如何从读经中得到最多的领受

Thomas Watson 著
由 Matthew Vogan 简略改写成现代文体
Evergreen 译

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1. 排除障碍。
   (a) 除去对各样罪的眷恋
   (b) 除去对世事的思虑，特别是贪婪 [ 马太。 13:22]
   (c) 不嘲讽圣经经文，不脱离圣经经文。
2. 准备自己的心。 [ 撒母上 7:3] 若要如此做，必须 :
   (a) 思想集中
   (b) 清除污秽的贪爱及情欲
   (c) 不草率，轻意地对待。
3. 以敬畏的心读经，把每一行字语都看成是神直接与你说话。
4. 依次研读圣经的各卷书籍。
5. 要真正懂得圣经经文。 [ 诗篇 119:73] 对有关联部分的经文作相互的比较，这样做，最能得到造就。
6. 认真研读圣经。 [ 申命 32:47] 要认真对待基督徒的生活，因为基督徒过活应该力争向前， [ 路加 13:24] 不可中断 [ 希伯 4:1] 。
7. 坚持记住所读的经句。 [ 诗篇 119:52] 不让它被忘怀 [ 马太 13:4,19] 。如果你不把它记住 , 那它对你就未必有什么益处。
8. 默想你所读的经文。 [ 诗篇 119:15] 希伯来语的 meditate ' 是指心神专致 ' 。没有读经的默想是错误的，并且必定会出差错 ; 而没有默想的读经乃是不毛之地，不结果子的。这表示激发了热情，还有待默想的火种加温 [ 诗篇 39:3] 。
9. 以谦卑的心读经。应意识到你并不值得神向你显明他自己 [ 雅各 4:6] 。
10. 相信圣经全部是神的话语。 [ 提后 3:16] 由于它对罪的描述，使我门知道没有一个罪人能够写得出圣经。没有一个圣人敢假装自己的话语是神的话语来亵　神。没有一个天使能够以同样的道理写出圣经。 [ 希伯 4:2]
11. 对圣经有高度的评价。 [ 诗篇 119:72] 它是你的生命线 ; 你藉着它得到重生 [ 雅各 1:18] 。你需要依靠它得到成长 [ 彼前 2:2] [ 参看 雅各 23:12] 。
12. 须热爱圣经 [ 诗篇 119:159] 。
13. 以诚实的心灵研读。 [ 路加 8:15]
    (a) 愿意知道神整个，全面的旨意
    (b) 读经是为了靠它来改变自己，并改变得更好 [ 约翰 17:17] 。
14. 你所读的每一点都要应用于你自己，把每一个字都看成是跟你自己讲的。 它对罪的谴责就如对你自己罪的谴责 ; 它所要求的职责就如神向你要求的职责 [ 列王下 22:11] 。
15. 如同对神的应许那样，非常密切注意神的命令。要想到你怎样需要指导就如你怎样需要安慰。
16. 不要专注次要的细节，宁可确定自己密切注意的则是大事 [ 何西 8:12] 。
17. 把你自己和神的话语作比较。你怎样作比较 ? 你的心是，或不是，写照了神的话语 ?
18. 特别注意一些对你个人说话的章节，特殊的情况和现在的情况。如
    (a) 磨难 - [ 希伯 12:7 ，以赛 27:9 ，约翰 16:20 ，哥後 4:17] 。
    (b) 失去感受到基督的同在，失去笑容 - [ 以赛 54:8 ，以赛 57:16 ，诗篇 97:11]
    (c) 罪 - [ 加拉 5:24 ，雅各 1:15 ，彼前 2:11 ，箴言 7:10&22-23 ，箴言 22:14]
    (d) 怀疑 - [ 以赛 26:3 ，撒母下 22:31 ， 约翰 3:15 ，约壹 5:10 ，约翰 3:36]
19. 特别注意圣经中人物的例子和生命，把它们作为生动的训诫。
    (a) 惩罚 [ 尼布撒尼加，希律，民数 25:3-4&9 ，列王上 14:9-10 使徒 5:5,10 ，哥前 10:11 ，犹大 7] 。
    (b) 怜悯和释放 [ 但以理，耶利米，在燃烧熔炉中的三少年 ] 。
20. 在你感到你心中火热以后才可停止读经。 [ 诗篇 119:93] 使它不但跟你说话，而且使你极度激动 [ 耶利米 23:29 ，路加 24:32] 。
21. 你所读的要得到实践 [ 诗篇 119:66 ，诗篇 119:105 ，申命 17:19] 。
22. 基督对我们是先知，祭司，和君王。 要运用　作为先知的权能 [ 启示 5:5 ，约翰 8:12 ，诗篇 119:102-103] 。要得到基督，不光是向你打开经文，还要开启你的智力和领受能力 [ 路加 24:45] 。
23. 确定你自己真正接受神的话语，忠心，彻底详述神的话语 [ 箴言 8:34] 诚挚，渴慕的等待它。
24. 祷告祈求你能从读经中得利 [ 以赛亚 48:17 ，诗篇 119:18 ，尼希 9:20] 。

天然发生的障碍 你仍能通过读经得到好处，即使 :

