羅馬書講道集 第 6 章 第 2/2 段

How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? Now if in a foreign land it was not lawful to sing the oracles of God, how much more the barbarian soul? For the soul without mercy is barbarian.

For if the Law made those who were captives, and had become the slaves of men in a foreign land, to sit in silence,

how much more just is it that those who are slaves of sin and have come to dwell in a strange citizenship should have their mouths stopped.

And yet those men still had their instruments at that time;

For upon the willows in the midst of it, it says, we hung up our instruments;

Therefore neither is it lawful for us, though we have a mouth and a tongue, which are the instruments of speech, to speak with boldness, so long as we are enslaved to sin, which is more tyrannical than all barbarians.

For tell me, what will you say to the pagan while you are robbing and grasping for more? Depart from idolatry; acknowledge God; do not cling to silver and gold? Will he not then laugh and say:

Speak these things to yourself first? For it is not the same thing for a pagan to worship idols, and for a Christian to commit this very same offence.

For how shall we be able to lead others away from that idolatry, when we do not lead ourselves away from this? For we are nearer to ourselves than to our neighbour.

When therefore we do not persuade ourselves, how shall we persuade others? For if he who does not preside well over his own household will not care for the Church either,

how shall he who does not preside even over his own soul be able to set others right? For do not say this to me, that you do not worship a golden idol;

but show me this, that you do not do these things which gold commands.

For indeed there are different modes of idolatry;

and one accounts mammon his lord, another his belly a god, and another some other most grievous lust.

But you do not sacrifice oxen to them, as the pagans do? But what is far more grievous, you slaughter your own soul.

But you do not bend your knees and worship? But with greater obedience you do everything that your belly and your gold and the tyranny of lust command;

since indeed the pagans are abominable for this very reason, that they deified the passions, calling lust Aphrodite, wrath Ares, and drunkenness Dionysus.

But if you do not carve idols, as they do, yet with much eagerness you bow beneath the same passions, making the members of Christ the members of a harlot, and defiling yourself with all the other lawless deeds.

Wherefore I exhort you, considering the excess of this absurdity, to flee idolatry;

for so Paul calls covetousness;

and to flee not only the covetousness that is in money, but also that which is in evil lust, and that in garments, and that at the table, and that in all other things.

For indeed we shall pay a far more grievous penalty, we who do not obey the laws of the Lord.

For the servant, it says, who knows his Lord's will and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

In order therefore that we may both escape this punishment, and become useful both to others and to ourselves, let us cast out all wickedness from the soul and choose virtue.

For thus shall we also attain the good things to come;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and love toward mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, honour, and might, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.