This work was written while the author was imprisoned in the Tower of London alongside Thomas Watson, Christopher Love (who was beheaded), and others.
这部作品是作者在伦敦塔被监禁时写成的，与托马斯·沃森、克里斯托弗·洛夫（后被斩首）和其他人一起。
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My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.–Proverbs 3:11-12 (ESV)
我儿，你不可轻看耶和华的管教，也不可厌烦祂的责备，因为耶和华所爱的，祂必责备，正如父亲责备所喜爱的儿子。——箴言3：11-12
God teacheth by his chastisements what Christ taught Martha…
神通过祂的管教教导基督向马大所教导的……
…that is, the one thing needful; affliction discovers how much we are mistaken about our must-be’s, our necessaries.
……即那唯一必需的事；苦难显明我们对自己认为必须有的、必需的事物有多么错误的认识。
In our health, and strength, and liberty, we think this and that thing must be done; we think riches, honors, and a good name in the world, necessary; we must get estates, and lay up large portions for our children; we must raise our families, and call our lands after our own names, and the like.
在我们健康、强壮、自由的时候，我们认为这样那样的事必须要做；我们认为财富、荣誉和世上的好名声是必需的；我们必须获得产业，为我们的儿女积蓄大量财富；我们必须兴旺我们的家族，用我们的名字称呼我们的土地，诸如此类。
But in the day of adversity, when death looks us in the face…
但在患难的日子，当死亡面对我们时……
…when God causeth the horror of the grave, the dread of the last judgment, and the terrors of eternity, to pass before us, then we can put our mouths, in the dust, smite upon our thigh, and sigh with the breaking of our loins, O how have I been mistaken?
……当神使坟墓的恐怖、末日审判的可怕和永恒的恐惧在我们面前经过时，我们就能俯伏在尘土中，拍打我们的大腿，因心碎而叹息，哦，我是多么错误？
How have I fed upon ashes, and a deceived heart turned me aside, so that I could not deliver my soul, nor say, is there’s not a lie in my right hand?
我怎么以灰为食，被欺骗的心使我偏离，以至于我不能拯救我的灵魂，也不能说，我右手中岂没有虚谎吗？
Then we can see that pardon of sin, interest in Christ, evidence of that interest, a sense of God’s love a life of grace, and an assurance of glory, are the only indispensibles.
那时我们就能看到罪的赦免、在基督里的份、那份的证据、神爱的感受、恩典的生命和荣耀的确据，是唯一不可缺少的。
In a word…
一句话……
Christ alone, is the unum necessarium (the one thing needful) and that all other things are but loss and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, and of interest in him, and in his righteousness without which the soul is undone to all eternity.
唯独基督是那唯一必需的，所有其他的事物与认识主基督耶稣的至宝，以及在祂里面的份和在祂义中的份相比，不过是损失和粪土，没有这些，灵魂就永远沉沦。
And therefore that christians would be wise, that they would not spend their money for that which is not bread, nor their labour for that which satisfieth not but labour for faith which might realize and substantiate unseen and spiritual things, and give them a being unto the soul.
因此基督徒当有智慧，不要把钱花在不是食物的东西上，也不要把劳力花在不能满足的事上，而要为信心劳力，这信心能使无形和属灵的事物成为现实和实质，并使它们在灵魂中有实在。
They that will not learn this lesson in the school of the word, shall learn it in the school of affliction, if they belong to God, and therefore set your heart to it.
那些不愿在圣言学校中学习这功课的人，如果他们属于神，就必在苦难学校中学习，因此要专心致志。
Table of Contents
目录
Author’s Preface
作者序言
Dr. Manton’s Recommendation
曼顿博士的推荐
Chapter 1. Twenty Lessons God Teaches by Affliction
第一章 神通过苦难教导的二十个功课
Chapter 2. The Nature or Properties of Divine Teaching
第二章 神圣教导的本质或特性
Chapter 3. How Affliction Produces this Spiritual Instruction
第三章 苦难如何产生这种属灵教导
Chapter 4. The Grounds and Demonstrations of the Point
第四章 这一要点的根据和证明
Chapter 5. Use of Information
第五章 信息的应用
Chapter 6. Use of Exhortation
第六章 劝勉的应用