Chapter 10 Title VII-2

699-728 (470) 805-252 Someone said: "If I see a miracle, I will convert."How can they be sure that they will do things of which they themselves are ignorant?They imagined that this conversion consisted only in a worship, a sort of bargain and a negotiation with God, such as they pictured for themselves.But true conversion consists in destroying ourselves in the presence of a universal being whom we are constantly irritated by and who can legally destroy us at any moment, in admitting that we can do nothing without him, and in acknowledging We deserve nothing of him but his humiliation.It consists in the insurmountable opposition between the knowledge of God and us, and the impossibility of any communication without a medium.

832-755 (471) 222-248 It is unjust that people attach themselves to me; though they please and do so willingly.I will deceive those whom I have caused this desire, for I am no one's home and I have nothing to satisfy them.Am I not going to die?Therefore, the object of their attachment will also die.Therefore, just as I am guilty if I make people believe in a falsehood—even if I am gentle enough to persuade people, even if people are happy to believe it, and even this will please me,—so if I make I am loved and if I can attract people to me, I am also guilty.I should warn those who are ready to agree to a lie that they should not believe it, no matter what good it may bring me; likewise, they should not cling to me, since they should be pleasing God or pursuing God Live their lives and their concerns.

702-678 (472) 285-99 The self-will is never satisfied, even if it had command over everything it desires; yet we are satisfied as soon as we give it up.Without it we cannot be dissatisfied; with it we cannot be dissatisfied. 704-687 (473) 815-276 Let us imagine a body filled with thinking members. 705-684 (474) 263-274 limbs.Proceeding from this—in order to define the love we should have for ourselves, we must imagine a body full of thinking members, since we are members of the whole, and should see how each member should love itself, etc. .... 706-690 (475) 833-275 If the feet and the hands had a separate will of their own, they would never have their proper place unless they were subordinated by this separate will to the supreme will which governs the whole body.Beyond this point they descend into confusion and misery; yet in claiming only the good of the whole, they achieve their own good.

707-689 (476) 830-280 One should love only God and hate only oneself. If the foot has been oblivious to the fact that it belongs to the whole, and that there is a whole on which it depends, if it has only knowledge and love of itself, and it finally realizes that it belongs to a whole on which it depends; To the whole which breathed life into it—which would have destroyed it if it had been rejected, taken out of the whole, as it had taken itself out of the whole—it should be of no use. What a pity, and how ashamed it should have been in its past life!How much I pray that I can be preserved in it!With what tame should I submit myself to the will that governs the whole!Agree to chop yourself off until necessary!Otherwise it would lose its quality as a member; for each member must be willing to die for the whole, and the whole is the only thing that all must maintain.

703-313 (477) 817-277 It is preposterous to say that we deserve to be loved by others; it is unrighteous for us to hope so.If we were born rational and disinterested, and knew ourselves and others; we should never attribute this inclination to our will.Yet we are born with this tendency; therefore we are born unrighteous, because each one tends to himself.And this one violates all order: We should tend towards the universal; towards the self is all disorder— Disorder in war, in politics, in economy, in individual bodies— Start.Thus, the will is corrupt. If the members of a natural or political community tend towards the welfare of the whole, then such communities themselves should tend towards another more general whole of which they are only members.Therefore, we should tend towards the general.Thus, we are born unrighteous and fallen.

701-311 (478) 818-281 When we want to think about God, is there nothing that diverts us and tempts us to think about something else? That's all bad stuff, and that's what we're born with. 433-417 (479) 647-282 If God exists, we must love him only, and not the passing creatures.The inferences of the godless are based on the fact that there is no God at all.He said, "That's settled, let's enjoy the creation." And that's the worst kind of thing.But if there were a God to love, they would not come to this conclusion, but the very opposite.And this is what the wise men concluded:

"There is a God, so let us not enjoy creation"! Therefore whatever stimulates us to attach ourselves to creatures is bad; for it prevents us from serving God if we know God, or from seeking God if we do not know God.As we are full of desire, we are therefore full of evil; therefore we should hate ourselves, and everything that excites us to attach ourselves to any other object than the one God. 708-686 (480) 657-279 In order for the members to be happy, it is necessary that they have only one will, and that they must be subordinated to the whole. 714-675 (481) 674-278 The precedent of the generous service of the Rasidemonians and others hardly impresses us.Because what does that get us?Yet the precedent of the death of the martyrs moves us; for they are "our members."We have a common bond with them: their resolution may constitute ours, not only by their precedent, but because perhaps it is worth ours.The pagan precedents have nothing of this kind: we have no connection with them at all; just as we do not become rich ourselves when we see a heathen rich, but we do very well by seeing our father or husband rich. same as getting rich.

