十一月十五日
耶和华的份，本是他的百姓。（申32：9）
他们怎样才成爲他的份呢？乃是他自己的拣选。他拣选了他们，幷且爱他们。这幷不是在于他们那时或以后有什麽善良。他要怜悯谁，就怜悯谁，幷把永生赐于他所拣选的；因此，他们是他的，乃由于他自动的拣选。他们是他的，不单是因着他的拣选，也是因着他的购买。他已买了他们，爲他们偿付了一切的赎价，因此便归到他的名下。幷非用必朽坏的金银等物，而是用主耶稣基督的宝血完全赎出来，成爲神的份。他的産业幷无抵押品；对方也无权提出复産的诉讼，价银已在法庭上当衆付清，因此教会永远是属神的。
一切被拣选的人都有宝血的印记，肉眼虽看不见，但基督却能认出，因爲“主认识谁是他的人”；他从来不会忘记从衆人当中所赎出的人；他数点群羊，因他曾爲它们舍命，他永远不会忘记他的教会，因他曾爲她献上自己。他们是他的，乃是被他所征取的。在他还未得着我们之前，他在我们心里曾浴血苦战！他曾长时地围攻我们的心！他曾多次向我们下招降书！但我们仍紧闭我们的门，深沟高垒地阻挡他。你能记清当他用暴风攻占了我们的心，当他用十字架攻陷了我们的墙垣，粉碎了我们的屏障，在我们的堡垒上竪起了他满有怜悯的血红大旗的光荣时刻吗？
是的，我们真是他大爱所征服的俘虏。他这样拣选、购买、征服我们，因此我们永远属他，神的所有权也是不可让渡的：我们高兴，因爲我们永远不是自己的人；我们盼望，天天遵行他的旨意，表现他的荣耀。
November
15
“The
Lord’s portion is his people.”–Deuteronomy 32:9
How are they his? By his own sovereign
choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart
from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in
them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company
unto eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained election.
They are not only his by choice, but by
purchase. He has bought and paid for them to the utmost farthing, hence about
his title there can be no dispute. Not with corruptible things, as with silver
and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord’s
portion has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on his estate; no suits
can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court, and the
Church is the Lord’s freehold forever. See the blood-mark upon all the chosen,
invisible to human eye, but known to Christ, for “the Lord knoweth them
that are his”; he forgetteth none of those whom he has redeemed from among
men; he counts the sheep for whom he laid down his life, and remembers well the
Church for which he gave himself.
They are also his by conquest. What a battle he had in us before we
would be won! How long he laid siege to our hearts! How often he sent us terms
of capitulation! but we barred our gates, and fenced our walls against him. Do
we not remember that glorious hour when he carried our hearts by storm? When he
placed his cross against the wall, and scaled our ramparts, planting on our
strongholds the blood-red flag of his omnipotent mercy? Yes, we are, indeed,
the conquered captives of his omnipotent love. Thus chosen, purchased, and
subdued, the rights of our divine possessor are inalienable: we rejoice that we
never can be our own; and we desire, day by day, to do his will, and to show
forth his glory.
