四月二十四日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/04/0424.mp3″]
经文: 地上百花开放。百鸟鸣叫的时候已经来到，班鸠的声音在我们境内也听见了。（雅歌二：12）
春季是美妙的。漫长而烦闷的冬季帮助我们更能欣赏春季的柔和温暖,夏季的预兆更加增其现有的欣喜。心灵长期的低潮以后，重见公义太阳之光是何等的喜悦啊!我们沉睡的心从昏瞆中醒来，如同番红花和水仙花从泥土里苏醒。我们以感恩之美妙音符欢唱，远胜过百鸟颤声啼鸣之音调。在心灵中所听到的得安慰与平安之确据，比鸽子的歌声更令人喜悦。现在正是心灵寻找与她至爱者相交的时刻了，我们若不将帆升高，失去时机是我们自己的过错。当耶稣温柔地造访，邀请我们起来时，我们能愚蠢地拒绝祂的邀约吗？祂已复活以致能吸引我们归向祂自己。祂复兴我们，使我们以新生命上升至天堂分享与祂的相交。心灵的冬季使我们充满了冷酷、漠不关心。但是当主在我们心中创造了春季，我们便会精力充沛地流出汁浆，枝头更会开出坚强决心的花朵。主啊，倘若我冰冷的心尚未出现春天，求祢教它早日来临。来吧，圣灵，更新我的心灵！施恩予我，使我复苏；可怜祢仆人，使我的灵命快乐地苏醒！
Evening, April 24
Scripture: “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.”(Song of Solomon 2:12)
Sweet is the season of spring: the long and dreary winter helps us to appreciate its genial warmth, and its promise of summer enhances its present delights. After periods of depression of spirit, it is delightful to behold again the light of the Sun of Righteousness; then our slumbering graces rise from their lethargy, like the crocus and the daffodil from their beds of earth; then is our heart made merry with delicious notes of gratitude, far more melodious than the warbling of birds－and the comforting assurance of peace, infinitely more delightful than the turtle’s note, is heard within the soul. Now is the time for the soul to seek communion with her Beloved; now must she rise from her native sordidness, and come away from her old associations. If we do not hoist the sail when the breeze is favourable, we shall be blameworthy: times of refreshing ought not to pass over us unimproved. When Jesus himself visits us in tenderness, and entreats us to arise, can we be so base as to refuse his request? He has himself risen that he may draw us after him: he now by his Holy Spirit has revived us, that we may, in newness of life, ascend into the heavenlies, and hold communion with himself. Let our wintry state suffice us for coldness and indifference; when the Lord creates a spring within, let our sap flow with vigour, and our branch blossom with high resolve. O Lord, if it be not spring time in my chilly heart, I pray thee make it so, for I am heartily weary of living at a distance from thee. Oh! the long and dreary winter, when wilt thou bring it to an end? Come, Holy Spirit, and renew my soul! quicken thou me! restore me, and have mercy on me! This very night I would earnestly implore the Lord to take pity upon his servant, and send me a happy revival of spiritual life!