709-676 (482) 653-245 Morality—God, having made heaven and earth, which felt no happiness in their own existence, desired to make that life which would both know it and form a whole of thinking members .For our constituent parts do not feel at all the happiness of their union, the happiness of their marvelous intellect, the happiness of the care that nature has infused them with spirit and enabled them to grow and perpetuate.How happy would they be if they could feel this, if they could see this!But to do this they must have the knowledge to know it, and the kindness to respond to the kindness of a universal soul.But if, having gained knowledge, they use it to keep food for themselves, and refuse to pass it on to other members, then they are not only unrighteous, but pathetic, and love themselves rather than themselves. Rather, they hate themselves; their well-being, like their duty, consists only in responding to the actions of the whole soul to which they belong and which they love more than They love themselves.

710-688 (483) 681-430 To be a member is to have no life, no being and no movement except according to the spirit of the whole and for the whole. Separated, the member no longer sees the whole to which he belongs, and thus becomes nothing more than a vanished, dying life.Yet it believes itself to be a whole, and since it cannot see the whole on which it depends, it believes that it depends only on itself and wants to make itself the center and the whole.But since it has no vital principle in itself, he can only go astray; and, feeling sure that he is not the whole, but not seeing that he is a member of the whole, he is dismayed at the indefiniteness of his existence. At a loss.In the end, when he finally knows himself, it is as if he is at home again, and loves himself only for the sake of the whole.He will lament his past astray.

He is by nature incapable of loving anything but himself and in order to make things serve him, for every thing loves itself more than all others.But in loving the whole he also loves himself; for he lives only in, through and for the whole: qui adhaeret Deo unus spiritus est. [Anyone who clings to God is one with the spirit of God]. "1 Corinthians" chapter 6, verse 17: "But whoever is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord." The whole loves the hand; and the hand, if it has a will, should love itself in the same way that the soul loves the hand. All love beyond that is unrighteous.

Adhaerens Deo unus spiritus est [He who attaches himself to God is one with the Spirit of God. ].We love ourselves because we are a part of Jesus Christ.We love Jesus Christ because he is the whole of which we are a part.All are one, each in the other, like the Trinity. 713-692 (484) 667-510 Two laws alone suffice to govern all Christian republics better than all political laws. 712-699 (485) 900-259 The only real virtue, then, is to hate ourselves (hateful because we desire), and to seek a truly lovable being to love. But since we cannot love something outside of ourselves, we must love a being within ourselves, and that cannot be ourselves.This is true for every one of all people. So only the universal being can be like this.The kingdom of God is within us; the universal good is within us, which is both ourselves and not ourselves. 424-949 (486) 648-290 Man's dignity, when he was innocent, consisted in using and dominating the creature, but today it consists in separating himself from it and submitting himself to it. 430-422 (487) 679-289 Any religion which does not worship God as the principle of all things in faith, and love the one God as the goal of all things in morals, is vain. 429-308 (488) 649-740 ... But if God is not the principle, then God can never be the destination.We set our eyes upward, but we stand on the gravel; the earth will melt, and we will look up to heaven and perish. 