532. 第7节 真正的悔改就是检查, 不仅检查人的生活行为, 而且检查人的意愿意图
真正的悔改就是检查, 不仅检查人的生活行为, 而且检查人的意愿意图, 原因在于, 行为通过觉知和意愿完成, 因为人通过思想说话, 通过意愿行动, 因此言语就是思想在说话, 行为就是意愿在行动。 由于这就是言与行的源头, 因此毋庸置疑, 身体犯罪就是意愿与思想在犯罪。 事实上, 人能悔改身体犯下的罪行, 却仍思想与意愿邪恶。 这就象砍下了坏树的树干, 却将根留在地里, 这根会再长出同样的坏树, 并开枝散叶。 但若连这根也毁了, 情况就不同了, 当人同时检查自己的意愿意图, 通过悔改除去自己的罪恶时, 其情形也是如此。 人检查自己的思想就是检查自己的意愿意图, 因为意图将自身显明在这些思想中。 例如, 当人的思想, 意愿与意图倾向于报复, 通奸, 偷窃, 假见证, 并渴望这些事, 乃至想要亵渎神, 圣言与教会等等时, 就会出现这种情况。 如果他继续关注一下, 检查自己, 要是不害怕法律和损毁名声, 是否会犯下这些恶行, 如果经过这样的检查后, 他决定不再意愿这些行为, 因为它们是罪, 那么他就真的从内在悔改了。 若他以这些邪恶为乐, 同时完全可以自由去做, 但仍停止并放弃, 则更是如此。 若反复这样做, 他就会发现, 他从恶中感觉到的快乐不再有吸引力, 最终送它们下地狱。 这就是主说这些话的意思:
得着生命的, 将要失丧生命; 为我失丧生命的, 将要得着生命。 (马太福音10:39)
凡通过这样的悔改除去其意愿邪恶之人, 就象收割时拔掉魔鬼撒在他田里的稗子, 以便主撒的种子种在好田里, 获得好收成。 (马太福音13:24-30)
532. True Repentance Is Examining Not Only the Actions of Our Life but Also the Intentions of Our Will
The reason why true repentance is to examine not only the actions of our life but also the intentions of our will is that our intellect and our will produce our actions. We speak from our thought and we act from our will; therefore our speech is our thought speaking, and our action is our will acting. Since this is the origin of what we say and do, it is clear without a doubt that it is these two faculties that commit the sin when our body sins.
It is in fact possible for us to repent of evil things we have done through our bodies but still think about evil and will it. This is like cutting down the trunk of a bad type of tree but leaving its root still in the ground; the same bad tree grows up from the root again and also spreads itself around. There is a different outcome when the root is pulled up, though; and this is what happens within us when we explore the intentions of our will and lay our evils aside through repentance.
[2] We explore the intentions of our will by exploring our thoughts. Our intentions reveal themselves in our thoughts - for example, when we contemplate, will, and intend acts of revenge, adultery, theft, or false witness, or entertain desires for those things. This applies as well to acts of blasphemy against God, against the holy Word, and against the church, and so on.
If we keep our minds focused on these issues, and explore whether we would do such things if no fear of the law or concern for our reputation stood in the way, and if after this exploration we decide that we do not will those things, because they are sins, then we are practicing a repentance that is true and deep. This is even more the case when we are feeling delight in those evils and are free to do them, but at that moment we resist and abstain. If we practice this over and over, then when our evils come back we sense our delight in them as something unpleasant, and in time we condemn them to hell. This is the meaning of these words of the Lord: "Any who try to find their soul will lose it, and any who lose their soul for my sake, will find it" (Matthew 10:39).
People who remove evils from their will through this type of repentance are like those who in time pulled up the weeds that had been sown by the Devil in their field, allowing seeds planted by the Lord God the Savior to gain free ground and to sprout for the harvest (Matthew 13:25-30).
532. VII. True repentance means not only examining what one does in one's life, but also what one intends in one's will to do.
