十一月十四日
……幷那些敬拜耶和华指着他起誓，又指著玛勒堪起誓的。（番1：5）
这种人自以爲平安稳妥，因爲两边都有他们的份；他们与敬畏耶和华的人同行，同时也向玛勒堪低头。但神却憎嫌这种两面讨好的人，他的心恨恶假冒爲善的人。拜偶像的人显然是把自己献给了假神，但他的罪比那以污秽可憎的祭物带到神的殿，而心却仍贪恋世界和罪恶的人还要轻一些。一方面帮着兔子逃，一方面又跟着猎狗追的人，乃是黠者之行径。在生活方面，双重人格的人非常卑鄙；而在信仰方面，朝秦暮楚的人则更可憎可厌。这种人所受的刑罚，如经上所记，是非常可怕的，但是该受的；神的公义怎能容忍恶人，他知道何爲是，幷承认何爲义，而仍喜爱邪恶，使恶在他心中掌权？
我的心哪！要检查一下，看看你是否有这种左顾右盼想两全的罪？你承认自己是属主的人，你真爱他吗？你的心与神之间的关系是否正常？你是诚实之父家里的人呢，还是自私先生的亲属？若我仍死在过犯罪恶之中，一个名称对我是毫无价值的。一脚踏着真理的陆地，一脚踏着虚假的海洋，必须堕入可怕的深渊，终至完全灭亡。要接受基督就得完全接受他，否则就不要接受。神是充满全宇宙的，那末宇宙便不能再容下什麽别的神；因此，他既在我心中掌权，就不能再让别的权势作王。我专专依靠钉死的耶稣，幷专专爲他而活吗？这是我的心愿吗？我的心是否愿意这样行呢？若是，就愿领我得救的恩主得到称赞；否则，主啊！求你赦免我的冒犯，使我的心单单敬畏你的名。
November
14
“I
will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by
Malcham.”–Zephaniah 1:5
Such persons thought themselves safe
because they were with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah,
and bowed at the same time to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God,
and hypocrisy his soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his
false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable
sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart is with the world and
the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run with the hounds, is a dastard’s
policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double- minded man is despised,
but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree. The penalty pronounced in the
verse before us is terrible, but it is well deserved; for how should divine
justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to
follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his
heart?
My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty of
double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of Jesus–dost thou truly love
him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of the family of old Father Honest,
or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends? A name to live is of little value if I
be indeed dead in trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth,
and another on the sea of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total
ruin. Christ will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence
there is no room for another god; if, then, he reigns in my heart, there will
be no space for another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified, and
live alone for him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set upon so doing? If
so, blessed be the mighty grace which has led me to salvation; and if not so, O
Lord, pardon my sad offence, and unite my heart to fear thy name.