431-399 (489) 758-624 If all things have a single principle, all things also have a single destination; all things are due to him, and all things are for him.Therefore true religion must teach us only to worship him and only to love him.But since we find ourselves incapable of worshiping things unknown to us, or of loving anything other than ourselves, the religion that teaches us these duties should also teach us this incapacity and Teach us how to learn the remedy.It teaches that through one man all is lost, the connection between God and us is broken, and that through one the connection is restored. We are so born against this love of God, and this love is so necessary, that we must be born sinful, or God would be unjust. 450—263 (490) 662—625 Human beings are not in the habit of creating merit, but only rewarding it when they find it has been created, so they judge God by themselves. 432-408 (491) 684-626 True religion should be marked by an obligation to love God.This is quite right, yet no other religion has taught this; ours has done it.It should also recognize our desires and incapacities; our religions do this.It should offer remedies for this; one of them is prayer.No other religion has ever asked God to love Him and follow Him. 434-418 (492) 728-689 He who does not hate in himself self-love, the instinct which leads him to call himself God, is indeed blind.Who can fail to see that nothing is so contrary to justice and so contrary to truth?For it is false to say that we ought, and since all are demanding the same, it is unjust and impossible to do it.It is therefore a manifest injustice into which we are born, from which we cannot escape, and from which we must. Yet no religion has pointed it out as an evil, or pointed out that we were born into it, or pointed out our duty to reject it, nor thought of giving us a remedy. 435-410 (493) 685-690 True religion teaches us our duties, our incapacities: pride and lust, and the remedy: humility, abstinence. 436-41 (494) 678-746 True religion must teach man greatness and wretchedness, must lead him to respect himself and despise him, to love himself and hate himself. 716-702 (495) 757-607 If it is supernatural blindness to live without seeking out what we are, it is terrible blindness to believe in God and live a life of sin. 717-681 (496) 762-608 Experience teaches us that there is a huge difference between piety and good will. 725-715 (497) 686-609 Against those who carelessly trust in the goodness of God and do not do good.—Pride and sloth, the two great roots of our evil, God has shown us to correct by two of his qualities: viz., his benevolence and his justice.The nature of justice is to subdue pride, however sacred our work may be, et non intres in judi-cium [Please do not interrogate] Psalm 143, verse 2: There is no one living before whom is righteous", etc.; the nature of mercy is to overcome laziness by exhorting good works, according to the following passage: "The mercy of God leads to repentance", and the other passage of the Ninevites Saying: "Let us repent and see if he will take pity on us".Mercy, therefore, far from sanctioning laziness, is in its nature a formal attack on laziness; and thus it does not say, "If God is not merciful, we must make every effort to be virtuous," but it must be said that, precisely because God is merciful, , so we must make every effort. 723-744 (498) 746-610 Stepping into godliness is hard, it's true.But this difficulty comes not from the godliness that has begun to appear in us, but from the ungodliness that still exists in it.If our senses were not against repentance, if our corruptions were not [against] God's purity, there would be nothing in it to be hard or painful for us.We suffer only in proportion to the resistance of our natural wickedness to supernatural grace; we feel our hearts torn between these opposing efforts; yet blame this violence on God who draws us onward. , without blaming the world for holding us back, it would be grossly unjust.It is like a mother taking her child back from the hands of robbers; the child in suffering should love the affectionate and legal violence by which his mother freed him, but can only resent those who unjustly detain him. The ferocious and imperious violence of his people.The cruelest war God can wage on men's lives is to deny them the war He will bring.He said, "I have come to bring war"; and taught this war, "I have come to bring sword and fire."Before him, the world lived in this false peace. 