凡有血氣的都當在耶和華面前靜默無聲；
因為祂興起，從聖所出來了。
有一個在基督徒當中，所廣泛認為的觀念：
歌曲乃是主的喜樂，在一個男人或女人身上，
最高可能的流露表現。這個概念是如此近乎真確，
以至於在屬靈上來挑戰它，似乎是魯莽無禮的。
然而，它仍需要經受聖經和基督徒見證的察驗。
聖經和千位聖徒的見證都表明了，
有一些經歷是超出歌曲的範圍。
在令人敬畏神的同在之中，
有一些人心可以享受到的喜悅，
是無法用言語來表達的：
它們屬於基督徒經歷中，
難以形容的要素。
並不多人享受到這喜悅，
因為也不多人知道他們可以如此。
言語難以表達的敬拜觀念，
已整個在這個世代的基督徒中間，失落了。
我們生命的程度是如此低落，以至於在主再來之前，
沒有人期望去了解靈魂深處的事。
所以，我們便藉著唱歌來振作自己。
我絕不是要攔阻歌唱的藝術。
創造本身就興起於頌歌聲之中；
而基督從死裡復活，且在祂的弟兄中頌揚父神。
但仍然有一些事物是遠超歌曲的。
當聖靈被允許，在一個蒙救贖的心靈中，
來運行祂完全的影響力時，
起初可能會有滔滔不絕的讚美；
然後，當漸強上升，而超越了
所學過的言語能以表達之時，歌曲就來了。
當歌曲也在榮耀的重量之下潰堤時，靜默便來到，
而靈魂就在深刻的吸引力中被抓住，
並感覺到自己被難以言表的福樂，祝福了。
Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord:
for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
There is a notion widely held among Christians that
song is the highest possible expression of the joy
of the Lord in the soul of a man or woman.
That idea is so near to being true that
it may seem spiritually rude to challenge it.
However, it does need to be brought to the test
of the Scriptures and Christian testimony.
Both the Bible and the testimony of a thousand saints
show that there is experience beyond song.
There are delights which the heart may enjoy
in the awesome presence of God which cannot
find expression in language: they belong to the
unutterable elements in Christian experience.
Not many enjoy them because not many know that they can.
The whole concept of ineffable worship has been lost
to this generation of Christians. Our level of life is
so low that no one expects to know the deep things of
the soul until the Lord returns. So, we cheer ourselves
by breaking into song. Far be it from me to discourage
the art of singing. Creation itself took its rise
in a burst of song; Christ rose from the dead
and sang among His brethren.
But still there is somethingbeyond song!
When the Holy Spirit is permitted to exercise
His full sway in a redeemed heart
there will likely be voluble praise first;
then, when the crescendo rises beyond
the ability of studied speech to express,
comes song. When song breaks down under
the weight of glory, then comes silence
where the soul, held indeep fascination,
feels itself blessed with an unutterable beatitude!
- 陶恕 (A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963)
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