七月二十五日
约瑟把衣裳丢在妇人手里，跑到外边去了。（创39：12）
我们与某些罪争斗时幷没有得胜的样子，而只能狼狈地逃跑。从前博物学家常提到一种毒蛇，它们的眼能使人昏迷而死，人很容易被它们所害；因此只要向恶一看就有极大的危险，凡要保全自己不沾染恶行的人必须迅速逃跑，不留一次机会给它。我们必须与我们的眼睛立约，绝不看引诱人的东西，因爲这样的罪像星星之火，即刻可以引起燎原大火。谁愿意到拘禁麻风病人的地方，睡在败坏腐烂之中呢？恐怕只有甘愿长大麻风的人才肯这样。若是水手知道如何可以躲避风暴，他必那样办，而不愿冒险航行。小心的舵手绝不愿靠近浅滩，也不愿远离海港，就近暗礁；他们的目的乃是尽量行在安全的航綫中。
今天我或许会遇到极大的危险，愿我有蛇的智慧使我不入鷇，使我能逃脱。今天鸽子的双翼或许比狮子的门牙更有用。我若接近不好的同伴就必失败，但我宁肯丢了我的衣服也不肯舍上我的品格；财富幷没有什麽用，但是清洁却是我最大的需要。情谊的结，美色的链，伶俐的笑，嘲笑的箭都不能回转我逃避罪的绝心。我抵挡魔鬼，它便离我而逃跑；但肉体的情欲，却要我来逃跑，不然它们就必胜过我。圣洁的神，愿你保全我们像约瑟一样，使陷阱夫人的恶谋和诡计不能陷害、迷惑我们，使可怕的三位一体，就是世界、肉体和魔鬼永不能胜过我们！
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!
