二月七日
你們起來去吧！（彌2:10）
這個信息臨到我們和一切人的時候到了！——“起來，離開你所住的地方，離開你作事的城市，離開你的家庭和你的朋友。起來，走上你最後的一段路程吧！”我們知道我們的路程是什麼樣子嗎？我們知道我們所居留的地方是什麼樣子嗎？我們念的聖經雖少，但也受了聖靈的啟示；可是我們對於將來的境況所知道的是太少了！我們知道有一條黝黑而洶湧的河名叫“死”。神叫我們過去，應許與我們同在。而死後，又會有什麼情形呢？在我們驚訝的眼前展開了什麼樣的奇妙的世界呢？我們要看到一種多麼榮耀的景象呢？從來沒有一個過客再回來告訴我們。我們對於天堂所知道的已夠我們被歡迎到快樂和歡喜當中。死的路雖然黑暗，但我們可以大膽無懼地向前走去，要知道當我們經過幽谷時神必與我們同在，因此我們就不怕遭害了。我們要離開這裡一切所知、所愛的，但我們要回到我們父的家裡——我們父的家裡就是耶穌所在的地方，要到“那座有根基的城，就是神所經營、所建造的”。這是我們最後所去的地方，在他的民中和神的面前，永遠與我們所愛的主同在。基督徒呀！要常常想到天堂，就必使你盼望快些前往，並能使你忘懷路途中的辛勞；流淚谷不過是去到更美之地的過程，這個悲哀的世界不過是福樂世界的跳板罷了！
“主啊！願神恩預備我們，好進入高天的明宮；
那時我靈要興起，與眾聖同唱天上的妙歌。”
February
7
“Arise,
and depart.” –Micah 2:10
The hour is approaching when the message
will come to us, as it comes to all–“Arise, and go forth from the home in
which thou hast dwelt, from the city in which thou hast done thy business, from
thy family, from thy friends. Arise, and take thy last journey.” And what
know we of the journey? And what know we of the country to which we are bound?
A little we have read thereof, and somewhat has been revealed to us by the
Spirit; but how little do we know of the realms of the future! We know that
there is a black and stormy river called “Death.” God bids us cross
it, promising to be with us. And, after death, what cometh? What wonder-world
will open upon our astonished sight? What scene of glory will be unfolded to
our view? No traveller has ever returned to tell. But we know enough of the
heavenly land to make us welcome our summons thither with joy and gladness. The
journey of death may be dark, but we may go forth on it fearlessly, knowing
that God is with us as we walk through the gloomy valley, and therefore we need
fear no evil. We shall be departing from all we have known and loved here, but
we shall be going to our Father’s house–to our Father’s home, where Jesus
is–to that royal “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
God.” This shall be our last removal, to dwell for ever with Him we love,
in the midst of His people, in the presence of God. Christian, meditate much on
heaven, it will help thee to press on, and to forget the toil of the way. This
vale of tears is but the pathway to the better country: this world of woe is
but the stepping-stone to a world of bliss.
“Prepare us, Lord, by grace divine,
For Thy bright courts on high;
Then bid our spirits rise, and join
The chorus of the sky.”
