十月二十一日
原來基督的愛激勵我們。（林後5：14）
你虧欠我主有多少呢？他不曾爲你作過什麽嗎？他曾赦免你的罪嗎？他曾把義袍披在你的身上嗎？他曾安排你的路嗎？他曾爲你在天堂上預備了地方嗎？他曾把你的名寫在生命册上嗎？他曾賜你無數的福分嗎？他曾爲你存留你了你眼所末見、耳所未聞的豐盛的恩典嗎？那末你當怎樣報答耶穌的愛呢？不要空口白話地用言語來報答爲你釘死的救主。當主來時，你不能不承認你什麽也沒有爲他作過，而是把你的愛封閉起來，像一個死水池子一樣，絕不向屬他的窮人、或是他的工作流露出來，你會作何感想呢？
人們對于從未付諸行動的愛有何看法呢？他們說：“當面的責備，強如背地的愛情。”誰肯接受你沒有一點舍己、寬宏、好義或熱誠的表現的愛呢！你想想看，他怎樣愛你、爲你舍己呢？你知道那種愛的力量嗎？要叫它在你的心靈中成爲大風吹去你世俗的烏雲，廓清你罪惡的迷霧。甚願”爲基督的緣故“成爲火舌落在你的頭上；也願“爲基督的緣故”成爲屬神的快樂；成爲靈風把你從地上吹起來；成爲神的靈使你在服侍主的事上勇敢像獅子、快速像鷹。愛必爲服侍主的脚添上雙翼，幷加力量給爲主勞苦的雙臂。使我們愛神的心永遠堅定不移，使我們尊崇他永不偏離、奮勇向前永不疲倦。讓我們永遠表現我們愛耶穌的心。願神的磁石吸引我們向天就他！
“不愛已專愛耶穌，不愛已專愛耶穌……”
October
21
“The
love of Christ constraineth us.”–2 Corinthians 5:14
How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has he
ever done anything for thee? Has he forgiven thy sins? Has he covered thee with
a robe of righteousness? Has he set thy feet upon a rock? Has he established
thy goings? Has he prepared heaven for thee? Has he prepared thee for heaven?
Has he written thy name in his book of life? Has he given thee countless
blessings? Has he laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen
nor ear heard? Then do something for Jesus worthy of his love. Give not a mere
wordy offering to a dying Redeemer. How will you feel when your Master comes,
if you have to confess that you did nothing for him, but kept your love shut
up, like a stagnant pool, neither flowing forth to his poor or to his work. Out
on such love as that! What do men think of a love which never shows itself in
action? Why, they say, “Open rebuke is better than secret love.” Who
will accept a love so weak that it does not actuate you to a single deed of
self-denial, of generosity, of heroism, or zeal! Think how he has loved you,
and given himself for you! Do you know the power of that love? Then let it be
like a rushing mighty wind to your soul to sweep out the clouds of your
worldliness, and clear away the mists of sin. “For Christ’s sake” be
this the tongue of fire that shall sit upon you: “for Christ’s sake”
be this the divine rapture, the heavenly afflatus to bear you aloft from earth,
the divine spirit that shall make you bold as lions and swift as eagles in your
Lord’s service. Love should give wings to the feet of service, and strength to
the arms of labour. Fixed on God with a constancy that is not to be shaken,
resolute to honour him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and
pressing on with an ardour never to be wearied, let us manifest the constraints
of love to Jesus. May the divine loadstone draw us heavenward towards itself.
