七月十六日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/07/0716.mp3″]
经文: 祢必起来怜恤锡安，因现在是可怜他的时候。日期已到了。祂的仆人原来喜悦他的石头，可怜他的尘土。（诗篇一○二：13～14）
在困难中，自私的人很难得到安慰，因为他安慰的源头完全藏在他自己里面。但是基督徒除了那些藏在里面的以外，尚有供应安慰的其他源头。他能到上帝面前寻得丰富的帮助。他能从与广阔的世界有关、与他的国家有关的事物中得到安慰。但是在这一切之上，他可以从与教会有关的事物中获得慰藉。当大卫写下：“我如同旷野的鹈鹕。我好像荒场的鸮鸟。我儆醒不睡。我像房顶上孤单的麻雀。”（诗一○二：6～7）时，他是处于极大忧伤之中。唯一能安慰他的方法反映在上帝怜恤锡安的景像中。虽然他忧伤，然而锡安繁荣；不论他自己的景况是何等可悲，锡安将要复兴。学习藉上帝向教会所显的恩典来安慰你自己。虽然你前途暗澹无光，仍能因祂十字架的得胜和祂真理的广传而欢呼。当我们转晴，不仅看到上帝已经为锡安作的和祂正在为锡安所作的事，更看到祂尚要为祂教会作荣耀的事，我们就会忘记个人的难处。每当你心忧愁，你灵沉重时，忘记你自己和你微小的焦虑，去寻求上帝子民的好处和幸福。当你屈膝向上帝祈祷时，不要只限于为自己生活的狭小圈子祈求。为了教会的兴旺发出你的祷告吧。“你们要为耶路撒冷求平安。”（诗一二二：6）你自己的心灵也能得到复苏。
Evening, July 16
Scripture: “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come. For thy servants rake pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.”(Psalm 102:13, 14)
A selfish man in trouble is exceedingly hard to comfort, because the springs of his comfort lie entirely within himself, and when he is sad all his springs are dry. But a large-hearted man full of Christian philanthropy, has other springs from which to supply himself with comfort beside those which lie within. He can go to his God first of all, and there find abundant help; and he can discover arguments for consolation in things relating to the world at large, to his country, and, above all, to the church. David in this Psalm was exceedingly sorrowful; he wrote, “I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.” The only way in which he could comfort himself, was in the reflection that God would arise, and have mercy upon Zion: though he was sad, yet Zion should prosper; however low his own estate, yet Zion should arise. Christian man! learn to comfort thyself in God’s gracious dealing towards the church. That which is so dear to thy Master, should it not be dear above all else to thee? What though thy way be dark, canst thou not gladden thine heart with the triumphs of his cross and the spread of his truth? Our own personal troubles are forgotten while we look, not only upon what God has done, and is doing for Zion, but on the glorious things he will yet do for his church. Try this receipt, O believer, whenever thou art sad of heart and in heaviness of spirit: forget thyself and thy little concerns, and seek the welfare and prosperity of Zion. When thou bendest thy knee in prayer to God, limit not thy petition to the narrow circle of thine own life, tried though it be, but send out thy longing prayers for the church’s prosperity, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” and thine own soul shall be refreshed.