七月十四日
因你在上头一动家具，就把坛污秽了。（出20：25）
神的坛不可用凿成的石头来筑成，不能在神的坛上看出人的技巧和工作来。人们常喜欢用自己的智慧把十字架的道理加以整理和修饰，以期迎合堕落之人的口味；其实人的智慧常是画蛇添足的，他们不但不能使福音更趋完美，反而污秽了福音，使它成爲“别的福音”，根本算不得是神的真道。因此凡把神自己的话加以修正或更改的，都是污秽肮脏的。人的骄傲的心常想在神使人称义的事上也有份儿，渴想爲基督作种种的准备，依靠自己的谦卑和悔改，高兴自己的善行，夸耀自己的本领，这一切都是要在神的坛上动用人的家具。罪人应当记得若用人的信心和方法来完成救主的工作，那就是污秽幷羞辱了那工作。
主自己必在赎罪的事上被高举，其上毫无人锤凿的痕迹。凡要在基督耶稣临死时所宣告“成了”的事上再加添什麽的，就是犯了亵渎的罪；要想修正主耶和华所看爲美、所看爲“甚好”的事也是如此。颤栗著的罪人哪！丢掉你的器具吧，双膝跪下谦卑地祈求吧，接受主耶稣作爲赎你罪的坛，幷且单单投靠他。
有很多人或许能因今晨的话爲自己所信的道理得到一个警戒。有很多基督徒颇有将启示的真道加以“扬弃”或“调和”的倾向，这是不敬不信的表示；我们却要完全领受所传于我们的真道，我们要快乐，因爲主的话是未凿过的石头，因此才能用以筑成神的坛。
July 14
“If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast
polluted it.” — Exodus 20:25
God’S altar was to be built of unhewn stones,
that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom
delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more
artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature;
instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it
becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and
amendments of the Lord’s own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud
heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul
before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings
are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and
by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar.
It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the
Saviour’s work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The
Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of
man’s chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in
seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be
finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect
satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in
humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine
atonement, and rest in Him alone.
Many professors may take
warning from this morning’s text as to the doctrines which they believe. There
is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths
of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive
against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of
the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for
the Lord.
