五月二十八日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/05/0528.mp3″]
经文: 我想起这事，心里就有指望。（耶利米哀歌三：21）
记忆常是抑郁症之奴隶。绝望之头脑常记忆过去每一黑暗的经验，并将目前每一阴暗面扩大。披上麻布的记忆，代表混合胆汁的杯，对大脑是苦涩的。然而，你并不需要这样。智慧能将记忆转变成安慰的天使。曾带来许多阴暗之预兆的记忆，可以成为丰富希望的记号。这是耶利米的经验。记忆使他的心灵变为深度的谦卑：“我心想念这些，就在里面忧闷。”（哀三：20）然而，同样的记忆使他恢复生机和安慰。“我想起这事，心里就有指望。”我们若更能智慧运用记忆，在最黑暗的忧伤中，就可以点燃一枝火柴，使安慰之灯立即发光。上帝无需创造一种新方法使信徒恢复喜乐。他们若以祈求的心态耙掉过去的尘埃，就能为今日找到光明。若转向真理之书和恩典的宝座，他们的蜡烛很快便能再度照亮。我们的责任是要牢记主的仁慈，并回忆祂所行的恩典。让我们打开回忆录，回想上帝的仁慈如何大大地照亮。柯尔雷基称记忆为“喜乐的盛春”。当上帝的训慰师专致工作时，首要之事是使世间受安慰的人回忆往事。
Evening, May 28
Scripture: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”(Lamentations 3:21)
Memory is frequently the bond slave of despondency. Dispairing minds call to remembrance every dark foreboding in the past, and dilate upon every gloomy feature in the present; thus memory, clothed in sackcloth, presents to the mind a cup of mingled gall and wormwood. There is, however, no necessity for this. Wisdom can readily transform memory into an angel of comfort. That same recollection which in its left hand brings so many gloomy omens, may be trained to bear in its right a wealth of hopeful signs. She need not wear a crown of iron, she may encircle her brow with a fillet of gold, all spangled with stars. Thus it was in Jeremiah’s experience: in the previous verse memory had brought him to deep humiliation of soul: “My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me;” and now this same memory restored him to life and comfort. “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” Like a two-edged sword, his memory first killed his pride with one edge, and then slew his despair with the other. As a general principle, if we would exercise our memories more wisely, we might, in our very darkest distress, strike a match which would instantaneously kindle the lamp of comfort. There is no need for God to create a new thing upon the earth in order to restore believers to joy; if they would prayerfully rake the ashes of the past, they would find light for the present; and if they would turn to the book of truth and the throne of grace, their candle would soon shine as aforetime. Be it ours to remember the lovingkindness of the Lord, and to rehearse his deeds of grace. Let us open the volume of recollection which is so richly illuminated with memorials of mercy, and we shall soon be happy. Thus memory may be, as Coleridge calls it, “the bosom-spring of joy,” and when the Divine Comforter bends it to his service, it may be chief among earthly comforters.