十月十七日 「但我斷不以別的誇口，只誇我們主耶穌基督的十字架。因這十字架，就我而論，世界已經釘在十字架上。就世界而論，我已經釘在十字架上。」加拉太書六章14節 有一班信徒，他們本來是為自己活著的─—他們有自己的盼望，有自己的夢想；但是他們在禱告中求了一些他們自己所不明白的東西，主就開始成就他們的禱告。他們求一個痛悔的心，願意出任何代價去得到它，主就給他們悲哀；他們求聖潔，主就給他們劇烈的痛苦；他們求謙和，主就打碎他們心；他們求對著世界「死」，主就消滅他們一切的盼望；他們求像主，主就放他們在爐中，「坐下如煉淨銀子的。」（瑪三3）直到他們反照出主的肖像來；他們求主的十字架，主就給他們十字架。 他們所求的，他們自己並不明白，但是主就照他們所求的允准他們。其實他們未必願意跟主走得這麼遠，與主接觸得這麼近。他們的心充滿了懼怕，好像雅各在伯特利一般，又像門徒看見耶穌在海面上行走，以為是鬼怪一般。他們幾乎會求主離開他們。他們覺得順服比受苦容易，作比放容易，背十字架比掛十字架容易。但是那時候他們要想退回去，已經不可能了，因為他們已經走得太近了，十字架的功效在他們裡面已經刺得太深了。主向他們成就了祂的應許：「我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸我。」（約十二32） 以前他們只風聞這個奧祕，如今他們親身嘗到了。主已經把祂可愛的面容深深刻在他們心上，好像刻在馬利亞和彼得心上一般；他們現在已經作了愛的奴隸，不能不揀選跟隨祂了。 漸漸地，十字架的奧祕一天一天光照他們。他們看見祂被高舉，他們看見祂得榮耀；他們看見一點，前進一點，最後他們竟變成了祂的肖像，從他們身上世人看見了祂，因為祂住在他們裡面。他們與祂發生了難以形容的交情；他們甘心捨棄別人所寶貴的合法權利，為要見證他們不像別人，只像他們的主。 這就是歷代「羔羊無論往那裡去，他們都跟隨祂。」（啟十四4）的那一批人。 如果讓他們自己選擇，或者讓他們的朋友替他們選擇的話，他們定規不會這樣選擇。他們會在這個世界上多得一點榮耀，在神國裡少得一點榮耀。他們會得到羅得的命運，不會得到亞伯拉罕的命運。如果他們在半途上停住了─如果主放一放手讓他們退回去的話—─他們為甚麼不會失去呢？在復活的時候要受到何等大的損失呢！ 但是主保守他們─—甚至違反他們的本心來保守他們。多少時候他們的腳滑跌了；但是主用祂的慈愛扶他們起來。讓他們知道：在這個世界受苦，能叫他們在神國裏掌權；在地上背十字架，能叫他們在天上戴冠冕。 　　　　　　　　　　─無名氏

October 17 　"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14) 　ＴHEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands. 　They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). 　But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow. 　Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him. 　Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." 　Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection? 　But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them. 　　　　　　　　　　－Anonymous.

十月十七日　信靠基督 基督曾說過：「我心柔和謙卑，你們當學我的樣式，這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理，有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德，這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義；同時因著你有這些美德，可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。 連帶而有的福份，是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望，受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理；當你具有這些德性，你的生命就有目的，是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面，你不再掌權，而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我，否則神聖愛的靈，因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生；而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際，馬上完全捨己，求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近，最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助，我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。 「這些雖然很簡短，但是真正確的教義，使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下，也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想：完全將我的心靈獻上，單單尋求救恩，直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量，使我的生命有屬天的德性。

十月十七日　較偉大的工作 「並且要作這更大的事，因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節 祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作；祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱，是叫我們得到較高的能力，去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看，祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟，藉著神的能力，同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法，是祈禱，但須記取的，這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦，不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆，一個聰明人反而得不著。 你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣，本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方，不見得有用；」因為你不在的地方，你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡，祈禱，常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼，我必成就。」（約十四13）我們不肯祈禱，我們得不著奮興，就不肯祈禱，那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動，但祂指導我們的是祈禱，「所以你們當求莊稼的主，打發工人出去，收祂的莊稼。 通常的工人對於工作，是沒有興奮的，但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的；同樣基督的概念，沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱，從神的立場看，是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開，一種說不出的驚奇必然發現，你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的，已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。

十月十七日 「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節 亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的，他認識帶領他的神，所以他對神有絕對的信心。 亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話，從他自身所愛的本家本族出來，走向一條未知的道路。 除了信靠神的話語，我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢？神有無限的愛及力量，祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。 經上告訴我們，亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法，乃是讓世人看見神是誰，以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事，讓世人知道祂能做什麼；神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的，祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人，並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。