1. 你看来得到的好处不像别人那样多。请记住，各人有不同的收获 [ 马太 13:8] ，虽然你的收获没有别人那样多，然而这仍是真实和丰盛的收获。
2. 你可能感到你的理解力迟钝 [ 路加 9:45 ，希伯 5:11] 。
3. 你的积忆力很差， (a) 但记住，尽管如此，你还是能够有一个良善的心， (b) 即使你不能记住每一件事，你仍能记住最重要的地方，约翰 14:26 能给予你鼓励。

How to Get the Most from Reading your Bible
by Thomas Watson
Abridged and Modernised by Matthew Vogan

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1. Remove hindrances. (a) remove the love of every sin (b) remove the distracting concerns of this world, especially covetousness [Matt. 13:22] (c) Don't make jokes with and out of Scripture.
2. Prepare your heart. [1 Sam. 7:3] Do this by: (a) collecting your thoughts (b) purging unclean affections and desires (c) not coming to it rashly or carelessly.
3. Read it with reverence, considering that each line is God speaking directly to you.
4. Read the books of the Bible in order.
5. Get a true understanding of Scripture. [Ps. 119:73] This is best achieved by comparing relevant parts of Scripture with each other.
6. Read with seriousness. [Deut. 32:47] The Christian life is to be taken seriously since it requires striving [Luke 13:24] and not falling short [Heb. 4:1].
7. Persevere in remembering what you read. [Ps. 119:52] Don't let it be stolen from you [Matt. 13:4,19]. If it doesn't stay in your memory it is unlikely to be much benefit to you.
8. Meditate on what you read. [Ps. 119:15] The Hebrew word for meditate' means to be intense in the mind'. Meditation without reading is wrong and bound to err; reading without meditation is barren and fruitless. It means to stir the affections, to be warmed by the fire of meditation [Ps. 39:3].
9. Read with a humble heart. Acknowledge that you are unworthy that God should reveal himself to you [James 4:6]
10. Believe it all to be God's Holy Word. [2 Tim 3:16] We know that no sinner could have written it because of the way it describes sin. No saint could blaspheme God by pretending his own Word was God's. No angel could have written it for the same reason. [Heb 4:2]
11. Prize the Bible highly. [Ps. 119:72] It is your lifeline; you were born by it [James 1:18] you need to grow by it [1 Pet 2:2] [cf. Job 23:12].
12. Love the Bible ardently [Ps. 119:159].
13. Come to read it with an honest heart. [Luke 8:15] (a) Willing to know the entire and complete will of God (b) reading in order to be changed and made better by it [John 17:17].
14. Apply to yourself everything that you read, take every word as spoken to yourself. Its condemnation of sins as the condemnation of your own sin; the duty that it requires as the duty God would require from you [2 Kings 22:11].
15. Pay close attention to the commands of the Word as much as the promises. Think of how you need direction just as much as you need comfort.
16. Don't get carried away with the minor details, rather make sure to pay closest attention to the great things [Hosea 8:12].
17. Compare yourself with the Word. How do you compare? Is your heart something of a transcript of it, or not?
18. Pay special attention to those passages that speak to your individual, particular and present situation. e.g. (a) Affliction -- [Heb. 12:7, Isaiah 27:9, John 16:20, 2 Cor 4:17. (b) Sense of Christ's presence and smile withdrawn -- [Isaiah 54:8, Isaiah 57:16, Ps. 97:11] (c) Sin -- [Gal 5:24, James 1:15, 1 Peter 2:11, Prov 7:10&22-23, Prov 22:14] (d) Unbelief -- [Isaiah 26:3, 2 Sam 22:31, John 3:15, 1 John 5:10, John 3:36]
19. Pay special attention to the examples and lives of people in the Bible as living sermons. (a) Punishments [Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, Num 25:3-4&9, 1 Kings 14:9-10, Acts 5:5,10, 1 Cor 10:11, Jude 7] (b) mercies and deliverances [Daniel, Jeremiah, the 3 youths in the fiery furnace]
20. Don't stop reading the Bible until you find your heart warmed. [Ps 119:93] Let it not only inform you but also inflame you [Jer 23:29, Luke 24:32].
21. Put into practice what you read [Ps 119:66, Ps 119:105, Deut 17:19].
22. Christ is for us Prophet, Priest and King. Make use of His office as a Prophet [Rev 5:5, John 8:12, Ps 119:102-103]. Get Christ not only to open the Scriptures up to you, but to open up your mind and understanding [Luke 24:45]
23. Make sure to put yourself under a true ministry of the Word, faithfully and thoroughly expounding the Word [Prov 8:34] be earnest and eager in waiting on it.
24. Pray that you will profit from reading [Isaiah 48:17, Ps 119:18, Nehemiah 9:20].

Natural obstacles You may still be able to profit from reading even though:

1. You don't seem to profit as much as others do. Remember the different yields [Matt 13:8] though the yield isn't as much as others it is still a true and fruitful yield.
2. You may feel slow of understanding [Luke 9:45, Heb 5:11].
3. Your memory is bad (a) remember you are still able to have a good heart despite this (b) you may still remember the most important things even if you cannot remember everything, be encouraged by John 14:26.