六月十四日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/06/0614.mp3″]
经文: 主啊,我们……因得罪了祢,就都脸上蒙羞。(但以理书九:8)
对罪的沉痛感和对罪的清楚认识──罪的痛苦和应受的惩罚──使我们在宝座前俯首跪下。我们作了基督徒以后,仍然犯罪。虽然我们蒙受丰富的祝福,但却忘记恩典。我们虽然得极大恩宠,却没有按应尽的本份结出果子来。基督徒若回顾以往,谁能不赧颜?得救以前的日子要被宽恕、被忘却。然而,从那时起,我们又得罪了光,得罪了爱──那光已渗透入我们的心志,那爱使我们在其中欢乐。一个未蒙饶恕的罪人,因过犯所付的代价,和已与基督相交的、被上帝亲自拣选的人,因犯罪付出的代价,比较之下,前者是较少的。请看大卫。许多人会谈他的罪,但请看他的痛悔。听他破碎骨头的声音,似乎每根骨头都发出忧伤认罪的呻吟!请看他的眼泪滴落地上,请听他沉痛的叹息,伴随着他弹奏的轻柔乐声!我们犯了罪,让我们寻求忏悔的灵。再请看彼得!我们常常谈论彼得是否认他的主。但请记得他出去痛哭了(参阅路二十二:62)。我们曾否认我们的主,并以眼泪哀伤?我们这些罪,无论是作基督徒以前或以后,若非上帝亲自怜悯,否则都将使我们被遣至不灭的火中。为罪向上帝下跪敬拜祂,赞美那拯救你的恩典、赦免你的仁慈和饶恕你的大爱吧!
Evening, June 14
Scripture: “O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face … because we have sinned against thee.”(Daniel 9:8)
A deep sense and clear sight of sin, its heinousness, and the punishment which it deserves, should make us lie low before the throne. We have sinned as Christians. Alas! that it should be so. Favoured as we have been, we have yet been ungrateful: privileged beyond most, we have not brought forth fruit in proportion. Who is there, although he may long have been engaged in the Christian warfare, that will not blush when he looks back upon the past? As for our days before we were regenerated, may they be forgiven and forgotten; but since then, though we have not sinned as before, yet we have sinned against light and against love-light which has really penetrated our minds, and love in which we have rejoiced. Oh, the atrocity of the sin of a pardoned soul! An unpardoned sinner sins cheaply compared with the sin of one of God’s own elect ones, who has had communion with Christ and leaned his head upon Jesus’ bosom. Look at David! Many will talk of his sin, but I pray you look at his repentance, and hear his broken bones, as each one of them moans out its dolorous confession! Mark his tears, as they fall upon the ground, and the deep sighs with which he accompanies the softened music of his harp! We have erred: let us, therefore, seek the spirit of penitence. Look, again, at Peter! We speak much of Peter’s denying his Master. Remember, it is written, “He wept bitterly.” Have we no denials of our Lord to be lamented with tears? Alas! these sins of ours, before and after conversion, would consign us to the place of inextinguishable fire if it were not for the sovereign mercy which has made us to differ, snatching us like brands from the burning. My soul, bow down under a sense of thy natural sinfulness, and worship thy God. Admire the grace which saves thee-the mercy which spares thee-the love which pardons thee!