155:1
Vas electionis gentium doctor, in quo adhuc mor tali homine angelicus sermo vivebat, cum resurrectionem mortuorum non mortuo sermone 'describeret, Dominumque nostrum in jussu, id est cum imperio, ut in voce archangel; adfore, quasi cum præconis terrorem monstraret, tum deinde, inquit, etiam nos rapiemur in nubes obviam Christo in aera (/ Thess. iv, 15). Tunc erit possible quod modo arduum. Quod minc in Christo veritas divinitatis, tunc in nohis poterit similitudo. Tunc etiam nostris aere pedibus subjugato, levibus elementis defxcatorum corporum membra ponemus: si tamen veniente eo.
那揀選的器皿、外邦人的教師——在他尚是必死之人時，天使般的言論卻活在他裡面——當他以毫不死板的言論描述死人的復活，並指明我們的主必「有發令的聲音」臨到，即帶著權柄，「如同天使長的聲音」，彷彿顯出報信者的威嚴——他隨後說：「我們也必被提到雲裡，在空中與基督相遇」（帖前四15-17）。那時，如今艱難之事將成為可能。如今在基督裡是神性之真實的，那時在我們裡面也能成為相似之像。那時，空氣既服在我們腳下，我們也要將潔淨之身的肢體安放在那輕盈的元素之上：只要，當我們那同一位
The vessel of election, the teacher of the nations, in whom, while he was still mortal man, an angelic discourse lived—when he was describing the resurrection of the dead with no dead discourse, and showed that our Lord would be present «with a command,» that is, with authority, «as with the voice of an archangel,» as though displaying the terror of a herald—then thereupon, he says, «we also shall be caught up into the clouds to meet Christ in the air» (1 Thess. 4:15-17). Then shall be possible what is now arduous. What is now in Christ the truth of divinity, then in us shall be able to be a likeness. Then too, with the air subjected to our feet, we shall set the limbs of our purified bodies upon the light elements: if only, when that same
155:2
dem rege nostro, non in praeteritum timida differendi tonscientia retrahat, sed fida securitas ad percipiendam citius dignitatem gloriae coelestis occurrat.
王來臨之時，沒有那怯懦、拖延推諉的良心把我們拉回過去，反倒有忠信的把握向前奔跑，好更快領受天上榮耀的尊嚴。
King comes, no timid conscience of putting things off drags us back into the past, but faithful assurance runs forward to receive the more quickly the dignity of heavenly glory.