719-750 (499) 677-611 Outward Deeds—There is nothing so dangerous as pleasing God and pleasing men; for in this state of pleasing God and pleasing men, one thing pleases God and Things please people; such as the greatness of Saint Teresa: what pleases God is her deep humility in her revelation, and what pleases people is her light.Therefore, if we want to imitate her state, we try our best to imitate her speech, instead of loving God's love so much, we put ourselves in the state of God's love. It is better not to fast and be humbled by it than to fast and be complacent by it.Pharisees, tax collectors. Remembering these, what use is it to me?If it could hurt me as well as help me; if all depended on the grace of God, and he gave grace only to what was done for him, according to his own rules and in his own way, and The means are as important as the thing, perhaps even more so; for God can bring good out of evil, and without God we can draw evil out of good. 715-694 (500) 719-612 The understanding of the words good and evil. 718-712 (501) 680-702 Level 1: Condemnation for evil, praise for good.Level 2: Neither praised nor condemned. 672-701 (502) 683-703 Abraham took nothing for himself, save only for his servant; so the just man takes nothing for himself in the world, nor the applause of the world, except for what he uses as his own. Master those passions, he said to one: Go, and to the other: Come. Sub te erit app-etitus tuus [Your desires will be subdued under you].Harnessed in this way, his passion becomes a virtue: Greed, envy, wrath, even God has endowed himself with these things; and these are virtues as well as love, mercy, constancy (which are also passions).For they must be used as slaves, leaving them their food and forbidding the soul to take any part; for when passions are masters, they are sins, and then they give their food to the soul, The soul feeds on it and is poisoned by it. 673-691 (503) 692-701 The philosopher consecrates crimes and places them in God himself; the Christian consecrates virtues. 671-740 (504) 670-704 The just man acts according to faith in the slightest things; and when he condemns his servants, he wishes them to be inspired by the spirit of God, and beseeches God to correct them, and he expects as much from God as he expects from God. As much as he blamed himself, he prayed that God would bless them to correct them.Thus, in other acts.... [... loses the Spirit of God; then his actions will deceive us by the interruption or interruption of the Spirit of God in him; and he will repent in his pain]. 656-749 (505) 545-640 Anything can become fatal to us, even those made to serve us; in nature, for example, walls can crush us, and stairs can kill us if we walk unjustly. The slightest movement concerns all nature; the whole sea changes with a single stone.Thus, in the grace, the slightest act matters with its consequences.Therefore, everything is important. In every action we must also take note beyond the action of our present, past, and future states, and all other states connected with them, and see the connection of all these things.At this time, we will be very careful. 655-759 (506) 687-641 May God not impute our sins to us, that is to say, hold us accountable for all their effects and consequences; even the slightest faults in them would be dreadful if we were willing to pursue them mercilessly. 653-708 (507) 745-637 Movement of grace, inner stubbornness, external circumstances. 654-769 (508) 642-639 There must be grace in order to make a man holy; whoever doubts this does not know what is holy and what is man. 377-279 (509) 643-638 Philosopher—It is a beautiful thing to cry out to a man who does not know himself that he should reach God by himself.And it's a beautiful thing to say these words to someone who knows you well. 484-446 (510) 691-577 Man is not worthy of God, yet it is not impossible for him to be transformed to be worthy of God. It is unworthy of God to unite himself with wretched man; but it is not unworthy of God to save man from wretchedness. 