七月十五日
在坛上必有常常烧着的火，不可熄灭。（利6：13）
我们要使私人祷告的坛上有常常烧着的火，这是敬神之人的生命。教会和家庭之坛上的火也是从这里来的。因此我们要叫这坛上的火好好地烧着；私下的灵修是活泼的、有功效的灵命的真谛、证据和温度计。你要在这里献上你的脂油。若是可能，要使你在密室中的灵修成爲常规，幷且要不受什麽搅扰，这样的祷告很有功效。你没有什麽事情祷告吗?那末就爲教会，爲牧师，爲你自己的心、你的孩子、你的亲友、你的邻居、你的国家，幷爲神的真道传遍全地的事祷告吧！
我们要在这一件重大的事上省察一下。我们个人的灵修是否不冷不热呢？我们心中的火是不明不灭吗？车轮沉重得不易往前行进吗？如果是这样，我们要知道这是败坏的先兆。我们要痛哭流泪，追求赐恩和代求的圣灵吧！让我们找一个特别的时间爲这一件非常的事祷告。因爲若再不从世俗的灰烬当中挑旺我们的火，家庭坛上的火也要熄灭了！幷且也减少了我对教会和社会的影响力。这一节也是指着心中的坛说的。这实在是一个金坛。神喜欢看到他民的心中向也发出热烈的火焰来。
让我们把我们的心给神，用火热的心爱他幷寻求他的恩典，好叫这火不熄灭；因爲神若不使它燃烧，它是不会燃烧起来的；许多仇敌要想吹灭它，但那看不见的手却时时往里倾倒圣油，使它的火焰高而又高，旺而又旺。愿我们用圣经的话作爲我们心中的燃料，它们乃是活炭；愿我们常听道，但最要紧的是多多独自与耶稣常在一起。
July 15
“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it
shall never go out.” — Leviticus 6:13
Keep the altar of private prayer burning.
This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow
their fires here, there- fore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very
essence, evidence, and barometer, of vital and experimental religion.
Burn here the fat of your sacrifices. Let
your closet seasons be, if possible, regular, frequent, and undisturbed.
Effectual prayer availeth much. Have you nothing to pray for? Let us suggest
the Church, the ministry, your own soul, your children, your relations, your
neighbours, your country, and the cause of God and truth throughout the world.
Let us examine ourselves on this important matter. Do we engage with
lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly in our
hearts? Do the chariot wheels drag heavily? If so, let us be alarmed at this
sign of decay. Let us go with weeping, and ask for the Spirit of grace and of
supplications. Let us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer. For
if this fire should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly conformity, it
will dim the fire on the family altar, and lessen our influence both in the
Church and in the world.
The text will also apply
to the altar of the heart. This is a golden altar indeed. God loves to see the
hearts of His people glowing towards Himself. Let us give to God our hearts,
all blazing with love, and seek His grace, that the fire may never be quenched;
for it will not burn if the Lord does not keep it burning. Many foes will
attempt to extinguish it; but if the unseen hand behind the wall pour thereon
the sacred oil, it will blaze higher and higher. Let us use texts of Scripture
as fuel for our heart’s fire, they are live coals; let us attend sermons, but
above all, let us be much alone with Jesus.
