Második része: Mint kell a világi szép alkotmányokban az Isten hatalmát és bölcsességét szemlélni
创造之镜中的上帝属性
通过以赛亚和约伯的经文，揭示世界构造彰显上帝的慈爱、智慧和全能，并敦促人默观。
Isaiah writes that God hung the circle of the earth on three fingers—wanting by this to show that in the providence of this world three wondrous attributes of God shine out: namely, His fatherly goodness, by which He wants to do good to His creatures; His providential wisdom, which finds a way to carry out His good will; and His almighty power, by whose strength He obtains whatever is needed for the good governance of this world.✦ And so that every person might know these divine attributes with devout love, Scripture often urges us to contemplate God's works with careful thought; it even cries woe on those who fall short in this. God, wanting to make His power known to Saint Job, and trying to stir Job's soul to holy fear and love, sets before him at great length—indeed, puts on a magnificent display of—the wisdom and mighty strength that shine in created things.1 First He recalls the wonders of the heavens; then the rain, the snow, the winds, and the thunderbolts; finally, after listing the birds of the air, the creatures that swim in the water, and the wild animals that live on the land, He shows him this: how clear a mirror all these things are of His wise power.
圣徒的默观实践与甜美
大卫以诗歌赞美受造物，奥古斯丁则在默观中得尝天福的初果和不可名状的内在甜蜜。
Saint David too, stirring himself to the praise and love of God, recounts God's creatures in beautiful song. And Saint Augustine writes of himself that whenever he can take time from his duties, he examines God's works with delightful meditation; and by this he is so kindled with the love of God that he seems to feel the firstfruits of the happiness he hopes for: "I often do this; this delights me; and from all the necessary business of life, as far as I can free myself, I take refuge in this pleasure. And in all these things I run through, I find no safe place for my soul except in You, in whom my scattered self may be gathered."2 And sometimes You bring me into a deep, uncommon inward affection, toward a sweetness I cannot name—which, if it were brought to perfection in me, I do not know what that would be that this present life will not be.3
Read the original Hungarian
Isaiás írja, hogy Isten három ujjára függesztette a földkerekségét: akarván ezzel jelenteni, hogy e világ gondviselésében Istennek három csudálatos tulajdonsági tündöklenek: tudniillik atyai jóvolta, mellyel jót akar cselekedni teremtett állatival; gondviselő bölcsessége, mely utat talál jóakaratjának véghezvitelében; mindenreható hatalma, melynek erejével megszerzi, valami szükséges e világnak hasznos vezérlésére. És hogy ezeket az isteni tulajdonságokat ájtatos szeretettel ismérné minden ember, gyakran int a Szentírás, hogy az Isten alkotmányit szorgalmatos gondolkodással szemléljük; sőt jajt kiált azokra, kik ebben megfogyatkoznak. Az Isten, akarván Szent Jóbbal ismértetni hatalmasságát, és isteni félelemre s szeretetre igyekezvén gerjeszteni lelkét, sok szóval eleibe rakogatja, sőt pompával mustráltatja a teremtett állatokban tündöklő bölcsességét és hatalmas erejét. Először az egek csudáirúl emlékezik; azután az esőt, havat, szeleket, mennyköveket; végre az égi madarakat, vízben úszó állatokat, földön lakó vadakat előszámlálván, úgy mutogatja: mely világos tüköri mindezek az ő bölcs hatalmának. Szent Dávid is, isteni dicsíretre és szeretetre serkegetvén magát, szép énekléssel előszámlálja az Isten teremtett állatit. Szent Ágoston pedig magárúl azt írja, hogy mikor üdőt vehet foglalatosságitúl, az Isten alkotmányit gyönyörűséges elmélkedéssel vizsgálja; és ezzel úgy felgerjed isteni szeretetre, hogy a reménylett boldogságnak elöljáró zsengéjét láttatik érezni: Saepe istud facio: hoc me delectat; & ab omnibus actionibus necessitatis, quantum relaxari possum, ad istam voluptatem refugio: Neque in his omnibus quae percurro, reperio tutum locum animae meae, nisi in te, quo colligantur sparsa mea. Et aliquando intromittis me in affectum multum, inusitatum, introrsum, ad nescio quam dulcedinem: quae si perficiatur in me, nescio quid erit, quod vita ista non erit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Isa.40.12 — Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the heavens with a span, and enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Notes
- 1 ↩Hungarian 'mustráltatja' carries a parade/review sense (as of troops mustered for inspection); rendered as 'displays in splendid review' rather than a flat 'shows'.
- 2 ↩Embedded Latin from Augustine is rendered in modern English for the target register; 'elöljáró zsengéjét' is 'forerunning firstfruits' of hoped-for beatitude.
- 3 ↩Continuation of Augustine's Latin address to God. 'affectum multum, inusitatum, introrsum' kept as deep/uncommon inward affection; final clause preserves the hard-to-parse sense that perfected sweetness would surpass or unmake this present life.
Isteni Igazságra Vezérlő Kalauz (Guide to Divine Truth) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit