十月七日
你爲何苦待仆人？（民11：11）
天父常用困难试验我们的信心。若我们的信心经不起试验，就算不得什麽。镀的金怕火炼，但真金便不这样；贋宝石怕钻石，但真宝石便不怕试了。当朋友满座、身体强健、事业兴盛时才信神，那种信心是可怜的；但当朋友离去、身体患病、精神消沉、我们神的脸光隐藏的时候仍然相信，那才是被神的信实所扶持的真实信心呢！在极端困难中仍然能说：“他虽杀我，我仍信靠他。”（重译伯13：15）这才是从神所得的信心。神有时苦待他的仆人是爲了要荣耀他自己，因爲他必因他的民，就是他手所造之民的德行得到荣耀。当我们因“患难生忍耐，忍耐生老练，老练生盼望”的时候，我们的神就因我们的信德有这样的长进得了尊荣。若我们不弹，琴弦就发不出悦耳的乐声；若我们不踹酒醡，就尝不到葡萄的美味；桂皮不压榨也发不出香气；炭若不燃烧也不能叫人感到暖和。借着患难我们才能发现灵匠的智慧和能力，他允准蒙怜悯的器皿经过患难。现在的苦难使我们将来也能得到更大的喜乐。图画中必须有阴暗的一面才能衬托出光彩的美丽来。若我们不知道罪的可咒和地上的忧患，我们能得到天堂的大福吗？战争之后的和平，劳苦之后的安息不更加甜蜜可亲吗？想到过去的苦楚不更加增我们荣耀中的福乐吗？举一反三，此外还有许多使我们得安慰的事，让我们今天多多回味吧！
October
7
“Wherefore
hast thou afflicted thy servant?”–Numbers 11:11
Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our
faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but
gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true
jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends
are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is
true faith which holds by the Lord’s faithfulness when friends are gone, when
the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father’s countenance
is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, “Though he slay
me, yet will I trust in him,” is heaven-born faith. The Lord afflicts his
servants to glorify himself, for he is greatly glorified in the graces of his
people, which are his own handiwork. When “tribulation worketh patience;
and patience, experience; and experience, hope,” the Lord is honoured by
these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the
strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not
trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were
not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not
utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by
the trials through which his vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present
afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the
picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed
in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will
not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not
the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There
are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our
brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.