The reason why true repentance means not only examining what one does in one's life, but also what one intends in one's will to do, is that deeds are the product of the understanding and the will. Thought is what makes a person speak and the will is what makes him act, so speech is thought speaking and action is the will acting. Since this is the origin of all speech and action, it follows without a doubt that it is those two which sin when the body does. A person too can repent of the evils he has physically committed, but still think and will evil. This is like cutting down the trunk of a tree that is no good, but leaving its root in the ground; from this the same tree grows up again and spreads itself around. But it is different if the root too is pulled up; and this is what happens in a person when he examines at the same time the intentions present in his will, and rids himself of evils by repentance.
A person can examine what in his will he intends to do by examining his thoughts, for intentions show up in these. He can do so, for instance, if he thinks about, wills and intends revenge, adultery, theft, false witness and longings for these things, as well as blasphemy against God, the holy Word and the church, and so on. In these circumstances, if he concentrates his mind on this and investigates whether he would do these acts if fear of the law or of losing his reputation did not prevent him, if after investigation he thinks that he does not will these acts because they are sins, then he is truly and inwardly penitent. Even more does he do so, when he takes pleasure in those evils and at the same time is free to commit them, but still he desists and abstains. If he does this repeatedly, he finds the pleasures he gets from those evils become with repetition unpleasant to him, and he ends by consigning them to hell. This is what is meant by the Lord's words:
If anyone wants to find his soul, he will lose it, and if anyone loses his soul for my sake, he will find it, Matthew 10:39.
A person who rids himself of the evils in his will by this kind of repentance is like the man who at the right time uproots from his field the tares sown by the devil, so that the seeds planted by the Lord God the Saviour find the ground unencumbered and grow into a crop (Matthew 13:24-30).
532. VII. TRUE REPENTANCE IS EXAMINING, NOT ONLY THE ACTIONS OF ONE'S LIFE, BUT ALSO THE INTENTIONS OF ONE'S WILL.
True repentance is examining, not only the actions of one's life, but also the intentions of one's will, for the reason that the acts are done by the understanding and will; for man speaks from his thought, and acts from his will; therefore speech is the thought speaking, and action is the will acting. And this being the source of words and deeds, it follows indubitably that it is will and thought that sin when the body sins. Man can indeed repent of evils that he has done in body, and still think and will evil; but this is like cutting off the trunk of a bad tree, and leaving its root in the ground, from which the same bad tree grows up again, and spreads forth its branches. But it is different when the root also is torn up; and this is done in man when he examines the intentions of his will, and puts away his evils by repentance. Man examines the intentions of his will when he examines his thoughts, for in these the intentions make themselves manifest; as, for example, when his thought, will, and intention incline to revenge, adultery, theft, false witness, and to lust therefore, also to blasphemy against God and the holy Word and the church, and so on; if he continues to direct his attention to this, and to inquire whether he would actually commit these evils if fear of the law and for his reputation did not hinder; and if after this scrutiny he determines that he will not will to do these things, because they are sins, he truly and interiorly repents; and still more when these evils are delightful to him, and he is free to do them, and yet resists and abstains. He who practices this repeatedly, perceives the delights of evil, when they return, as undelightful, and finally he condemns them to hell. This is what is meant by these words of the Lord:
Whoever wisheth to find his soul shall lose it; and whoever would lose his soul for My sake shall find it (Matthew 10:39).
He that puts away the evils of his will, by such repentance, is like one who in due time plucks up the tares sown in his field by the devil, so that the seed implanted by the Lord God the Savior finds a clear soil and grows to a harvest (Matthew 13:24-30).
532. VII. TRUE REPENTANCE CONSISTS IN A MAN'S EXAMINING NOT ONLY THE ACTS OF HIS LIFE, BUT ALSO THE INTENTIONS OF HIS WILL.
