十月十五日
他来的日子，谁能当得起呢？（玛3：2）
他头一次来时幷未彰显他的尊荣和威权，但仍有一些人在他的面前站立不住。当他降生的消息传开之后希律和耶路撒冷合城的人都受了震惊，那些自以爲等候他的人当他来时反而拒绝他。他在世的生活好像是扬场的簸箕，信的人虽然比比皆是，但只有少数能当得起他的簸扬。当他二次再来时怎样呢？罪人能料想那可怕的情形吗？他要“以口中的杖击打世界，以嘴里的气杀戮恶人”。
他在世时不过对兵丁说“我就是”，他们就退后扑到在地。当他彰显出他的本体时他的仇敌会落到怎样可怕的境地呢？他的死，地爲之震动，天爲之变色。当永活的救主荣耀显现的日子把活人死人都召聚在他面前又是怎样地可怕呢？想到主来时的可怕情景，就叫人不能不丢弃罪恶，幷以嘴亲子（基督耶稣），免得他发怒！虽然他是羔羊，但也是犹大的狮子，必撕裂掠物；虽然他不将压伤的芦苇折断，但他也是击打仇敌的铁杖，他必把他们打得粉碎像窑匠的瓦器一样；他一切的仇敌都当不起他忿怒的暴风，逃不了他烈怒的冰雹；但他所爱的，用血所洗净的民都欢喜快乐地迎见他，幷毫无惧怕地与他永远同住，主对于他们好像是一位炼金的人，经过他的试炼之后就成爲精金。今晨让我们省察自己，要确实知道我们已经蒙召被选，好当主来的时候我们的心可以坦然无惧。求神施恩，除去我们一切的虚僞，好当他显现的日子诚实无过，不受责备。
October
15
“But
who may abide the day of his coming?”–Malachi 3:2
His first coming was without external pomp
or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could abide its testing
might. Herod and all Jerusalem with him were stirred at the news of the
wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for him, showed the
fallacy of their professions by rejecting him when he came. His life on earth
was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and
few enough could abide the process. But what will his second advent be? What
sinner can endure to think of it? “He shall smite the earth with the rod
of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”
When in his humiliation he did but say to the soldiers, “I am he,”
they fell backward; what will be the terror of his enemies when he shall more
fully reveal himself as the “I am?” His death shook earth and
darkened heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendour of that day in which as
the living Saviour, he shall summon the quick and dead before him? O that the
terrors of the Lord would persuade men to forsake their sins and kiss the Son
lest he be angry! Though a lamb, he is yet the lion of the tribe of Judah,
rending the prey in pieces; and though he breaks not the bruised reed, yet will
he break his enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a
potter’s vessel. None of his foes shall bear up before the tempest of his
wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of his indignation; but his
beloved blood washed people look for his appearing with joy, and hope to abide
it without fear: to them he sits as a refiner even now, and when he has tried
them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves this morning and
make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no
dark forebodings in our mind. O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be
found of him sincere and without rebuke in the day of his appearing.
