二月二十五日
将来的忿怒……（太3:7）
雨过天晴，到田野漫步是一件非常快意的事；风息雨霁，花卉菜蔬更加芬芳鲜艳，它们真好似在日光之下闪烁著的粒粒金刚石。那也是基督徒的地位。他所经过的地方正是救主饱经风雨的地方，若是有几滴悲哀的雨点落下，它们乃是从恩怜的云中降下的，耶稣亲自抚慰他，使它们不至毁坏了他。但是风暴来临事多么恐怖呀！我们看到风雨的警号，天上的飞鸟低垂着它们的双翼，群牛吓得垂头丧气，长空骤然变黑，太阳也不放光，苍天正在施威发怒！大雷雨突然到来使多么可怕呀！狂风怒号，树木偃倒，岩石崛起，房屋倾塌。罪人哪！这就是你现在的地位。烈火还未降下，不久就要倾盆倒下了。你周围还不觉得有暴风，但神的风暴都已准备就绪。洪水还被恩怜所阻，但是不久水闸就开启。霹雳还在神的府库之中，看哪，霎时间狂风暴雨就临到了，当神穿着报仇的衣服，忿怒地来临事多么可怕的一副景象呀！罪人哪！你要逃到那里去？那里是你藏躲之处？现在让那发怜悯的手领你到基督面前吧！他在福音中大有怜悯地把手伸到你的面前，他被刺透的肋旁便是你的避难所。你知道你需要他；信他，投靠他，那末烈怒必永远向你止住了。
“现在我们既靠着他的血称义，就便要借着他免去神的忿怒。”（罗5:9）“等候他儿子从天降临，就是他从死里复活的、那位救我们脱离将来忿怒的耶稣。”（帖前1:10）
February 25
“The wrath to come.” –Matthew 3:7
It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to
smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note
the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the
position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent
itself upon His Saviour’s head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling,
they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that
they are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to witness the
approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds
of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads
low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to
the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How
terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane–such as occurs, sometimes,
in the tropics–to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth
in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals,
and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your
present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is
coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God’s tempest is gathering its
dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the
flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in His
storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be
when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, O
sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of
mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel:
His riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of Him; believe in
Him, cast thyself upon Him, and then the fury shall be overpast for ever.
