十一月六日
我要将水浇灌口渴的人。（赛44：3）
当信徒落到忧郁的泥淖中的时候，便常想借着惧怕黑暗和悲痛的心来管教自己，好把自己救拔出来。这种方法幷不能把他从尘埃中高举起来，而只能使他继续陷溺其中。我们要想用怀疑加增我们的恩典，就像把鹰的翅膀缚住叫它高飞一样。开头能拯救那寻求之人的，幷非律法，而是福音；幷且以后鼓舞灰心丧胆之信徒的，也非律法的捆绑，而是福音的自由。爲奴的惧怕之心幷不能把背道的人挽回到神的面前，只有慈爱的柔声能把他带到耶稣的怀中。
今晨你渴慕永生的神吗？你心中因爲没有找到他的喜乐而难过吗？你失去了救恩之乐吗？你曾这样祷告过吗？“求你使我仍得救恩之乐。”你感到你的贫乏，像一片干旱之地吗？你感到没有结出神所向你要的果子吗？你也觉得你在教会中、在世界上，没有按照你自己的心愿有所贡献吗？那末这里正是你所需要的应许：“我要将水浇灌口渴的人。”你必得到你所祈求的恩典，你的需要必大得满足。水能滋润人的干渴：你必然得到滋润，你的心愿必被满足。水能振起萎下去的枝叶：你的生命必因新鲜的恩典舒展起来。水能使花开放，使果成熟：你必得到结果子的恩典，你必按神的旨意结出果子来。神的恩典中所有的好处你都能丰享。你必大得神恩典的丰富，你必被恩漫过：正像草场被奔流的河水涌流而过一样，使田地成爲水池，你也是这样，河必浇灌干旱之地，使它成爲涌流的泉源。
November
6
“I
will pour water upon him that is thirsty.”–Isaiah 44:3
When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often
tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful
fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As
well chain the eagle’s wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our
grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first;
and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the
fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to
God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus’ bosom. Are you this
morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him
to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this
your prayer, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation”? Are you
conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not
bringing forth the fruit unto God which he has a right to expect of you; that
you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to
be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, “I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty.” You shall receive the grace you so much
require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water
refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified.
Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh
grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have
fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good
quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the
riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were
drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting
rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be–the thirsty land
shall be springs of water.
