八月二十六日

命定他的約，直到永遠。（詩111：9）

主的民必在約中享福樂。聖靈帶他們進入筵宴所，以愛旗飄揚在他們以上；那約便是他們無盡的安慰之源，他們必因那永約歡樂；晨星有定處，星宿順軌道，但聖徒在基督裏的利益必然安定如恒。最使他們快樂的是因那約的確實。他們知道那是“應許大衛那可靠的恩典”。他們歡喜慶賀，因爲知道那約是簽了字，加了印，批准了，一切手續都辦妥了的。他們想到那約是不變的，心中也滿了快樂，那約不是時間或永恒、或死所能廢除的—那約必存到永遠，必與萬古磐石幷存。他們也必飽食這約的豐富，因爲這約供給他們一切的需要。神是他們的份，基督是他們的同伴，聖靈是他們的安慰，地是他們的客店，天是他們的家。他們因這約得以承受從亘古以來所存留給他們的恩典。當他們發現聖經中的寶藏時，他們的眼光透出快樂的光芒；當他們看到他們屬天的至親把一切基業都賜給他們的時候，他們的心靈必滿了歡喜！神的民必因這約的恩慈更加歡樂。他們知道律法已經廢除了，因爲那約是靠立功之法的；但這約必永存，因爲它是以恩典爲根本，恩典爲條件，恩典爲主旨，恩典爲保障，恩典爲基礎，恩典爲頂石。這約是豐富的寶庫，食糧的倉房，生命的泉源，救恩的府庫，和平的憲章，快樂的海港。

“主曾起誓立血恩約，應許救主，除我軟弱……”

August 26

"He hath commanded His covenant for ever." -- Psalms 111:9

The Lord's people delight in the covenant itself. It is an unfailing source of consolation to them so often as the Holy Spirit leads them into its banqueting house and waves its banner of love. They delight to contemplate the antiquity of that covenant, remembering that before the day-star knew its place, or planets ran their round, the interests of the saints were made secure in Christ Jesus. It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember the sureness of the covenant, while meditating upon "the sure mercies of David." They delight to celebrate it as "signed, and sealed, and ratified, in all things ordered well." It often makes their hearts dilate with joy to think of its immutability, as a covenant which neither time nor eternity, life nor death, shall ever be able to violate--a covenant as old as eternity and as everlasting as the Rock of ages. They rejoice also to feast upon the fulness of this covenant, for they see in it all things provided for them. God is their portion, Christ their companion, the Spirit their Comforter, earth their lodge, and heaven their home. They see in it an inheritance reserved and entailed to every soul possessing an interest in its ancient and eternal deed of gift. Their eyes sparkled when they saw it as a treasure-trove in the Bible; but oh! how their souls were gladdened when they saw in the last will and testament of their divine kinsman, that it was bequeathed to them! More especially it is the pleasure of God's people to contemplate the graciousness of this covenant. They see that the law was made void because it was a covenant of works and depended upon merit, but this they perceive to be enduring because grace is the basis, grace the condition, grace the strain, grace the bulwark, grace the foundation, grace the topstone. The covenant is a treasury of wealth, a granary of food, a fountain of life, a store-house of salvation, a charter of peace, and a haven of joy.