三月十日
我凡事平顺，便说：“我永不动摇。”（诗30:6）
“摩押自幼年以来常享安逸，如酒在渣滓上澄清，没有从这器皿倒在那器皿里。”把财富赐给一个人，让他的船只不断地从海外运回许多财宝；让风浪作他的仆役使他的船只平安地渡过大洋。让他田地的庄稼丰收，让他五谷丰登；让他一帆风顺，诸事顺利；让他成为兴家立业的巨商昂然站在众人当中；让他身康体健，使他有灵敏的思想，锐利的眼光，独步世界，永享快乐；赐他愉快的精神；让他唇上的歌声永不停止；让他的眼睛时时透出欢乐的光芒——在这种安乐生活当中，让他顺着自然而发展，让他作一个得未曾有的基督徒，那真是幻想，就连大卫也说：“我永不动摇”；我们并不像大卫那么好，真可说是望尘莫及。弟兄呀！走路时在光滑平坦的地方要特别留心；若你行走在其上，或是路途崎岖，那么感谢神吧。若神把我们放在顺利的摇篮中摇我们，若神把我们抱在幸运的膝上，若我们的玉柱没有瑕疵，若我们的天空没有几片乌云，若我们的人生没有几滴苦酒，我们就在欢乐中醉生梦死了！并且幻想“我们站立得稳”；我们却应当像是站在尖塔之上，像一个睡在桅杆上的人一样，必须时时提心吊胆。那么为我们的苦难赞美神吧！为我们的变迁感谢他，为我们财产的损失颂扬他，因为我们知道他若不这样管教我们，我们就不会稳妥了。在世事上一直顺利或兴隆真是一种火炼。“苦难虽然难当，但却加给人恩典。”
March 10
“In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved.” –Psalm 30:6
“Moab settled on his lees, he hath
not been emptied from vessel to vessel.” Give a man wealth; let his ships
bring home continually rich freights; let the winds and waves appear to be his
servants to bear his vessels across the bosom of the mighty deep; let his lands
yield abundantly: let the weather be propitious to his crops; let uninterrupted
success attend him; let him stand among men as a successful merchant; let him
enjoy continued health; allow him with braced nerve and brilliant eye to march
through the world, and live happily; give him the buoyant spirit; let him have
the song perpetually on his lips; let his eye be ever sparkling with joy–and
the natural consequence of such an easy state to any man, let him be the best
Christian who ever breathed, will be presumption; even David said, “I
shall never be moved;” and we are not better than David, nor half so good.
Brother, beware of the smooth places of the way; if you are treading them, or
if the way be rough, thank God for it. If God should always rock us in the cradle
of prosperity; if we were always dandled on the knees of fortune; if we had not
some stain on the alabaster pillar; if there were not a few clouds in the sky;
if we had not some bitter drops in the wine of this life, we should become
intoxicated with pleasure, we should dream “we stand;” and stand we
should, but it would be upon a pinnacle; like the man asleep upon the mast,
each moment we should be in jeopardy.
We bless God, then, for our afflictions;
we thank Him for our changes; we extol His name for losses of property; for we
feel that had He not chastened us thus, we might have become too secure.
Continued worldly prosperity is a fiery trial.
“Afflictions, though they seem
severe,
In mercy oft are sent.”
