四月二十五日
我的佳偶，我的美人，起来，与我同去！（歌2:10）
听啊，是我良人的声音！他和我说话。当大地回春，万象更新的时候，他不愿我们的灵性仍然在寒冬里沉睡不醒。他叫我“起来”，或许他因为我已经在泥土里蛰伏了很久了。他复活了，我也在他里面复活，为什么我甘居泥土之中呢？我要从卑下的爱情、愿望、寻乐、渴慕中向他兴起。他亲切地称我为“佳偶”，他以我为美人，我为此应当起来。若他这样高抬我，认为我是佳美的，我怎能再住在基达的帐棚中，甘与凡夫俗子为伍呢？他吩咐我“同去”，他召我日渐离去一切自私、卑鄙、世俗、罪污；是的，他召我离开那不认识他、不明白更高生命的奥秘、外表信主的人。“同去”的语调并不是粗声厉色的，有什么能留我在虚浮和罪恶的旷野之中呢？我的主啊！我愿与你同去，但我落在荆棘丛中，我不能按着我的心愿摆脱那些。若是可能，我愿我的眼不看罪，耳不听罪，心不想罪。你召我到你面前说“同去”，你的声音多幽雅动听。到你那里去就是脱离被放逐的生活回到自己的家里，离了风浪大作的怒海渡到岸上，离了长期的劳苦得到安息，来到我欲望的目标和我心愿的顶点。但是，主啊！石头自己怎能起来，一团泥怎能从可怕的土坑中出来呢？求你高举我，吸引我。惟有你的恩典能使我起来。求你赐圣灵燃起我心中的爱火，我愿起来，直到我离开了今生和时间，真实地与你同去。
April 25
“Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.” –Song of
Solomon 2:10
Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me! Fair weather is
smiling upon the face of the earth, and He would not have me spiritually asleep
while nature is all around me awaking from her winter’s rest. He bids me
“Rise up,” and well He may, for I have long enough been lying among
the pots of worldliness. He is risen, I am risen in Him, why then should I
cleave unto the dust? From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I
would rise towards Him. He calls me by the sweet title of “My love,” and
counts me fair; this is a good argument for my rising. If He has thus exalted
me, and thinks me thus comely, how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find
congenial associates among the sons of men? He bids me “Come away.”
Further and further from everything selfish, grovelling, worldly, sinful, He
calls me; yea, from the outwardly religious world which knows Him not, and has
no sympathy with the mystery of the higher life, He calls me. “Come
away” has no harsh sound in it to my ear, for what is there to hold me in
this wilderness of vanity and sin? O my Lord, would that I could come away, but
I am taken among the thorns, and cannot escape from them as I would. I would,
if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor ears, nor heart for sin. Thou
callest me to Thyself by saying “Come away,” and this is a melodious
call indeed. To come to Thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of
the raging storm, to come to rest after long labour, to come to the goal of my
desires and the summit of my wishes. But Lord, how can a stone rise, how can a
lump of clay come away from the horrible pit? O raise me, draw me. Thy grace
can do it. Send forth Thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of love in my
heart, and I will continue to rise until I leave life and time behind me, and
indeed come away.
