八月二十九日
神啊，求你按你的慈爱怜恤我。（诗51：1）
克理病危之时有人问他说：“设若你的病不会好了，你愿意用哪节圣经作爲安葬的讲题呢？”他回答说：“我觉得一个可怜的犯罪的人是不值得提他的；但若一定要在丧事礼拜中讲道的话，要用这话：‘神啊！求你按你的慈爱怜恤我，按你丰盛的慈悲涂抹我的过犯。’”在留遗嘱的时候他也抱着同样的谦卑的精神，他说碑文要这样刻：
克理威廉生于一七六一年八月十七日，死于……
“我是一条卑贱、可怜、软弱的虫，但我愿投靠在你恩慈的膀臂中。”
只有在洪恩之下最有经验、最得尊荣的圣徒才能到神那里去。人以爲自己比别人强，其实他们不过是人。空船才浮得高，而满载的船却沉在水中；只有口是心非的人才会夸口，而真是神儿女的人反自觉无善可陈，因此才呼求神的慈怜。我们须要神怜悯我们的善行、我们的祷告、我们的讲道、我们的施舍和我们一切至圣之物。羊的血不单涂在以色列人的门框门楣上，也洒在圣所、施恩座和坛上，因爲当罪干犯了圣物之后，必须用耶稣的血洗净它们，好不沾染污秽。若我们的工作须要怜悯，那末我们的罪该当怎样呢？每逢想到神无穷尽的怜悯随时都能恩待我们，挽回我们的退后，使我们折断的骨头欢畅的时候，我们心中是多少快乐而甜蜜呀！
August
29
“Have
mercy upon me, O God.” — Psalm 51:1
When Dr. Carey was suffering from a
dangerous illness, the enquiry was made, “If this sickness should prove
fatal, what passage would you select as the text for your funeral sermon?”
He replied, “Oh, I feel that such a poor sinful creature is unworthy to
have anything said about him; but if a funeral sermon must be preached, let it
be from the words, ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness;
according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions.'” In the same spirit of humility he directed in his will
that the following inscription and nothing more should be cut on his
gravestone:–
WILLIAM CAREY, BORN AUGUST 17th, 1761:
DIED – –
“A wretched, poor, and helpless worm
On Thy kind arms I fall.”
Only on the footing of free grace can the most experienced and most
honoured of the saints approach their God. The best of men are conscious above
all others that they are men at the best. Empty boats float high, but heavily
laden vessels are low in the water; mere professors can boast, but true
children of God cry for mercy upon their unprofitableness. We have need that
the Lord should have mercy upon our good works, our prayers, our preachings,
our alms-givings, and our holiest things. The blood was not only sprinkled upon
the doorposts of Israel’s dwelling houses, but upon the sanctuary, the
mercy-seat, and the altar, because as sin intrudes into our holiest things, the
blood of Jesus is needed to purify them from defilement. If mercy be needed to
be exercised towards our duties, what shall be said of our sins? How sweet the
remembrance that inexhaustible mercy is waiting to be gracious to us, to restore
our backslidings, and make our broken bones rejoice!
