七月五日
奉召作圣徒。（罗1：7）
我们每每以爲使徒时代的圣徒比神其他的儿女特别些。凡神所恩召、圣灵所分别的人都是“圣徒”；但我们常是把使徒看作是一些非常的人，其实他们也像我们一样地发软弱，受试探。有这存心的人忘记了一个真理，一个人的生活越靠近神，越爲自己邪恶的心感到难过，神越在他服侍主的工作上尊崇他，他天天受邪情私欲的滋扰和困惑也越多。事实是这样，若我们曾看见过使徒保罗，我们必知道他和神家里的其他人是一样的可贵；若我们曾和他谈过话，我们必会说：“我们发现他的经验和我们的是一样的。他更忠心，更圣洁，灵历更深，但他所忍受的试炼和我们却是一样的。
不，从另一些方面看来，他所受的苦比我们更大。”所以不要以爲古圣徒能免去灾祸和罪恶，不要盲目地过于崇拜他们像拜偶像一样。他们怎样圣洁，我们也能达到那种境地。我们“奉召作圣徒”和他们是一样的，他们因圣召而得到崇高的地位，那召我们的声音是一样的。得以列在圣徒当中是每一位基督徒的责任；若圣徒的灵历比我们更高超，当然他们是很高超的，那末让我们急起直追；让我们赶上他们的热诚和圣洁。我们所得的亮光和他们一样，我们也能得到同样的恩典，若我们的灵性不能像他们一样，我们能够知足，能够安怀吗？他们与耶稣同活，他们爲耶稣而活，因此他们像耶稣。让我们靠着同一位圣灵而活，正如他们一样，“仰望主耶稣”，那末不久我们就显明自己是圣徒了。
July 5
“Called to be saints.” — Romans 1:7
We are very apt to
regard the apostolic saints as if they were “saints” in a more
especial manner than the other children of God. All are “saints” whom
God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to
look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same
weaknesses and temptations as ourselves. Yet in so doing we are forgetful of
this truth, that the nearer a man lives to God the more intensely has he to
mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honours him in His
service, the more also doth the evil of the flesh vex and tease him day by day.
The fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul, we should have thought him
remarkably like the rest of the chosen family: and if we had talked with him,
we should have said, “We find that his experience and ours are much the
same. He is more faithful, more holy, and more deeply taught than we are, but
he has the selfsame trials to endure. Nay, in some respects he is more sorely
tried than ourselves.” Do not, then, look upon the ancient saints as being
exempt either from infirmities or sins; and do not regard them with that mystic
reverence which will almost make us idolators. Their holiness is attainable
even by us. We are “called to be saints” by that same voice which
constrained them to their high vocation. It is a Christian’s duty to force his
way into the inner circle of saintship; and if these saints were superior to us
in their attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them; let us
emulate their ardour and holiness. We have the same light that they had, the
same grace is accessible to us, and why should we rest satisfied until we have
equalled them in heavenly character? They lived with Jesus, they lived for
Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by the same Spirit as they
did, “looking unto Jesus,” and our saintship will soon be apparent.
