三月十日
我凡事平順，便說：“我永不動搖。”（詩30:6）
“摩押自幼年以來常享安逸，如酒在渣滓上澄清，沒有從這器皿倒在那器皿裡。”把財富賜給一個人，讓他的船隻不斷地從海外運回許多財寶；讓風浪作他的僕役使他的船隻平安地渡過大洋。讓他田地的莊稼豐收，讓他五穀豐登；讓他一帆風順，諸事順利；讓他成為興家立業的巨商昂然站在眾人當中；讓他身康體健，使他有靈敏的思想，銳利的眼光，獨步世界，永享快樂；賜他愉快的精神；讓他唇上的歌聲永不停止；讓他的眼睛時時透出歡樂的光芒——在這種安樂生活當中，讓他順著自然而發展，讓他作一個得未曾有的基督徒，那真是幻想，就連大衛也說：“我永不動搖”；我們並不像大衛那麼好，真可說是望塵莫及。弟兄呀！走路時在光滑平坦的地方要特別留心；若你行走在其上，或是路途崎嶇，那麼感謝神吧。若神把我們放在順利的搖籃中搖我們，若神把我們抱在幸運的膝上，若我們的玉柱沒有瑕疵，若我們的天空沒有幾片烏雲，若我們的人生沒有幾滴苦酒，我們就在歡樂中醉生夢死了！並且幻想“我們站立得穩”；我們卻應當像是站在尖塔之上，像一個睡在桅杆上的人一樣，必須時時提心吊膽。那麼為我們的苦難讚美神吧！為我們的變遷感謝他，為我們財產的損失頌揚他，因為我們知道他若不這樣管教我們，我們就不會穩妥了。在世事上一直順利或興隆真是一種火煉。“苦難雖然難當，但卻加給人恩典。”
March 10
“In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved.” –Psalm 30:6
“Moab settled on his lees, he hath
not been emptied from vessel to vessel.” Give a man wealth; let his ships
bring home continually rich freights; let the winds and waves appear to be his
servants to bear his vessels across the bosom of the mighty deep; let his lands
yield abundantly: let the weather be propitious to his crops; let uninterrupted
success attend him; let him stand among men as a successful merchant; let him
enjoy continued health; allow him with braced nerve and brilliant eye to march
through the world, and live happily; give him the buoyant spirit; let him have
the song perpetually on his lips; let his eye be ever sparkling with joy–and
the natural consequence of such an easy state to any man, let him be the best
Christian who ever breathed, will be presumption; even David said, “I
shall never be moved;” and we are not better than David, nor half so good.
Brother, beware of the smooth places of the way; if you are treading them, or
if the way be rough, thank God for it. If God should always rock us in the cradle
of prosperity; if we were always dandled on the knees of fortune; if we had not
some stain on the alabaster pillar; if there were not a few clouds in the sky;
if we had not some bitter drops in the wine of this life, we should become
intoxicated with pleasure, we should dream “we stand;” and stand we
should, but it would be upon a pinnacle; like the man asleep upon the mast,
each moment we should be in jeopardy.
We bless God, then, for our afflictions;
we thank Him for our changes; we extol His name for losses of property; for we
feel that had He not chastened us thus, we might have become too secure.
Continued worldly prosperity is a fiery trial.
“Afflictions, though they seem
severe,
In mercy oft are sent.”
