八月二十六日
命定他的约，直到永远。（诗111：9）
主的民必在约中享福乐。圣灵带他们进入筵宴所，以爱旗飘扬在他们以上；那约便是他们无尽的安慰之源，他们必因那永约欢乐；晨星有定处，星宿顺轨道，但圣徒在基督里的利益必然安定如恒。最使他们快乐的是因那约的确实。他们知道那是“应许大卫那可靠的恩典”。他们欢喜庆贺，因爲知道那约是签了字，加了印，批准了，一切手续都办妥了的。他们想到那约是不变的，心中也满了快乐，那约不是时间或永恒、或死所能废除的—那约必存到永远，必与万古磐石幷存。他们也必饱食这约的丰富，因爲这约供给他们一切的需要。神是他们的份，基督是他们的同伴，圣灵是他们的安慰，地是他们的客店，天是他们的家。他们因这约得以承受从亘古以来所存留给他们的恩典。当他们发现圣经中的宝藏时，他们的眼光透出快乐的光芒；当他们看到他们属天的至亲把一切基业都赐给他们的时候，他们的心灵必满了欢喜！神的民必因这约的恩慈更加欢乐。他们知道律法已经废除了，因爲那约是靠立功之法的；但这约必永存，因爲它是以恩典爲根本，恩典爲条件，恩典爲主旨，恩典爲保障，恩典爲基础，恩典爲顶石。这约是丰富的宝库，食粮的仓房，生命的泉源，救恩的府库，和平的宪章，快乐的海港。
“主曾起誓立血恩约，应许救主，除我软弱……”
August
26
“He
hath commanded His covenant for ever.” — Psalms 111:9
The Lord’s people delight in the covenant itself. It is an unfailing
source of consolation to them so often as the Holy Spirit leads them into its
banqueting house and waves its banner of love. They delight to contemplate the
antiquity of that covenant, remembering that before the day-star knew its
place, or planets ran their round, the interests of the saints were made secure
in Christ Jesus. It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember the sureness of
the covenant, while meditating upon “the sure mercies of David.” They
delight to celebrate it as “signed, and sealed, and ratified, in all
things ordered well.” It often makes their hearts dilate with joy to think
of its immutability, as a covenant which neither time nor eternity, life nor death,
shall ever be able to violate–a covenant as old as eternity and as everlasting
as the Rock of ages. They rejoice also to feast upon the fulness of this
covenant, for they see in it all things provided for them. God is their
portion, Christ their companion, the Spirit their Comforter, earth their lodge,
and heaven their home. They see in it an inheritance reserved and entailed to
every soul possessing an interest in its ancient and eternal deed of gift.
Their eyes sparkled when they saw it as a treasure-trove in the Bible; but oh!
how their souls were gladdened when they saw in the last will and testament of
their divine kinsman, that it was bequeathed to them! More especially it is the
pleasure of God’s people to contemplate the graciousness of this covenant. They
see that the law was made void because it was a covenant of works and depended
upon merit, but this they perceive to be enduring because grace is the basis,
grace the condition, grace the strain, grace the bulwark, grace the foundation,
grace the topstone. The covenant is a treasury of wealth, a granary of food, a
fountain of life, a store-house of salvation, a charter of peace, and a haven
of joy.
