第二十八周 爱
“爱是从神来的。”（约壹4:7）
诗：神的本性──纯洁神圣的爱，
我们的心，现蒙爱的摊派。
当我们的心受爱的激励时人类就真的是我们舍己的对象；但神是我们奉献自己的对象（弗5:2）。
直接的事奉，虽然是一件最喜乐的事，但也是一件严肃的事，心中虽然有愿作的倾向，但这未必就是蒙召的明证。我相信蒙召最可靠的表记乃是对人灵魂有热切的爱，加上里头的负担，而把这事带到基督面前交通……并不是因为有说话欲，乃是因着人们的灵魂，并为圣徒得蒙建造，只有这样，才是推动事奉的真正源头。若能用爱与良善，输送给坠落最深的人，使他们安心信靠。那么我们是需要倾吐多少心坎蕴藏的东西呢？……
许多人内心受着道德声音的控告与折磨，于是他们就要借着娱乐来使他们沉迷颠倒。神圣的爱，不但能满足人的需要，更能叫人敞开陈言。
“住在爱里面的，就是住在神里面。”我热切的请求你们维持这爱的灵，就是神的同在。罪的性质是分散的，而神是联合的，因为神就是爱，爱能医治一切事物，而一切都要在基督里同归于一。……你们要行在爱中，就必行在能力里，也必行在神的荣耀中。
我能叫人迎接一切的试炼，若有人要向祂唾面，祂也能处之泰然，因祂住在爱里，爱心从来不受环境的支配，乃是超越一切环境之上。
真正的爱，是导往圣洁的正路。
“向…圣徒的爱心”，是使徒保罗所写祝福之话里的一部分；这爱甚至是和智力有关的，因为有了这一个，才“能以和众对徒一同明白”。所有圣徒都是在基督心里，假若他们不在我们心里，基督在我们里面也没有地位，这种情况，就是“己”把主挤出去了。
干净无己的爱心，能够关切所有临到别人身上的事，并且明白这些事会如何影响他们。
即使在事奉中会常经试炼，但爱心必不会因事奉而疲倦，事实上在事奉方面是常有试炼的，但在工作过程中，总是不时获致慰勉，“所以我为选民凡事忍耐。”
你若能把爱献给神，也就能把神带到爱的事上，就外表看中是与人发生关系，但一切都是因着神和向着神而去；甚至作到一个地步，越爱别人越得不到别人的爱时，还坚持下去，流露此爱。哦！这样的人有多少呢？请记得，这样就是为神而作。
圣灵的果子是仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、良善等等。请注意，这里果子中为首的，乃是仁爱、喜乐、和平。圣圣灵在我们里面定规会产生这些，在人面前能实际的彰显基督。但是那些内在的，自己向着神的果子乃是里头必须先有的条件，然后才能产生其余的果子。
TWENTY-EIGHTH WEEK LOVE
“Love is of God.” 1 John 4:7
God’s nature, love without alloy,
Our hearts are given e’en now to share.
When love leads us, men are indeed those for whom we give ourselves; but God, He to whom we offer ourselves. (Eph. 5:2.)
It is a serious though a most happy thing to undertake direct service. … The mere fact of an inclination does not shew that we are called to it. I believe the surest sign is earnest love to souls, and intercourse through the need of the heart with Christ about it. … It is not the desire to speak, but for souls and the building up of saints which is the real moving spring of service.
How many needs, hidden even in the most degraded souls, would confess themselves … if a love, a goodness, which could give them confidence were presented to them. … How many souls are whirling in pleasure, in order to silence the moral griefs which torment them. Divine love not only answers needs, it makes them speak.
“He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God.”… I beseech you … earnestly to maintain this spirit of love which is the presence of God. … For sin is separating, and God is uniting, for He is love; and this will be the healing of all things, for they are to be gathered into one in Christ. … Walk then in love … and you will walk in power, and in the glory of God.
I dread narrowness of heart more than anything for the church of Christ.
Love enables a man to meet all trials. Should one spit in his face, this makes no difference, for love abides; because it never draws its strength from circumstances, but rides above all circumstances.
Love … is the true means of holiness, when it is real.
“Love to all the saints” is an element of the blessing spoken of by the apostle, and even as to intelligence—“able to comprehend with all saints”; because they are in Christ’s heart, and if not in ours, He has not His place, and self has so far excluded Him.
Love, free from self, can and does think of all that concerns others and understands what will affect them.
Love does not grow weary of serving, though service may be often in trial … indeed, save with rare encouragement, always in the general run of it, is. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake.”
How few so present their charity to God, and bring God into their charity, exercising it for and towards Him, though in behalf of man, so that they persevere nothing the less in its exercise, though the more they love the less they be loved! it is for God’s sake.
The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, &c. … Remark that the first of these fruits are love, joy, peace. The Spirit will surely produce those practical fruits which manifest the life of Christ in the sight of men, but the inward fruits, the fruits Godward, come first, the condition of soul needful for producing the others.