605-438 (511) 794-631 If we can say that man is too small to be in communion with God, surely it must be great to be so judged. 639-928 (512) 644-630 In the common saying, it is all the body of Jesus Christ, but it cannot be said that it is the whole body of Jesus Christ.The union of two things without change does not enable us to say that one becomes the other; thus the soul is united with the body, and fire is thus united with wood without change.Yet change is necessary to change the form of one thing into the form of another; and such is the union of Tao and Man. For my body does not form a man's body without my soul; and therefore my soul forms my body with whatever matter it is united with. It does not distinguish between necessary and sufficient conditions: the combination is necessary, but not sufficient.The left arm is not the right arm. Impermeability is a property of objects. Numerical identity, so far as the same time is concerned, requires material identity.Therefore, if God united my soul to a body in China, the same body idem numero [same number] would also be in China.The same river that flows here and that flows in China at the same time is idem numero. 659-763 (513) 572-759 Why God Ordained Prayer. (i) To convey to his creatures the dignity of causality. (ii) From whom do we acquire virtue in order to teach us. (iii) To make us worthy of other virtues by labor. However, in order to maintain his own superiority, he gave his prayers to those he liked. Rebuttal: But we believe we take prayer for ourselves. This is absurd; for how can we have faith, since we cannot have virtue if we have faith?Is not the distance between impiety and faith greater than that between faith and virtue? Worthy of, the phrase is ambiguous. Meruit habere Redemptorem. [He deserves a Savior. 〕Meruit tam sacra membra tangere. [He deserves to touch such a holy limb. 〕Digno tam sacra membra tangere. [I am worthy to touch such a holy body. 〕Non sum dignus. [We are not worthy. ] "Luke" Chapter 7, Verse 6: "I dare not be". Qui manducat indignus. [Anyone who eats and drinks is not worthy. ] 1 Corinthians 11, 2 Verse 9: "For if a person eats and drinks without distinguishing it from the Lord's body, he is committing a sin against himself." Dignus est accipere. [Worthy to receive]. Chapter 4, Verse 11 of "Revelation": "You are worthy of honor, honor and authority". Dignare me. [Think I deserve it. ] God should only keep His own promises.He has promised justice to prayer, and he has not promised prayer except to the promised children.St. Augustine had officially said that the power of the righteous would be canceled.Yet it was only by chance that he said this; for it is also probable that the occasion for saying it did not arise.Yet his principles make it impossible for him not to say this, or to say anything to the contrary, should the occasion arise. All the more so that it had to be said while the occasion was presenting itself than that it had been said when the occasion presented itself.The former is inevitable, while the latter is accidental.And those two are all we can pursue. 661, 664-774 (514) 676-749 "By caution you will be saved." Proof of Prayer: Petenti dabitur. [Whatever is asked will be given. ] "Matthew" chapter 7, verse 7: "Ask and it will be given to you". Therefore, we have the ability to demand.on the contrary…….It is not in our power, because it is not in our power to be able to ask him. Since it is not within our power to be saved, but there to be gained, it is not within our power to pray. Therefore, the righteous man should no longer hope for God, because he should not hope, but strive to obtain what he asks. Let us conclude, then, that since man is sinful from the first sin, and God would not have him alienated by him because of it, he is not alienated only by the first action. Those who are estranged from God, therefore, do not have this original function—without which one would be estranged from God—while those who are not estranged have it.We see, therefore, that those who at one time enjoyed this first role by grace, lack it, and cease to ask. Thus, God departs from the original in this sense. 