二月十二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/02/0212.mp3″]
经文: 我要求父、父就另外赐给你们一位保惠师，叫他永远与你们同在。（约翰福音十四：16）
在圣子降临以前，伟大的天父将祂自己向古代相信祂的人启示出来。亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各认识祂是一位全能的上帝。以后耶稣来了，这位永受称颂的圣子是上帝百姓眼中的喜乐。救赎主升天以后，在五旬节那天和以后的日子，圣灵的能力荣耀地彰显了。一直到如今祂仍是我们的以马内利──上帝与我们同在。祂在祂的百姓之间，也是他们心内，在他们中间作复苏、引导和管理的工作。我们是否知道祂的同在？我们不控制祂的作为，在祂所有的行动中祂有自主权。我们是否迫切希望得到祂的帮助？没有圣灵，我们什么都不能作，反之，藉祂的全能，能产生最不平凡的结果。任何事都决定于祂彰显能力或隐藏能力。我们是否为自己内在的生命和外在的服事仰望祂，以崇敬的心正确地依靠祂？或是我们常常跑在祂的呼召之前，独自行动，忽视祂的帮助？今晚让我们为过去的失败谦卑自己，恳求天上的甘露降在我们身上，恳求圣洁的油膏抹我们，恳求属天的火焰在我们里面燃烧。圣灵不是短暂的礼物，祂与圣徒们同住。我们只要寻找祂，就必寻见。祂是忌邪的，但是祂也是怜悯的。上帝若因发怒离开，必带着怜悯回来。祂谦卑并温柔，对我们永不厌倦，反而等着要施恩于我们。
Evening, February 12
Scripture: “He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”(John 14:16)
Great Father revealed himself to believers of old before the coming of his Son, and was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the God Almighty. Then Jesus came, and the ever-blessed Son in his own proper person, was the delight of his people’s eyes. At the time of the Redeemer’s ascension, the Holy Spirit became the head of the present dispensation, and his power was gloriously manifested in and after Pentecost. He remains at this hour the present Immanuel－God with us, dwelling in and with his people, quickening, guiding, and ruling in their midst. Is his presence recognized as it ought to be? We cannot control his working; he is most sovereign in all his operations, but are we sufficiently anxious to obtain his help, or sufficiently watchful lest we provoke him to withdraw his aid? Without him we can do nothing, but by his almighty energy the most extraordinary results can be produced: everything depends upon his manifesting or concealing his power. Do we always look up to him both for our inner life and our outward service with the respectful dependence which is fitting? Do we not too often run before his call and act independently of his aid? Let us humble ourselves this evening for past neglects, and now entreat the heavenly dew to rest upon us, the sacred oil to anoint us, the celestial flame to burn within us. The Holy Ghost is no temporary gift, he abides with the saints. We have but to seek him aright, and he will be found of us. He is jealous, but he is pitiful; if he leaves in anger, he returns in mercy. Condescending and tender, he does not weary of us, but awaits to be gracious still.
Sin has been hammering my heart
Unto a hardness, void of love,
Let supplying grace to cross his art
Drop from above.