七月二十三日
你竟站在一旁，像与他们同伙。（俄：11）
以东和以色列本有兄弟之情，在患难之时理当彼此帮助，但以扫的后裔却与以色列的仇敌朋比爲奸。这一句话里所着重的是一个“你”字；正像该撒被亲信的朋友们所剌后对不鲁特斯说：“不鲁特斯，你？……”（事见莎氏全集）同是一件不义之举，罪名却因人而分轻重。我们既被神所特别看重，特别拣选，若犯了罪，我们的罪就得加等；我们的罪是重大昭彰的，因爲我们是明知故犯。当我们在作恶的时候，天使若来刑罚我们，他不用别的，单用一句话来责备我们说：“你怎麽也这样？你在这里作了些什麽？”我们就受不了。我们这多蒙赦免，多蒙救赎，多得教训，多得丰富，多蒙赐福的人，还敢使我们的手沾染什麽恶事吗？断乎不当！亲爱的读者，我们今晨要用几分钟的时间向神承认我们的罪。
你也曾像恶人一样吗？有人以污秽的话当作笑谈，你也不以爲怪，甚至与他们同伙；有人辱駡神，你只赧然缄默；因爲你袖手旁观，所以你也是与他们同伙的。世人在作买卖时乐虞我诈，你也这样专以牟利爲目的，那末你不是与他们同伙吗？当他们像猎人一样追逐虚荣时，你不也像他们一样地贪得无厌吗？你与他们有什麽分别呢？到底有什麽分别呢？愿你诚诚实实地，在基督耶稣里作一个新造的人；然后我们要小心,免得有人说：“你，像与他们同伙。”你不愿得他们所得的永刑，那末你爲什麽要像他们一样呢？你不要和他们同流合污，免得你和他们一同灭亡。要与神受苦的百姓同站，莫与世人携手。
July 23
“Even thou wast as one of them.” — Obadiah
1:11
Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to
Israel in the time of need, but instead thereof, the men of Esau made common
cause with Israel’s foes. Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon
the word thou; as when Caesar cried to Brutus, “and thou Brutus”; a
bad action may be all the worse, because of the person who has committed it.
When we sin, who are the chosen favorites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis;
ours is a crying offence, because we are so peculiarly indulged. If an angel
should lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need not use any other
rebuke than the question, “What thou? What dost thou here?” Much
forgiven, much delivered, much instructed, much enriched, much blessed, shall
we dare to put forth our hand unto evil? God forbid!
A few minutes of
confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader, this morning. Hast thou
never been as the wicked? At an evening party certain men laughed at
uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether offensive to thine ear, even thou
wast as one of them. When hard things were spoken concerning the ways of God,
thou wast bashfully silent; and so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them.
When worldlings were bartering in the market, and driving hard bargains, wast
thou not as one of them? When they were pursuing vanity with a hunter’s foot,
wert thou not as greedy for gain as they were? Could any difference be
discerned between thee and them? Is there any difference? Here we come to close
quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and make sure that thou art a new
creature in Christ Jesus; but when this is sure, walk jealously, lest any
should again be able to say, “Even thou wast as one of them.” Thou
wouldst not desire to share their eternal doom, why then be like them here?
Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into their ruin. Side with the
afflicted people of God, and not with the world.
