五月十三日
一宿虽然有哭泣，早晨便必欢呼。（诗30：5）
基督徒啊！若你正在患难的暗夜里，想想即将到来的早晨：想到你的主就要来到心中便当快乐。要忍耐，因为“看哪！他必驾着天上的云降临”。要忍耐，农夫耐心等候着收他的庄稼。要忍耐，因为你知道谁曾说：“看哪，我必快来。赏罚在我，要照各人所行的报应他。”若现在你经受从未有过的忧伤，要记得：“太阳不过再出没数次，你就必度到迦南美地。”现在你的头上容或戴着困难的荆冕，但不久你就必戴上星冠。现在你的手或许满了忧虑，但不久它必弹奏天上的金琴。现在你的衣服或许沾染了灰尘，不久就必变白。再等一会，往后看看我们的困难和苦楚是多么算不得什么呀！现在往前看，觉得不知它们有多么大，但当我们到了天堂，“双足的劳苦，必变成无限的快乐。”那时我们就觉得我们的痛苦是至暂至轻的了。让我们大胆地向前，若是夜已到了最黑的时候，早晨就要来临了，并不用等到人说他们被关闭在地狱的黑暗里。你知道过著将来的生活——过著盼望的生活——先尝天堂之乐是一件什么事吗?快乐的信徒啊！要确实知道，这盼望是有安慰的。现在虽然黑暗，但不久就有光明；现在虽有一切苦难，但不久就有一切福乐。“黑夜已深，白昼将近。”等到“早晨便必欢呼”的时候，“一宿虽然有哭泣”还算得什么呢?
“遥山露出晨光，照明一切深谷；尘世黑影速速全消，天光充我眼目。”
May 13
“Weeping may endure for
a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” — Psalm 30:5
Christian! If thou
art in a night of trial, think of the morrow; cheer up thy heart with the
thought of the coming of thy Lord. Be patient, for
“Lo! He comes
with clouds descending.”
Be patient! The
Husbandman waits until He reaps His harvest. Be patient; for you know who has
said, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every
man according as his work shall be.” If you are never so wretched now,
remember
“A few more
rolling suns, at most,
Will land thee on
fair Canaan’s coast.”
Thy head may be
crowned with thorny troubles now, but it shall wear a starry crown ere long;
thy hand may be filled with cares–it shall sweep the strings of the harp of
heaven soon. Thy garments may be soiled with dust now; they shall be white
by-and-by. Wait a little longer. Ah! how despicable our troubles and trials
will seem when we look back upon them! Looking at them here in the prospect,
they seem immense; but when we get to heaven we shall then
“With
transporting joys recount,
The labours of our
feet.”
Our trials will
then seem light and momentary afflictions. Let us go on boldly; if the night be
never so dark, the morning cometh, which is more than they can say who are shut
up in the darkness of hell. Do you know what it is thus to live on the
future–to live on expectation–to antedate heaven? Happy believer, to have so
sure, so comforting a hope. It may be all dark now, but it will soon be light;
it may be all trial now, but it will soon be all happiness. What matters it
though “weeping may endure for a night,” when “joy cometh in the
morning?”
