408、我曾与那些深信天堂和天堂的喜乐在于成为伟人的灵人交谈过。但我告诉这些人，在天堂，最小的才是最大的，因为被称为最小的人是那些没有、也不想有出于自己的能力和智慧、而只想有出于主的能力和智慧的人，这种最小的人拥有最大的幸福。由于这种人拥有最大的幸福，故他们也是最大的或最重要的，因为他们由此从主获得自己的一切能力并在智慧上胜过所有人。成为最大的不就是成为最幸福的吗？最大的幸福不就是掌权者利用权力、富人利用财富所追求的吗？我接着说，天堂的喜乐并不在于为了成为最大的而想成为最小的，因为这样做仍是追求并渴望成为最大的，但它在于由衷地渴望别人比自己好，着眼于他人的幸福而服务他人，不求回报，仅仅出于爱。
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408. 我曾与一些灵人交谈过, 他们以为天堂和天堂的喜乐在于成为重要的, 或成为大的; 但我告诉他们说, 在天堂, 最小的才是最大的. 因为当人们没有, 也不想拥有出于自己的能力和智慧, 只拥有出于主的能力和智慧时, 他们就被称为“最小的”. 这种“最小的人”拥有最大的幸福; 由于这种人拥有最大的幸福, 故可知, 他们也是最重要的, 或最大的; 因为他们由此从主拥有一切能力, 在智慧上胜过所有人. 若不是最幸福的, 那什么是最大的? 最大的幸福不就是有权人利用权力, 富人利用财富所追求的吗? 我接着说, 天堂并不在于为了成为最大的而想成为最小的. 人若这样做, 仍是追求并渴望成为最大的. 相反, 天堂在于衷心渴望别人比自己好, 在于为了他人的幸福而服侍他人, 不求回报, 仅仅出于爱.
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408. 有的靈以為天國和天國之樂在於高人一等。我與他們交談, 告訴他們, 在天國, 最小的才是最大的。因為所謂"最小的,"系指沒有自己的能力和智慧, 也不希望有自己的能力和智慧, 只求主的能力和智慧的人, 這種人是最快樂的。既是最快樂的, 自然也是最大的, 因為這是他們從主獲得大能和智慧的途徑。再者, 若非最快樂的, 何以成為最大的？擁有權力者利用他的權力, 擁有財富者利用他的財富, 所追求的不正是最大的快樂嗎？
我還說, 天國之樂也不在於做最小的, 以求成為最大的。因為那樣的話, 他還是渴望成為最大的。相反, 它意味著衷心祝願別人比自己好, 且為他人的快樂而服務, 不求回報, 僅僅是因為愛。
408. I talked with some spirits who thought that heaven and heavenly joy consisted of being important; but I told them that in heaven the greatest is the one who is least. This is because people are called "least" when they have no ability or wisdom and do not want any ability or wisdom on their own, but only from the Lord. This kind of "least person" has the greatest happiness. And because such people do have the greatest happiness, it follows that they are the most important, because this is how they have all their capability and the most wisdom of all - from the Lord. Further, what is being the greatest if not being the happiest? The greatest happiness is what powerful people are seeking with their power and what rich people are seeking with their wealth.
I went on to say that heaven did not consist of wanting to be least in order to be greatest. People who do this pant and long for greatness. Rather, it means a heartfelt wishing better for others than for oneself, and serving others for the sake of their happiness with no thought of reward, simply out of love.
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408. I have talked with spirits who supposed heaven and heavenly joy to consist in their being great; but such were told that in heaven he that is least is greatest, since he is called least who has, and wishes to have, no power or wisdom from himself, but only from the Lord, he that is least in that sense having the greatest happiness, and as he has the greatest happiness, it follows that he is greatest; for he has thereby from the Lord all power and excels all in wisdom. What is it to be the greatest unless to be the most happy? For to be the most happy is what the powerful seek through power and the rich through riches. It was further said that heaven does not consist in a desire to be least for the purpose of being greatest, for that would be aspiring and longing to be the greatest; but it consists in desiring from the heart the good of others more than one's own, and in serving others with a view to their happiness, not with recompense as an end, but from love.
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408. I have talked with spirits who believed heaven and heavenly joy to consist in their being great; but such were told that in heaven he that is least is greatest, since he is called least who has, and wishes to have, no power or wisdom from himself, but only from the Lord, he that is least in that sense having the greatest happiness, and as he has the greatest happiness, it follows that he is greatest; for he has thereby from the Lord all power and excels all in wisdom. What is it to be the greatest unless to be the most happy? For to be the most happy is what the powerful seek through power and the rich through riches. It was further said that heaven does not consist in a desire to be least for the purpose of being greatest, for that would be aspiring and longing to be the greatest; but it consists in desiring from the heart the good of others more than one's own, and in serving others with a view to their happiness, not with recompense as an end, but from love.
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408. Locutus sum cum spiritibus, qui putabant caelum et gaudium caeleste in eo consistere, ut magni sint: sed dictum est iis, quod in caelo maximus sit qui minimus nam minimus dicitur, qui nihil potest et sapit, ac vult nihil posse et sapere, ex se, sed ex Domino talis minimus maximam felicitatem habet; et quia maximam felicitatem habet, sequitur inde quod sit maximus, nam sic a Domino omnia potest et prae omnibus sapit. Et quid est maximus esse nisi quam felicissimus? felicissimum enim esse quaerunt potentes per potentiam, et divites per divitias. Porro dictum est, quod non consistat caelum in eo, ut desideret minimum esse ob finem ut sit maximus, tunc enim spirat et cupit esse maximum, sed est, ut ex corde aliis melius velit quam sibi, et servire aliis eorum felicitatis gratia, ex nullo fine propter se ut remuneretur, sed ex amore.