666-697 (515) 688-745 The elect will ignore their virtues, the condemned will ignore the magnitude of their crimes: "Lord, when did we see you hungry and thirsty, etc." 668-766 (516) 682-747 Chapter 3, verse 27 of Romans.Glory is excluded; by what law?Which way to act?None, but only by faith.Confidence, therefore, is not in our power, like the work of the law; it is given to us in another way. 657-393 (517) 659-748 Comfort yourself: you do not expect it from yourself; on the contrary, you can expect it when there is nothing to expect from yourself. 663-724 (518) 571-750 According to the Holy Book, all situations - even martyrs - are to be feared. The greatest pain in the prison is that the trial is uncertain. Deus abscon-ditus. (hidden god) 670—528 (519) 675—760 Chapter 8 of John's Gospel: Multicredideruntineum. Dicebat ergoJesus: "Simanseritis..., veremeidiscipuleritis, etveri tasliberabitvos. "Responderunt: "SemenAbrahaesumus, etneminiservimusunquam. [Many of them believed in him.So Jesus said: "If you keep (my word)... you will be my true believers and the truth will liberate you".They replied: "We are the sons and daughters of Abraham, and we have never been anyone's slaves". 〕 Chapter 8, Verses 30-33 of John's Gospel: "When Jesus said this, many believed in him. Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, If you continue in my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They He answered, We are the descendants of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to anyone." There is a great difference between a believer and a true believer.We need only tell them that the truth will set them free, and we can identify them; for if they answer that they are free and that they themselves will be freed from the slavery of the devil, they are believers indeed, but not true believers. 669-762 (520) 646-761 Law did not destroy nature, but taught it; grace did not destroy law, but made it act. The faith gained by baptism is the root of the whole life of Christians and converts. 674-765 (521) 651-762 Charism will always be in the world,--so is nature,--so that it is in some degree natural. So there will always be Pirakis, there will always be Catholics, and there will always be struggles; for the first birth made one kind of man, and the second birth the grace of another kind of man. 667-767 (522) 669-694 The law obliges man to do what it does not give.Charism gives man what it obliges. 675-433 (523) 656-698 All faith is in Jesus Christ and Adam; all morality is in lust and grace. 676-670 (524) 766-705 No doctrine is more suitable to mankind than that which teaches man his double possibility of receiving and losing his grace, because he is always exposed to the double danger of despair and pride. sex. 392-285 (525) 664-699 Philosophers have not prescribed the sentiments corresponding to these two states. They inspire emotions of sheer greatness, which is not the human state. They inspire emotions of pure baseness, and that's not the human condition either. A base sentiment is necessary, not from nature but from contrition; not in order to remain in it, but in order to advance to greatness.Great emotions are necessary, but not of merit but of grace, and after having experienced the mean. 677-668 (526) 663-706 Sadness persuades despair, pride persuades complacency.The incarnation revealed to man the greatness of his misery by the greatness of the remedy he needed. 75-383 (527) 666-707 To know God without knowing our own wretchedness forms pride.Knowing your own wretchedness without knowing God creates despair.Knowing Jesus Christ forms the middle way, for in it we find both God and our misery. 678-506 (528) 519-710 Jesus Christ is a God whom we draw close to without pride, and whom we bow to without despair. 