登陆注册
5380100000144

第144章 CONVERSATION BETWIXT WILL ATKINS AND HIS WIFE(2)

[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than he at first.]

W.A.- That's true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear.

WIFE.- Why you say you God makee all?

W.A.- Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you, and me, and all things; for He is the only true God, and there is no God but Him.He lives for ever in heaven.

WIFE.- Why you no tell me long ago?

W.A.- That's true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and have not only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but have lived without God in the world myself.

WIFE.- What, have you a great God in your country, you no know Him? No say O to Him? No do good ting for Him? That no possible.

W.A.- It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no God in heaven, or that He had no power on earth.

Wife.- But why God let you do so? Why He no makee you good live?

W.A.- It is all our own fault.

WIFE.- But you say me He is great, much great, have much great power; can makee kill when He will: why He no makee kill when you no serve Him? no say O to Him? no be good mans?

W.A.- That is true, He might strike me dead; and I ought to expect it, for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is merciful, and does not deal with us as we deserve.

WIFE.- But then do you not tell God thankee for that too?

W.A.- No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His mercy, any more than I have feared God from His power.

WIFE.- Then you God no God; me no think, believe He be such one, great much power, strong: no makee kill you, though you make Him much angry.

W.A.- What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God?

What a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad truth is it, that the horrid lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens!

WIFE.- How me tink you have great much God up there [she points up to heaven], and yet no do well, no do good ting? Can He tell?

Sure He no tell what you do?

W.A.- Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He hears us speak, sees what we do, knows what we think though we do not speak.

WIFE.- What! He no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn?

W.A.- Yes, yes, He hears it all.

WIFE.- Where be then the much great power strong?

W.A.- He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and this proves Him to be the true God; He is God, and not man, and therefore we are not consumed.

[Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror to think how he could tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and hears, and knows the secret thoughts of the heart, and all that we do, and yet that he had dared to do all the vile things he had done.]

WIFE.- Merciful! What you call dat?

W.A.- He is our Father and Maker, and He pities and spares us.

WIFE.- So then He never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked; then He no good Himself, or no great able.

W.A.- Yes, yes, my dear, He is infinitely good and infinitely great, and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show His justice and vengeance, He lets fly His anger to destroy sinners and make examples; many are cut off in their sins.

WIFE.- But no makee kill you yet; then He tell you, maybe, that He no makee you kill: so you makee the bargain with Him, you do bad thing, He no be angry at you when He be angry at other mans.

W.A.- No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions upon His goodness;

and He would be infinitely just if He destroyed me, as He has done other men.

WIFE.- Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead: what you say to Him for that? You no tell Him thankee for all that too?

W.A.- I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true.

WIFE.- Why He no makee you much good better? you say He makee you.

W.A.- He made me as He made all the world: it is I have deformed myself and abused His goodness, and made myself an abominable wretch.

WIFE.- I wish you makee God know me.I no makee Him angry - I no do bad wicked thing.

[Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him to hear a poor untaught creature desire to be taught to know God, and he such a wicked wretch, that he could not say one word to her about God, but what the reproach of his own carriage would make most irrational to her to believe; nay, that already she had told him that she could not believe in God, because he, that was so wicked, was not destroyed.]

W.A.- My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach you to know God, not God to know you; for He knows you already, and every thought in your heart.

WIFE.- Why, then, He know what I say to you now: He know me wish to know Him.How shall me know who makee me?

W.A.- Poor creature, He must teach thee: I cannot teach thee.I will pray to Him to teach thee to know Him, and forgive me, that am unworthy to teach thee.

[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to make her know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he fell down on his knees before her, and prayed to God to enlighten her mind with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to pardon his sins, and accept of his being the unworthy instrument of instructing her in the principles of religion: after which he sat down by her again, and their dialogue went on.This was the time when we saw him kneel down and hold up his hands.]

Wife.- What you put down the knee for? What you hold up the hand for? What you say? Who you speak to? What is all that?

W.A.- My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submission to Him that made me: I said O to Him, as you call it, and as your old men do to their idol Benamuckee; that is, I prayed to Him.

WIFE.- What say you O to Him for?

W.A.- I prayed to Him to open your eyes and your understanding, that you may know Him, and be accepted by Him.

WIFE.- Can He do that too?

W.A.- Yes, He can: He can do all things.

WIFE.- But now He hear what you say?

W.A.- Yes, He has bid us pray to Him, and promised to hear us.

WIFE.- Bid you pray? When He bid you? How He bid you? What you hear Him speak?

W.A.- No, we do not hear Him speak; but He has revealed Himself many ways to us.

[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that God has revealed Himself to us by His word, and what His word was; but at last he told it to her thus.]

W.A.- God has spoken to some good men in former days, even from heaven, by plain words; and God has inspired good men by His Spirit; and they have written all His laws down in a book.

