

2，现在只顾你自己的小家是荒谬的，覆巢之下焉有完卵。当大众都处于水火的时候却为自己图谋更高的利益是可耻的。今日社会也是一样， 神以自己的智慧来拆毁和建立，整个世界没有一样东西是确定的，全都走向灭亡，这里没有永存的家园。既然日光之下万物都是虚空、变幻无常，在这里为自己图谋大事真是傻瓜。

III. The encouragement that God gave him to hope that though he should not be great, yet he should be safe: “I will bring evil upon all flesh, all nations of men, all orders and degrees of men, but thy life will I give to thee for a prey” (thy soul, so the word is) “in all places whither thou goest. Thou must expect to be hurried from place to place, and, wherever thou goest, to be in danger, but thou shalt escape, though often very narrowly, shalt have thy life, but it shall be as a prey, which is got with much difficulty and danger; thou shalt be saved as by fire.” Note, The preservation and continuance of life are very great mercies, and we are bound to account them such, as they are the prolonging of our opportunity to glorify God in this world and to get ready for a better; and at some times, especially when the arrows of death fly thickly about us, life is a signal favour, and what we ought to be very thankful for, and while we have it must not complain though we be disappointed of the great things we expected. Is not the life more than meat?

神对巴录的安慰：虽然你不会成为大人物，但你是安全的。“不分高低贵贱，我会把所有人都置于灾难之下，但我却要保全你的性命。”“你虽然会处于种种危难的环境下，会受到伤害，但我却要从中救出你的性命”。性命的延续是 神很大的恩慈，使我们仍有机会在这个世界荣耀 神。尤其是四周被死亡环绕的时候，生命是多么宝贵的恩典呀！虽然我们个人的希望落空了，但这又有什么好抱怨的呢！生命难道不胜于饮食吗？

现今，饥荒与刀剑远离了我们，但我们却处于更大的毁灭之中。饥荒与刀剑可怕吗？ 神的仇敌的武器却是钢琴的键盘与讲台的麦克风。在这个安闲的时代，逃离死亡的不过是个余数。