True repentance consists in a man's examining not only the acts of his life, but also the intentions of his will because the understanding and the will are the cause of those acts. For a man speaks from thought and acts from will, so that speech is thought speaking and action is the will acting. It follows, therefore, that those two, thought and will, commit the sin when the body sins. It is possible, also, for a man to repent of evils committed by the body, and still to think and will evil; but this is like cutting down the trunk of a noxious tree, and leaving its root in the ground, from which the tree grows again and spreads in all directions. It is different, however, when the root is pulled up; and this is what happens in a man when he, having examined not only his acts but also the intentions of his will, removes his evils by repentance.
A man examines the intentions of his will whilst he examines his thoughts, for intentions manifest themselves in the thoughts; as for example, when he meditates, wills and intends revenge, adultery, theft, false witness, and their lusts; and also blasphemy against God, the Holy Word, and the Church, and so on. Should he still give those evils further attention, and then consider whether he would commit them if no obstacle stood in the way, such as fear of the law and loss of reputation; and should he, after this consideration, determine not to will them because they are sins, he performs the work of true and interior repentance. This is especially the case if he resists those evils and abstains from them when they appear delightful to him and he is at liberty to commit them. He who practices this repeatedly finds the delights of evils when they return no longer a pleasure, and finally relegates them to hell. This is what the Lord meant when He said:
"He that will find (A.V., findeth) his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" Matthew 10:39.
He who removes the evils of his will by such repentance, is like a man who in good time pulls up from the field the tares sown by the devil, so that the seeds implanted by the Lord God the Savior remain undisturbed in the ground, and grow to a harvest, Matthew 13:24-30.
532. Quod vera Poenitentia sit explorare non modo Acta Apostolorum vitae suae, sed etiam intentiones voluntatis suae.
Quod vera Poenitentia sit explorare non modo acta suae vitae, sed etiam intentiones suae voluntatis, est quia Intellectus et Voluntas faciunt acta; loquitur enim homo ex cogitatione, et agit ex voluntate, quare loquela est cogitatio loquens, et actio est voluntas agens, et quia inde sunt loquelae et actiones, indubie sequitur, quod illa duo sint, quae peccant quando corpus; et quoque potest homo poenitentiam agere a malis quae corpore egerat, et usque cogitare et velle malum; sed hoc est sicut amputare truncum arboris malae, et relinquere radicem ejus in terra, ex qua excrescit eadem arbor mala, et se circum spargit: aliter vero cum etiam radix evellitur, et hoc fit in homine, quando simul intentiones voluntatis suae explorat, et mala per poenitentiam amovet.
[2] Homo explorat intentiones voluntatis suae, dum explorat cogitationes suas, nam intentiones se in illis manifestant; quemadmodum dum cogitat, vult et intendit vindictas, adulteria, furta, et testificationes falsas, et cupiditates ad illa, et quoque blasphemias contra Deum, sanctum Verbum et Ecclesiam, et sic porro; hic si illuc usque intendit animum, et scrutatur num facturus sit illa si non timor legis et famae obstaret, qui tunc post scrutinium cogitat, quod non velit illa, quia peccata sunt, ille veram et interiorem poenitentiam agit; et adhuc plus dum in jucundo illorum malorum est, et simul in libero faciendi illa, et tunc resistit et abstinet; qui hoc iteratis vicibus excercet, ille jucunda malorum, dum redeunt, ut injucunda percipit, et demum damnat illa ad infernum: hoc est, quod intelligitur per haec Domini verba, Quisquis vult invenire animam suam, perdet eam, et quisquis perdiderit animam suam propter Me, inveniet illam, Matthaeus 10:39. Ille qui mala voluntatis suae per hanc poenitentiam removet, similis est illi, qui zizania a Diabolo inseminata ex agro in tempore evellit, unde semina a Domino Deo Salvatore implantata nanciscuntur liberam humum, et germinant in messem, Matthaeus 13:24-30. 1
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: 25-31.