十月十九日
在基督里爲婴孩的。（林前3：1）
信徒啊！你因爲你属神的生命软弱可怜、你的信心渺小、你的爱心微少而感到难过吗？尽管高兴吧！因爲你有很多理由应当感恩。要知道你在很多事上与最伟大的、最长成的基督徒是相同的。你也是被血所买来的，正像他一样。你也是神的后嗣和别的信徒一样。婴孩和成人一样都是他们父母的孩子。你也完全被称爲义，称义的程度幷无差别；一点点的信心就能使你完全洁净。你有权得约中的一切宝物和先进的信徒一样，因爲你得约中的恩典幷不在于你长大与否，而是在于约；你的信心无分大小，都能证明你在他里面承受了産业。你和最富的人一样丰富，若果你不能享受，但那丰富却实在属你。
天上最小的星也放光，它的微弱的光綫与太阳的明光是一样的。天家的生命册上无分大小都是用一支笔记的。你在父的心中和家中与其他最大的同样地看爲宝贵。耶稣对你非常柔和。你虽像冒烟的灯火；粗暴的人必说：“把冒烟的灯火吹灭吧，因爲屋中满了难闻的气味！”但冒烟的灯火他不吹灭。你是压伤的芦苇；除了伟大的乐师之外都必把你折断或抛弃，但他永不把你折断。你非但不当因你的现状而灰心丧胆，更应当在基督里夸胜。我不是以色列中最小的吗？但在基督里我必坐在天堂的宝座上。我的信心渺小可怜吗？但我在耶稣里仍然承受万有。虽然“除了承认自己的虚妄，我毫无可夸”，但若事的根乃在我，我就当在主里快乐，幷荣耀神——我的救恩。
October
19
“Babes
in Christ.”–1 Corinthians 3:1
Are you mourning, believer, because you
are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so
feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some
things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as
much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any
other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the
full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not
a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have
as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced
believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in
the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token
of your inheritance in him. You are as rich as the richest, if not in
enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in
heaven; the faintest ray of light has affinity with the great orb of day. In
the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same
pen. You are as dear to your Father’s heart as the greatest in the family.
Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit
would say, “put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive
odour!” but the smoking flax he will not quench. You are like a bruised
reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon
you or throw you away, but he will never break the bruised reed. Instead of
being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I
but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I
poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though “less than
nothing I can boast, and vanity confess.” Yet, if the root of the matter
be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation.
