五月二日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/05/0502.mp3″]
经文: 这些人都是存着信心死的。（希伯来书十一：13）
请看所有蒙福圣徒的墓志铭。他们都是在主再来以前离世的。不论他们是如何离开的，或因年老或因暴力，他们的共同点，也是最值得记载的就是：“这些人都是存着信心死的”。他们活在信心中，信心是他们的安慰、他们的引导、他们的动力、也是他们的支持力量。在同样的属灵恩典中他们死了，以他们一生所唱的美妙曲调结束了自己的一生。他们的死非因为肉体的关系，或自己的成就。他们从不放弃起初对上帝的委身，坚持信心到最后。靠着信心死，和靠着信心活是同样的珍贵的。存着信心是对过去切实的确据。他们相信上帝以前所立的应许，也确信藉上帝的怜悯，他们的罪已被涂抹。存着信心死与目前有关。这些圣徒确信自已蒙上帝悦纳。他们享受祂爱的光辉，并安息在祂的信实中。存着信心死也看到将来。他们安睡了，确信弥赛亚必定再来。当祂于末日显现在地上时，他们要从坟墓中起来与祂相见。对他们而言，死亡的痛苦只不过是比生产之剧痛还好一点的痛苦。当你读此墓志铭时，愿你得着激励。你这一生的旅程是信心的旅程，虽然环境常常不带给你喜乐。在这途径上，随后而来的是最光明、最美好的。仰望耶稣，祂是你信心的创始成终者。感谢祂赐你宝贵的信心，这信心与那些已在荣耀中之灵魂的信心是相同的。
Evening, May 2
Scripture: “These all died in faith.”(Hebrews 11:13)
Behold the epitaph of all those blessed saints who fell asleep before the coming of our Lord! It matters nothing how else they died, whether of old age, or by violent means; this one point, in which they all agree, is the most worthy of record, “they all died in faith.” In faith they lived－it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support; and in the same spiritual grace they died, ending their life-song in the sweet strain in which they had so long continued. They did not die resting in the flesh or upon their own attainments; they made no advance from their first way of acceptance with God, but held to the way of faith to the end. Faith is as precious to die by as to live by.
Dying in faith has distinct reference to the past. They believed the promises which had gone before, and were assured that their sins were blotted out through the mercy of God. Dying in faith has to do with the present. These saints were confident of their acceptance with God, they enjoyed the beams of his love, and rested in his faithfulness. Dying in faith looks into the future. They fell asleep, affirming that the Messiah would surely come, and that when he would in the last days appear upon the earth, they would rise from their graves to behold him. To them the pains of death were but the birth-pangs of a better state. Take courage, my soul, as thou readest this epitaph. Thy course, through grace, is one of faith, and sight seldom cheers thee; this has also been the pathway of the brightest and the best. Faith was the orbit in which these stars of the first magnitude moved all the time of their shining here; and happy art thou that it is thine. Look anew to-night to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith, and thank him for giving thee like precious faith with souls now in glory.
