四月十二日 [mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/04/0412.mp3″]
经文: 王园。（尼希米记三：15）
尼希米提到的御花园，令我联我到万王之王为亚当所预备的乐园。罪将那可喜的、美好的上帝的同在毁灭了。人的后裔被逐出。要耕种那长满荆棘和蒺藜之地。请记住亚当的堕落，因为那也是你的堕落。上帝的大爱竟被人类的祖先如此羞辱对待，为此流泪哀哭吧！请看那曾经是欢乐的花园，如今被龙和魔鬼所占据。但是另有一园，主以祂的血汗在其中浇灌，那就是客西马尼园。此园中的苦草对更新的心灵而言，远较伊甸园中的美果更为甜美。蛇在伊甸园中的恶行，在客西马尼园中被破除了。咒诅从世上被解开，担负在那位应许中的女人后裔身上。请默想我们的主所受的煎熬与痛落。再回到橄榄山的园中，我们看到伟大的救赎者，将世界从失丧的光景中拯救出来。这是园中之园，在其中灵魂能见到罪孽之行为，并见到爱的大能。我的心也应该成为祂的花园。如何才能使花朵茂盛？是否结出精美的果子？王是否在其中散步，且在我灵的树荫下憩息？让我确实修剪和浇灌各种植物，且赶走狡猾的狐狸。主啊，请来，当你来临时，求使天上吹起凉风，让祢园中香气四溢。我也不能忘记王的花园──教会。主啊，使她亨通，重建她的围墙，滋润她的树木，使她的果子成熟。重整荒芜废地，使它变成“一座王的花园。”
Evening, April 12
Scripture: “The king’s garden.”(Nehemiah 3:15)
Mention of the king’s garden by Nehemiah brings to mind the paradise which the King of kings prepared for Adam. Sin has utterly ruined that fair abode of all delights, and driven forth the children of men to till the ground, which yields thorns and briers unto them. My soul, remember the fall, for it was thy fall. Weep much because the Lord of love was so shamefully ill-treated by the head of the human race, of which thou art a member, as undeserving as any. Behold how dragons and demons dwell on this fair earth, which once was a garden of delights.
See yonder another King’s garden, which the King waters with his bloody sweat－Gethsemane, whose bitter herbs are sweeter far to renewed souls than even Eden’s luscious fruits. There the mischief of the serpent in the first garden was undone: there the curse was lifted from earth, and borne by the woman’s promised seed. My soul, bethink thee much of the agony and the passion; resort to the garden of the olive-press, and view thy great Redeemer rescuing thee from thy lost estate. This is the garden of gardens indeed, wherein the soul may see the guilt of sin and the power of love, two sights which surpass all others.
Is there no other King’s garden? Yes, my heart, thou art, or shouldst be such. How do the flowers flourish? Do any choice fruits appear? Does the King walk within, and rest in the bowers of my spirit? Let me see that the plants are trimmed and watered, and the mischievous foxes hunted out. Come, Lord, and let the heavenly wind blow at thy coming, that the spices of thy garden may flow abroad. Nor must I forget the King’s garden of the church. O Lord, send prosperity unto it. Rebuild her walls, nourish her plants, ripen her fruits, and from the huge wilderness, reclaim the barren waste, and make thereof “a King’s garden.”