八月二十四日[mp3_embed playlst=”/downloading/audio/evening/08/0824.mp3″]
经文: 若点火焚烧荆棘，以致将别人堆积的禾捆，站着的禾稼，或是田园，都烧尽了，那点火的必要赔偿。（出埃及记二十二：6）
人若向别人射箭点燃了他的错误或欲望，使人的灵魂被地狱之烈火燃烧，他将作何赔偿呢？侵犯者若悔改，可以得到饶恕，但是他的行为仍将为他带来忧伤，因为所作之错误已不可能挽回。错误所点起的火焰，即使经过多年个性的修补也不能熄灭。烧毁人的食粮已够坏了，毁灭人的灵魂更是糟糕！让我们鉴察自己过去可能犯的罪，并且察验那些仍然可能在我们里面，造成损害亲友或邻居之心灵的罪。纷争不和的火在教会内爆发是一件可怕的恶行。悔改的人数加添，上帝得着了荣耀，魔鬼就使用另一有效工具──嫉妒。仇恨敌意之火──燃起，除了烟雾和一堆灰烬外，无物存留。引发这些过犯的人是犯了严重的罪，但愿他们从来不在我们中间。我们若是主犯，虽然不可能赔偿，当然也成了主要的受害者。那些助火燃烧的人也当受谴责，但是首先点火的人更当受责备。争论通常是先抓住荆棘。它在假冒为善之中滋生，藉着地狱之风吹到义人之间。无人知道它将在何处结束。主啊，赐平安者，求祢使我们和睦相处。求祢让我们不要帮助纷争的人，也不要在无意间造成祢百姓中最小的分裂。
Evening, August 24
Scripture: “If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.”(Exodus 22:6)
But what restitution can he make who casts abroad the fire-brands of error, or the coals of lasciviousness, and sets men’s souls on a blaze with the fire of hell? The guilt is beyond estimate, and the result is irretrievable. If such an offender be forgiven, what grief it will cause him in the retrospect, since he cannot undo the mischief which he has done! An ill example may kindle a flame which years of amended character cannot quench. To burn the food of man is bad enough, but how much worse to destroy the soul! It may be useful to us to reflect how far we may have been guilty in the past, and to enquire whether, even in the present, there may not be evil in us which has a tendency to bring damage to the souls of our relatives, friends, or neighbours.
The fire of strife is a terrible evil when it breaks out in a Christian church. Where converts were multiplied, and God was glorified, jealousy and envy do the devil’s work most effectually. Where the golden grain was being housed, to reward the toil of the great Boaz, the fire of enmity comes in and leaves little else but smoke and a heap of blackness. Woe unto those by whom offences come. May they never come through us, for although we cannot make restitution, we shall certainly be the chief sufferers if we are the chief offenders. Those who feed the fire deserve just censure, but he who first kindles it is most to blame. Discord usually takes first hold upon the thorns; it is nurtured among the hypocrites and base professors in the church, and away it goes among the righteous, blown by the winds of hell, and no one knows where it may end. O thou Lord and giver of peace, make us peacemakers, and never let us aid and abet the men of strife, or even unintentionally cause the least division among thy people.