四月十日
到了一個地方，名叫髑髏地……（路23:33）
安慰的山便是加弗瑞山，安舒的房子是用十字架的木頭所造的，天上的聖殿是建築在破裂的磐石之上——槍把他的肋旁紮破了。在歷史上沒有一種景象像加弗瑞的悲劇這樣能歡暢人心了。悲哀人若轉眼仰望十字架，內心必得安慰快樂，它的光芒比伯利恒的星還明亮。各各他從午正到夜半出現了一個大光，周圍的花木在那被咒詛的樹蔭之下更加鮮豔茂盛。在乾旱之地，恩典掘出了一口澄清的湧流著的泉源，每一滴都能消除人類的悲哀。當你經過爭鬥的時候，你承認你不能從橄欖山，從西奈山，從他泊山得到安慰；但客西馬尼、厄巴大和各各他卻能安慰你。客西馬尼的苦草能除去你生活中的苦痛，厄巴大的鞭笞能鞭去你的憂慮，加弗瑞的唉哼能使其他唉哼之聲退避三舍。因此加弗瑞給我們稀有而豐富的安慰。若基督不死，我們就不知他的愛有多高多深；若神不叫他的兒子死，我們也不知父的愛有多大。我們在所得的恩憐中常願歌頌愛，正像我們把一個貝殼放在耳邊，要聽它述說海的深廣；但我們若要海洋自己來述說的話，就不要看每天所得的福份，而要看主釘十字架。誰若願意知道愛是什麼，就當來到加弗瑞看看那位常經憂患的人怎樣被釘死！
“在我主十字架，我已見主恩光，罪重擔從我心皆脫落。在聖架我因信，眼明亮，心平康，到如今我終日常歡樂。”
April 10
“The place which is called Calvary.” –Luke 23:33
The hill of comfort is the hill of
Calvary; the house of consolation is built with the wood of the cross; the
temple of heavenly blessing is founded upon the riven rock–riven by the spear
which pierced His side. No scene in sacred history ever gladdens the soul like
Calvary’s tragedy.
“Is it not strange, the darkest hour
That ever dawned on sinful earth,
Should touch the heart with softer power,
For comfort, than an angel’s mirth?
That to the Cross the mourner’s eye should
turn,
Sooner than where the stars of Bethlehem
burn?”
Light springs from the midday-midnight of Golgotha, and every herb of
the field blooms sweetly beneath the shadow of the once accursed tree. In that
place of thirst, grace hath dug a fountain which ever gusheth with waters pure
as crystal, each drop capable of alleviating the woes of mankind. You who have
had your seasons of conflict, will confess that it was not at Olivet that you
ever found comfort, not on the hill of Sinai, nor on Tabor; but Gethsemane,
Gabbatha, and Golgotha have been a means of comfort to you. The bitter herbs of
Gethsemane have often taken away the bitters of your life; the scourge of
Gabbatha has often scourged away your cares, and the groans of Calvary yields
us comfort rare and rich. We never should have known Christ’s love in all its
heights and depths if He had not died; nor could we guess the Father’s deep
affection if He had not given His Son to die. The common mercies we enjoy all sing
of love, just as the sea-shell, when we put it to our ears, whispers of the
deep sea whence it came; but if we desire to hear the ocean itself, we must not
look at every-day blessings, but at the transactions of the crucifixion. He who
would know love, let him retire to Calvary and see the Man of sorrows die.