679-669 (529) 782-711 . . . There is no humiliation that makes it impossible for us to acquire good, and no holiness that makes it impossible for us to be free from evil. 680—757 (530) 673—712 A man once told me one day that he was very happy and confident after confessing.Another man spoke to me, still with fear.So it occurred to me that we could make one good man from these two men, each lacking in the other what he did not have.The same is often the case with other things. 662-764 (531) 671-713 He who knows the will of his master will be more whipped, because he has power because of knowledge. Quijustusest, justieiceturadhuc [who is righteous, let him still have justice] "Revelation" Chapter 22, Section 11: "The righteous, let him still be righteous", because he has power because of justice.The greatest reckoning is done to him who receives the most, because he has power by virtue of this help. 683-260 (532) 665-726 There are many passages in the Holy Book that can comfort and threaten all situations. Human nature seems to do the same with its two infinities, the natural and the moral: Because we will always have high and low, wisdom and foolishness, high and low, which can belittle our pride and elevate our humiliation. 694-719 (533) 661-726 Comminutum cor (Saint Paul); this is characteristic of Christianity. "Alba named you, I no longer know you" (Corneille); this is an inhuman quality.Human nature is the opposite. 681-700 (534) 658-722 There are only two kinds of people: the righteous who believe they are sinners, and the sinners who believe they are righteous. 682-693 (535) 654-724 We are deeply in debt to those who warn us of our mistakes, because they restrain us; they teach us that we are despised; they do not prevent us from doing so in the future, because we have many other mistakes despised.But they are ready for us to make corrections and be free from mistakes. 102-189 (536) 635-738 Man is made so that by telling him he is a fool he will believe it; and by telling him so himself he will make himself believe it.Because man is alone in an inner conversation with himself, this should be well regulated: Corrumpunt mores bonos colloquia prava. We must silence ourselves as much as possible, and speak only to ourselves of God (whom we know is the truth); so that we can convince ourselves of the truth. 684-667 (537) 446-739 基督教是奇特的。它吩咐人要认识自己是邪恶的，甚至于是可憎的，但又吩咐人要愿望着有似于上帝。没有这样一种平衡，那种提高就会使他虚骄得可恶，否则那种屈卑就会使他卑贱得可怕。 685—674（538）690—741 一个基督徒是以多么一点点的骄傲就使自己相信是与上帝结合的！又以多么一点点的屈辱就使自己等同于地上的虫豸的！ 这是接受生与死、福与祸的最美妙的方式！ 686—672（539）614—743 一个兵士与一个沙特略派二者之间对于服从是何等地不同啊！因为他们都是同样服从的与依附的，都在同样地苦行。但兵士永远在期望着变成主人却从来也不曾变成主人，因为哪怕是官长和诸侯也都永远是奴隶和附庸；然而他却永远在期望着并且永远在努力以求达到这一点；反之沙特略派则发誓永远只是依附。因此，他们在永恒的奴役这方面并没有不同，双方都在永远受奴役；但是在希望方面，前者却永远有希望，而后者则永远都没有。 687—747（540）613—742 基督徒要求享有无限美好的这一希望，是渗和着真正的欢乐以及恐惧的；因为这并不像那些虽然期望着有一个王国而自己却身为臣民所以终于是一无所有的人；他们期望的是圣洁，是免于不义，他们是会得到其中的某些东西的。 688—673（541）616—642 没有人能像一个真正的基督徒那么幸福，或那么有理智、有德行而且可爱。 693—726（542）655—644 唯有基督的宗教才能使人完全可爱而又幸福。仅有诚实，我们并不能完全可爱而又幸福。 5—381（543）605—734 序言——上帝存在之形而上学的证明是如此之背离人类的推理而又如此之混乱，所以很难打动人；并且当其可能对某些人有用时，那也只是在他们看到这种证明的那一瞬间才有用，一小时以后他们就又要害怕自己被骗了。 Quod curiositate cognoverunt superbia amiserunt。〔他们由于好奇而认识的东西，又由于骄傲而失掉了〕。语出奥古斯丁《讲道集》第141这就是不要耶稣基督而得出对上帝的认识所产生的东西，这就是不要居间者而与人们不要居间者便已认识到的那个上帝之间的相通。反之，那些靠了居间者而认识上帝的人，721—302（544）867—701 基督徒的上帝是这样一个上帝，他使灵魂感到上帝才是灵魂的唯一的美好，灵魂的全部安憇都在上帝之中，灵魂除了爱上帝而外就没有别的欢乐；而同时他又使灵魂憎恶种种阻滞自己并防碍自己得以尽力去爱上帝的障碍。那些束缚着它的自爱与欲念，对于他都是不堪忍受的。这个上帝使灵魂感到它所具有的这种自爱的根基会毁灭它自己，并且唯有上帝才能拯救它。 689—505（545）609—700 耶稣基督所做的事只不过是教诲人们说：他们爱的乃是他们自己，他们是盲目的、病态的、不幸的奴隶和罪人；他必须解救、启发、降福与医治他们；他们通过恨自己本身并根据可悲和死于十字架去追随他，就可以做到这一点。 690—601（546）607—708 没有耶稣基督，人类就必定会沦于邪恶与可悲；有了耶稣基督，人就会免于邪恶与可悲。在他那里有着我们全部的德行和我们全部的福祉。离开了他，就只有邪恶、可悲、错误、黑暗、死亡、绝望。 730—380（547）689—709 我们仅仅由于耶稣基督才认识上帝。没有这位居间者，也就取消了与上帝的一切相通；由于耶稣基督，我们就认识了上帝。凡是自命不要耶稣基督就认识上帝并证明上帝的人只不过具有一些软弱无力的证明罢了。但我们却有着预言——这些预言乃是确凿可知的证明——可以证明耶稣基督。 这些已经成就的并为事实所真确证明了的预言就标志着这些真理的确实可靠性，从而也就标志着耶稣基督的神性的证明。 因而，我们就在他的身上并且是由于他而认识上帝。除此以外，并且假如没有圣书、没有原罪、没有被允诺了的而且已经到来的必要的居间者，我们就绝对不能够证明上帝，也不能够教给人良好的学说或良好的道德。然而由于耶稣基督并且在耶稣基督之中，我们就证明了上帝，并且能够教给人以道德和学说。因而，耶稣基督就是人类真正的上帝。 然而我们同时也认识我们的可悲，因为这个上帝并不是别的什么，只不过是我们之可悲的拯救者而已。因此，我们就只能在认识我们的罪过时，才能很好地认识上帝。同样，那些不认识自己的可悲就认识了上帝的人们并没有光荣化上帝，而只是光荣化了他们自己。Quia…non cognovit per sapicntiam…placuit Deo per stultitiam praedicationis salvos facere．