十一月二十四日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/11/1124.mp3″]
经文: 再睡片时、打盹片时、抱着手躺卧片时，你的贫穷就必如强盗速来，你的缺乏仿佛拿兵器的人来到。（箴言二十四：33～34）
懒惰人最糟糕的要求就是让他打盹片刻，但他们若被指控为偷懒闲散尚要愤愤不平。他们最渴望的是抱着手耽卧片时，并且用一大堆理由来解释这种放任是极为合宜的。然而，就因为这些片时的休息，光阴逝去了，作工的时刻过去了，田地中满了荆棘。只是少许耽搁延宕，人毁灭了自己的灵魂。他们并不企图拖延许多年，只要给他们一些闲适的时光，明天就要振作起来作正经事。但是，像滴漏中的沙粒，时光流逝，生命点点滴滴耗去，恩典的时机丧失了，都因为是片时的打盹。愿上帝亲自教导我们这个神圣的功课，否则最可怕的贫穷──永远的贫穷──正等着我们时，到那时，即使我们只求得着一滴水，也是徒然。贫穷像踩着坚定步伐往前走的追逐者，压倒控制着怠惰的人，毁灭覆没了意志软弱的人。时间一分一秒过去，这个可怕的追逐者就更接近。他身负重任，不能延宕，故此一路追逐不停。他带着权柄与能力，仿复拿着兵器的人，直闯而入。因此，缺乏临到懒惰的人，死亡临到未悔改的人。没有逃脱之路。趁着神圣之日破晓以前勤奋地寻求主耶稣，否则会来不及犁地撒种，悔改相信也为时已迟！收割季节来临时抱怨错过撒种的时刻，是无补于事了。现在是相信和作神圣决定的时刻了，但愿今晚，我们都能把握。
Evening, November 24
Scripture: “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.”(Proverbs 24:33, 34)
The worst of sluggards only ask for a little slumber; they would be indignant if they were accused of thorough idleness. A little folding of the hands to sleep is all they crave, and they have a crowd of reasons to show that this indulgence is a very proper one. Yet by these littles the day ebbs out, and the time for labour is all gone, and the field is grown over with thorns. It is by little procrastinations that men ruin their souls. They have no intention to delay for years－a few months will bring the more convenient season－to-morrow if you will, they will attend to serious things; but the present hour is so occupied and altogether so unsuitable, that they beg to be excused. Like sands from an hour-glass, time passes, life is wasted by driblets, and seasons of grace lost by little slumbers. Oh, to be wise, to catch the flying hour, to use the moments on the wing! May the Lord teach us this sacred wisdom, for otherwise a poverty of the worst sort awaits us, eternal poverty which shall want even a drop of water, and beg for it in vain. Like a traveller steadily pursuing his journey, poverty overtakes the slothful, and ruin overthrows the undecided: each hour brings the dreaded pursuer nearer; he pauses not by the way, for he is on his master’s business and must not tarry. As an armed man enters with authority and power, so shall want come to the idle, and death to the impenitent, and there will be no escape. O that men were wise be-times, and would seek diligently unto the Lord Jesus, or ere the solemn day shall dawn when it will be too late to plough and to sow, too late to repent and believe. In harvest, it is vain to lament that the seed time was neglected. As yet, faith and holy decision are timely. May we obtain them this night.