同类推荐
  • 道德经顺朱

    道德经顺朱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 云峰体宗宁禅师语录

    云峰体宗宁禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大法鼓经

    大法鼓经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大威怒乌刍涩么仪轨经

    大威怒乌刍涩么仪轨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 辟邪集

    辟邪集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 去往松花镇

    去往松花镇

    《去往松花镇》是“宁波青年作家创作文库(第3辑)”中的一部中短篇小说集,收录青年作家符利群*创作的《去往松花镇》《水上花生》《木槿只开一回花》等十部中短篇小说,大多记录了普通人的生活百态,文笔细腻,可读性强。
  • 名门俏老婆

    名门俏老婆

    噬血般残忍冰冷的总裁看到了清纯的小丫头后,每天送花,送早餐,却未能打动她。“要怎么样,你才会做我的女人呢?”付昊然轻挑双眉,一脸温柔。“是不是,我要什么,你都给呢?”韩凝梦俏皮的脸上挂着一抹邪恶的笑容问!付昊然深勾薄唇,得意点头:“是的!”“那好,我要你的遗产!你给吗?”韩凝梦洁白的脸上一沉,冷冷道!
  • 道教自然观研究

    道教自然观研究

    中国道教研究在百年的历程中,走过的并不是一条平坦的路。整个20世纪,经历了中西多元文化的激烈冲撞、一元文化的范式转化、全球化背景下多元文化的再一次激荡角逐,中国的道教研究在多次的浮沉和变通中,经历了排外、接受、容纳、调适的发展过程,获得了新的价值和生命力。本书考察了20世纪道教学术研究的总体概况,并以四位典型学者陈撄宁、萧天石、国符、王明为例,分析了20世纪道教研究的几个向度,概括了20世纪中国道教学术的若干新特点以及道教研究的定位问题。
  • 不可不读的最勇敢的胆略故事

    不可不读的最勇敢的胆略故事

    在成长的道路上,最快乐的体验是求知;在探索的过程中,最需要的帮助是引导。希望《不可不读的最勇敢的胆略故事》能带领小朋友们在知识的海洋里快乐遨游,让它成为你的良师益友!
  • 执政组织资源与执政党的组织建设

    执政组织资源与执政党的组织建设

    执政党的组织资源,是执政党的资源系统中的首要资源,是其他资源发挥作用的基础和载体。因此,充分发挥和利用党自身的组织资源的功效是中国共产党提高执政能力有效执政的关键。由沈建红编著的《执政组织资源与执政党的组织建设》共9章节,内容为组织资源理论的基本概念,组织资源理论的历史形成追溯,执政党组织资源整合的基本要素,中国共产党组织资源整合的历史经验等。
  • 无名的裘德

    无名的裘德

    这是哈代最优秀的作品之一男主人公仅十一岁,父母双亡,贫困孤苦而又多愁善感,但幼小心灵中已深深埋下了求索上进的宏志大愿。袭德的这番经历,是英国十九世纪后半叶乡村教育逐渐普及后有知识的一代青年劳动者要求改变自身地位的图影。
  • 大方广佛华严经-佛驮跋陀罗

    大方广佛华严经-佛驮跋陀罗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 最倒霉的穿越:妃子不受宠

    最倒霉的穿越:妃子不受宠

    人家的皇后都雍容华贵,母仪天下。朕的皇后:把皇上卖到歌坊,小赚一笔,够买酒喝。勾王爷,没事敲诈下,再不听话,就杀了。再没事,整治后宫的美人们,逗逗太后,践踏践踏皇上。他迎进宫的是皇后,还是妖孽。后宫怨声载道,皇上好想逃。??
  • 流传千古的文学名著

    流传千古的文学名著

    名著就是指具有较高艺术价值和知名度,且包含永恒主题和经典的人物形象,能够经过时间考验经久不衰,被广泛流传的文字作品。本书给大家呈现了流传千古的文学名著,其内容有《诗经》、《伊利亚特》等等文学名著。
  • 德伯家的苔丝(世界文学名著典藏)

    德伯家的苔丝(世界文学名著典藏)

    女主人公苔丝出生在一个贫苦的家庭中,家里靠一些小生意糊口。有一天,苔丝的父亲听说自己是古代贵族德伯的后裔,便要求女儿去一个自称也是德伯后裔的富老太婆家攀亲,希望能得到经济上的支援。但苔丝却在那里被老太婆的儿子亚历克诱奸。几年后,苔丝在她做工的奶牛场与牧师的儿子安奇尔·克莱尔相爱。新婚之夜,她把自己昔日的不幸向丈夫坦白。但是丈夫非但没有原谅她,还抛下她只身前往巴西发展事业。苔丝断了生计,加上父亲病故,她觉得自己有责任照顾家人的生活,而这时亚历克又对她百般纠缠,绝望中的苔丝只能被迫与道貌岸然的亚历克·德伯同居。