九月二十日
耶和华和基甸的刀！（士7：20）
基甸命令跟随他的人作两样事：藏着火把的瓶，好当他的信号一发出之后就打破瓶子放出光来，以后再吹角，喊叫说：“耶和华和基甸的刀！耶和华和基甸的刀！”
这正是一切基督徒所当作的。第一，你必须放光。要打破你藏着亮光的瓶子，要挪开盖著亮光的斗，要放出光来；要叫你的光照在人前，你的好行爲也当这样，她叫看到的人知道你是属耶稣的。以后必须发出响声，吹起角来。必须向罪人宣讲基督被钉十字架，把福音传给他们，把福音带到他们的门前，放在他们的路上；不要使他们逃避福音，要对着他们的耳吹起角来。
我们要留意，教会争战的呼号正是基甸所说的：“耶和华和基甸的刀！”神必亲自作战，因爲那是他的事情。可是我们也不当袖手旁观；必须拿起兵器：“耶和华和基甸的刀！”若我们只喊“耶和华的刀！”就犯了闲懒妄想的罪；若我们空呼：“基甸的刀！”就表现我们崇拜幷倚赖血肉的膀臂。我们必须使二者协合一致：“耶和华和基甸的刀”我们靠自己什麽也不能作，但靠我们的神万事都能作。因此，我们当让他的名亲自出战，我们也要使用我们圣洁榜样的火把和热心传道与作见证的角声，那末神必与我们同在，米甸人必然乱窜，耶和华的军兵必然永远掌权。
September
20
“The
sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” — Judges 7:20
Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an
earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and
let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, “The sword
of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” This is
precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher
which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your
candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be
such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with
Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be
active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ
crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their
way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their
ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon’s watchword,
“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” God must do it, it is His own
work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used–“The sword
of the Lord, and of Gideon!” If we only cry, “The sword of the Lord!”
we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, “The sword of
Gideon!” alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh:
we must blend the two in practical harmony, “The sword of the Lord, and of
Gideon!” We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the
help of our God; let us, therefore, in His name determine to go out personally
and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of
earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall
be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.