〔因为……人凭智慧并不认识上帝，……所以上帝便喜欢以愚拙的宣教来做出拯救〕。《哥林多前书》第1章第21节：“世人凭自己的智慧既不认识上帝，上帝就乐意用人所当作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人”。 729—602（548）608—723 不仅是我们只能由于耶稣基督才认识上帝，而且我们也只能由于耶稣基督才认识我们自己。我们只能由于耶稣基督才认识生和死。离开了耶稣基督，我们就不知道什么是我们的生，什么是我们的死，什么是上帝，什么是我们自己。 因此，若没有仅只以耶稣基督为其对象的圣书，我们就什么也不认识，而只能是在上帝的本性中以及在我们自己的本性中看到蒙昧与混乱。 728—382（549）630—647 不要耶稣基督就想认识上帝，这不仅是不可能的，而且是毫无益处的。他们并没有疏远了他，而是接近了他，他们并没有使自己屈卑，而是……。 Quo quisquam optimus est，pessimus，si hoc ip sum，quod optimus est，adscribat sibi．〔越是使人好的东西就越会使人坏；假如我们把好的东西归之于我们自身的话〕。 732—748（550）617—648 我爱贫穷，因为上帝爱贫穷。我爱财富，因为它们提供了可以帮助不幸者的手段。 我对一切人都怀着忠诚，我并〔不〕以怨回报怨我的人；并且我希望他们的情形也和我一样，既不受别人的德也不受别人的怨。我力求对一切人都公正、真实、诚恳并且忠心；对于上帝使我与之格外紧密结合在一起的那些人，我衷心怀着亲切之情；并且无论我是独自一个人、还是在别人的眼前，我的一切行为都有上帝明鉴，上帝会判断它们的，而我也是把它们全部都奉献给上帝的。 这就是我的感情面貌；我一生中天天都在祝福我的救主，他把它们安置在我的身中，他以他那神恩的力量把一个充满了脆弱、可悲、欲念、骄傲和野心的人造就成一个免于这一切恶德的人，这一切光荣都由于神恩，而我自己却只有可悲与错误。 733—406（551）621—649 Dignior plagis quam osculis non timeo quia amo．〔尽管我更配鞭挞而不配亲吻，但我并不害怕，因为我有爱〕。这句话大概是作者自己的。 735—752（552）620—650 耶稣基督的坟墓——耶稣基督死去了，而又被人看见在十字架上。他死去了，并隐藏在坟墓中。 耶稣基督是仅仅被圣徒们所埋葬的。 耶稣基督在坟墓中并没有行过任何奇迹。 只有圣徒才进入过那里。 正是在这里耶稣基督获得了一个新生命，而不是在十字架上。 这就是受难与救赎的最后神秘。 耶稣基督在地上除了坟墓而外，就没有可以安息的地方。 他的敌人只是到了坟墓中才停止折磨他。 736—739（553）631—651 耶稣的神秘——耶稣在受难中忍受着别人所加给他的苦痛，然而他在忧伤中却忍受着他自己所加给自己的苦痛，tur bare se－metipsum〔“心里悲叹，又甚忧愁”。 〕语出《约翰福音》第11章第33节。按此处所引经文原文应作turbavit seipsum。 .那不是出于人手而是出于全能者之手的一种苦难，因为必须是全能者才能承担它。 耶稣寻求某种安慰，至少是在他最亲爱的三个朋友中间，而他们却睡着了。他祈求他们和他一起承担一些，而他们却对他全不在意，他们的同情心是那么少，以致竟不能片刻阻止他们沉睡。于是耶稣就剩下孤独一个人承受上帝的愤怒了。 耶稣在地上是孤独的，不仅没有人体会并分享他的痛苦，而且也没有人知道他的痛苦；只有上天和他自己才有这种知识。 耶稣是在一座园子里，但不是像最初的亚当已经为自己并为全人类所丧失了的那样一座极乐园，而是在他要拯救自己和全人类的那样一座苦难园里。 他在深夜的恐怖之中忍受这种痛苦和这种离弃。 我相信耶稣从不曾忧伤过，除了在这唯一的一次；可是这时候他却忧伤得仿佛再也承受不住他那极度的悲苦：“我的灵魂悲痛得要死了。” 耶稣向别人那里寻求伴侣和慰藉。我觉得这是他一生中独一无二的一次。但是他并没有得到，因为他的弟子们睡着了。 耶稣将会忧伤，一直到世界的终了；我们在这段时间里绝不可睡着。 耶稣处于这种受到普遍遗弃以及被他那些选来和他一起守夜的朋友们所遗弃的状态之中，他发见他们都睡着了，便因他们不是把他而是把他们自己暴露在危险之前而烦恼；他为了他们本身的得救与他们本身的好处而以一种对他们的诚挚的温情在他们不知感恩的时刻来警告他们；他警告他们说，精神是飘忽的而肉体又是软弱的。 耶稣发见他们仍然在睡着，既不为对他的也不为对他们自己的顾虑所萦绕，便满怀善意地不把他们唤醒而让他们好好安息。 耶稣在不能确定父的意志的时候就祈祷着，他害怕死亡；然而当他认识到它之后，他就走向前去献身给死亡：famus．Processit．（约翰）。 〔我们去吧。Let's go. 〕见《约翰福音》第18章第4—8节，又《马太福音》第26章第46节。 耶稣祈求过人，但不曾为人倾听。 耶稣在他的弟子睡觉时，就安排了他们的得救。在义人酣睡的时候，他便造就了每一个义人的得救，既在他们出生之前的虚无之中、也在他们出生以后的罪恶之中。 他仅仅祈祷过一次要这杯离开，然后就顺从了；并且他还会去祈祷第二次的，假如有必要的话。 耶稣在忧烦中。 耶稣看到自己所有的朋友都睡着了而自己所有的敌人都警觉着，就把自己完全交给了他的父。 耶稣在犹大的身上并不是看到他的敌意，而是看到他所爱的、所承认的上帝的秩序；因为他称犹大为朋友。 耶稣摆脱自己的弟子才能进入忧伤；我们必须摆脱自己最亲近的和最亲密的人才能仿效他。 耶稣既是处于忧伤之中、处于最大的痛苦之中，就让我们祈祷得格外长久吧！ 我们祈求上帝的仁慈，并非为了要他可以让我们在我们的邪恶之中得到平静，而是为了他可以把我们从其中解救出来。 如果上帝亲手给我们以主人，啊，那么我们多么有必要应该衷心地服从他们啊！必然性与各种事件是丝毫不爽的。 ——“安慰你自己吧，假如你不曾发见我，就不会寻找我。 “我在自己的忧伤中思念着你，我曾为你流过如许的血滴。 “若是想着你会不会做好这样或那样不存在的事，那就是试探我更有甚于考验你自己了：当它到来时，我会在你的身上做出它来的。 “你要让我的规律来引导，看看我把童贞女以及让我在他们身上起作用的那些圣者们引导得多么好吧。 “父爱我所做的一切。 “你愿意它永远以我那人性的血为代价，而你却不流泪吗？ “你的皈依就是我的事业：别害怕，满怀信念地祈祷吧，就像是为我那样。 “我以我在圣书中的话、以我在教会中的灵，并且以感召、以我在牧师身上的权力、以我在虔敬信者身上的祈祷而与你同在。 “医生不能救治你，因为你终将死去。然而救治你并使你肉身不朽的却是我。 “要忍受肉体的枷锁与奴役；目前我只从精神上解脱你。 “比起这些和那些人来，我更是你的朋友；因为我为你做的比他们更多，他们不会忍受我所忍受于你的，也不会在你不敬与残酷的时候为你而死，就像我在我的选民中以及在圣体中所曾做过的以及所准备做的和正在做着的那样。 “如果你认识你的罪恶，你就会丧失你的心”。 ——主啊！那末我就丧失它吧，因为我依据你的保证而确信它们的毒恶。 “——不，因为我（你是从我这里学到这些的）可以救治你，而我向你所说的正是我要救治你的一个标记。随着你赎这些罪，你就会认识它们，并且你就会听到说：'看哪，你的罪被解免了。'因此，为你那隐蔽着的罪行、为你所知道的那些罪行的秘密毒恶而忏悔吧。 ——主啊！我把一切献给你。 ——“我爱你要比你爱你的污秽——ut immundus pro luto〔象沾满了尘土那样不洁〕——更热烈。 “让光荣归于我，而不是归于你，你这虫豸与尘土。 “当我亲口的话对你竟成为恶德与虚荣或好奇心的缘由时，你就去询问你的指导者吧”。 ——我看到了自己的骄傲、好奇心与欲念的深渊。我与上帝或与正直的耶稣基督并没有任何关系。然而他却由我而被弄成有罪的了；所有你的鞭挞都落在他的身上。他倒比我更可憎恶，但他远没有憎恶我，反而使自己受到尊敬，以致我要走向他并且求救于他。 然而他却救治了他自己，而且会更加有理由要救治我。 必须把我的创痛加在他的上面，把我和他结合在一起，他将在拯救他自己时也拯救我。然而这却决不可推给将来。 Eritis sicut dii scientes bonum et malum。 〔你将知道善与恶，象上帝那样。 〕 《创世记》第3章第5节：“你们便如上帝能知道善悲”。在判断“这是善或恶”的时候，每个人就都造就了上帝；并且对于事件不是过份地痛苦便是过份地高兴。 做小事要像大事那样，因为在我们身中做出这些事并过活着我们的生命的耶稣基督是尊贵的；做大事要像轻易的小事那样，因为他是无所不能的。 734—742（554）610—688 我觉得耶稣基督只是在他复活之后才许人摸他的伤痕的：No－li me tangere。〔不要摸我〕。语出《约翰福音》第20章第17节。我们必须只把我们自己和他的苦难结合在一起。 他在最后的晚餐中把自己奉献给圣餐时好像是要死的，对于在以马忤斯的门徒则是复活了的，而对全体教会则是升了天的。 737—751（555）619—687 “绝不要拿你自己比较别人，而只能比较我。如果你在那些你以自己与之相比较的人们中间并没有发见我，你就是以自己在和一个可憎的人相比较了。如果你在其中发见了我，那末就以你自己来比较吧。然而你将比较什么呢？是比较你自己吗，还是在你身上的我呢？如果是你自己，那就只是一个可憎的人。如果是我，那你就是以我来和我自己相比较。而我是一切中的上帝。 “我在向你讲话并且时时劝导你，因为你的引导者不能向你讲话，而我又不肯让你缺少引导者。 “而或许我是其他的祈祷这样做的，因此他在引导着你而你却看不见他。如果你里面没有我，你就不会寻找我。 “因而，就不要惶恐不安”！