七月二十五日
約瑟把衣裳丟在婦人手裏，跑到外邊去了。（創39：12）
我們與某些罪爭鬥時幷沒有得勝的樣子，而只能狼狽地逃跑。從前博物學家常提到一種毒蛇，它們的眼能使人昏迷而死，人很容易被它們所害；因此只要向惡一看就有極大的危險，凡要保全自己不沾染惡行的人必須迅速逃跑，不留一次機會給它。我們必須與我們的眼睛立約，絕不看引誘人的東西，因爲這樣的罪像星星之火，即刻可以引起燎原大火。誰願意到拘禁麻風病人的地方，睡在敗壞腐爛之中呢？恐怕只有甘願長大麻風的人才肯這樣。若是水手知道如何可以躲避風暴，他必那樣辦，而不願冒險航行。小心的舵手絕不願靠近淺灘，也不願遠離海港，就近暗礁；他們的目的乃是儘量行在安全的航綫中。
今天我或許會遇到極大的危險，願我有蛇的智慧使我不入鷇，使我能逃脫。今天鴿子的雙翼或許比獅子的門牙更有用。我若接近不好的同伴就必失敗，但我寧肯丟了我的衣服也不肯舍上我的品格；財富幷沒有什麽用，但是清潔卻是我最大的需要。情誼的結，美色的鏈，伶俐的笑，嘲笑的箭都不能回轉我逃避罪的絕心。我抵擋魔鬼，它便離我而逃跑；但肉體的情欲，卻要我來逃跑，不然它們就必勝過我。聖潔的神，願你保全我們像約瑟一樣，使陷阱夫人的惡謀和詭計不能陷害、迷惑我們，使可怕的三位一體，就是世界、肉體和魔鬼永不能勝過我們！
July 25
“He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and
got him out.” — Genesis 39:12
In contending with certain sins there remains
no mode of victory but by flight. The ancient naturalists wrote much of
basilisks, whose eyes fascinated their victims and rendered them easy victims;
so the mere gaze of wickedness puts us in solemn danger. He who would be safe
from acts of evil must haste away from occasions of it. A covenant must be made
with our eyes not even to look upon the cause of temptation, for such sins only
need a spark to begin with and a blaze follows in an instant. Who would wantonly
enter the leper’s prison and sleep amid its horrible corruption? He only who
desires to be leprous himself would thus court contagion. If the mariner knew
how to avoid a storm, he would do anything rather than run the risk of
weathering it. Cautious pilots have no desire to try how near the quicksand
they can sail, or how often they may touch a rock without springing a leak;
their aim is to keep as nearly as possible in the midst of a safe channel.
This day I may be
exposed to great peril, let me have the serpent’s wisdom to keep out of it and
avoid it. The wings of a dove may be of more use to me to-day than the jaws of
a lion. It is true I may be an apparent loser by declining evil company, but I
had better leave my cloak than lose my character; it is not needful that I
should be rich, but it is imperative upon me to be pure. No ties of friendship,
no chains of beauty, no flashings of talent, no shafts of ridicule must turn me
from the wise resolve to flee from sin. The devil I am to resist and he will
flee from me, but the lusts of the flesh, I must flee, or they will surely
overcome me. O God of holiness preserve thy Josephs, that Madam Bubble bewitch
them not with her vile suggestions. May the horrible trinity of the world, the
flesh, and the devil, never overcome us!
