十一月二十九日
不可在民中往来搬弄是非……不可心里恨你的弟兄；总要指摘你的邻舍，免得因他担罪。（利19：16—17）
搬弄是非对三方面都有害处，对说的人、听的人和被说的人都是有损无益。不管所谈论的是真是僞，神都命令我们不可传布。神子民的名声在我们眼中必须看爲宝贵，我们若帮助魔鬼辱没教会和神的名就当引以爲耻；有的舌头需要马嚼而不需要马剌。抑人不足以自高；辱人亦未必能自荣。挪亚的聪明的儿子们用衣服遮在父亲身上，而传扬这事的却受了可怕的咒诅。我们自己在黑暗的时期也需我们弟兄们的担当和缄默，那末现在我们就当高高兴兴地这样待那需要的人。“莫论人非”——愿这话作我们一家的规律，幷作我个人的准绳。
但圣灵叫我们指责罪，幷将指责罪的方法指示我们。我们必须当面责备弟兄，而不应背后辱駡。这是一种大方，友善，具有基督精神的举动，若神赐福必然生效。肉体畏缩不前吗？那末我们必须大力督促我们的良心，大胆作去；免得因爲我们容忍朋友的罪，而自己也在那罪上有份。忠实的牧师或弟兄们及时的、聪明的、仁爱的忠告使人少犯很多大罪。我们的恩主耶稣曾爲我们留下一个纠正朋友错误的好榜样；在他警告彼得之前，他先祷告，他宽宏地容忍了彼得夸大的永也不能不认他的话，这种态度正是彼得所需要的。
November
29
“Thou
shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people … Thou shalt in any
wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.”–Leviticus
19:16-17
Tale-bearing emits a threefold poison; for
it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is
told. Whether the report be true or false, we are by this precept of God’s Word
forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord’s people should be very
precious in our sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to
dishonour the Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle
rather than a spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby
they raised themselves. Noah’s wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and
he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of these dark
days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us render it
cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family rule, and our
personal bond–Speak evil of no man.
The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the
way in which we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his
face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly,
Christlike, and under God’s blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from
it? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep ourselves
to the work, lest by suffering sin upon our friend we become ourselves
partakers of it. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise,
affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our Lord Jesus has
set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends in his warning
given to Peter, the prayer with which he preceded it, and the gentle way in
which he bore with Peter’s boastful denial that he needed such a caution.
