十一月一日
在你家的教会。（门：2）
这一个家庭中也有一个教会吗？父母、儿女、朋友（佣工）都是教会的会友吗？或者还有什麽人仍未得救吗？让我们依次自问：我是这个家庭教会的会友吗？若是自长至幼都得了救，父亲的心必欢喜踊跃，母亲的眼必热泪盈眶！让我们爲这一个大怜悯祷告，直到主应允了我们。或许腓利门的心愿就是切望全家得救；可是起初神幷没有把这恩完全赐给他。他有一个恶仆阿尼西母，离他逃跑，幷且也作了亏负他的事。但是他的祷告却随着他；至终，这也是神的心愿，阿尼西母因爲保罗的传道，所以受感悔改，又回到腓利门的家，此后不单成爲一个忠心的仆人，也成了一位亲爱的弟兄，于是腓利门家中的教会又多了一位会友。
今晨这家有什麽还未得救的仆人或孩子在外面吗？要特别爲他们祈求，当他们回家的时候，听见他们述说神的恩典时，全家的心必满了快乐！现在家里有这样的人吗？那麽他也当一同热切地呼求神。若我们的家中有这样的一个教会，我们就当好好地管理，愿我们一切的行事都好像是行在神的面前一样。让我们日常的生活满了圣洁、殷勤、仁慈和正直。人们对于一个教会比一个普通的家庭所期望的更多；家庭礼拜在这种情形之下，必须热烈而诚恳；内心的爱必须更加温暖而坚强；外面的行事必须更圣洁而像基督。我们不要怕我们的人数太少，不能成爲一个教会，因爲圣灵已经印证这是一个家庭的教会。既是教会，我们现在就当就近普世教会的头，求他赐恩叫我们爲他名的荣耀，把我们的好行爲照亮在人面前。
November
1
“The
church in thy house.”–Philemon 2
Is there a Church in this house? Are
parents, children, friends, servants, all members of it? or are some still
unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round–Am I a member of
the Church in this house? How would father’s heart leap for joy, and mother’s
eyes fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved!
Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably
it had been the dearest object of Philemon’s desires to have all his household
saved; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked
servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service. His
master’s prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was
led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon,
not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother beloved, adding another member
to the Church in Philemon’s house. Is there an unconverted servant or child
absent this morning? Make special supplication that such may, on their return
to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is
there one present? Let him partake in the same earnest entreaty.
If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let
all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with
studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a
Church than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be
more devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and
external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that
the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the
Holy Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance.
As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church universal,
and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of his
name.
