十一月十四日

……幷那些敬拜耶和華指著他起誓，又指著瑪勒堪起誓的。（番1：5）

這種人自以爲平安穩妥，因爲兩邊都有他們的份；他們與敬畏耶和華的人同行，同時也向瑪勒堪低頭。但神却憎嫌這種兩面討好的人，他的心恨惡假冒爲善的人。拜偶像的人顯然是把自己獻給了假神，但他的罪比那以污穢可憎的祭物帶到神的殿，而心却仍貪戀世界和罪惡的人還要輕一些。一方面幫著兔子逃，一方面又跟著獵狗追的人，乃是黠者之行徑。在生活方面，雙重人格的人非常卑鄙；而在信仰方面，朝秦暮楚的人則更可憎可厭。這種人所受的刑罰，如經上所記，是非常可怕的，但是該受的；神的公義怎能容忍惡人，他知道何爲是，幷承認何爲義，而仍喜愛邪惡，使惡在他心中掌權？

我的心哪！要檢查一下，看看你是否有這種左顧右盼想兩全的罪？你承認自己是屬主的人，你真愛他嗎？你的心與神之間的關係是否正常？你是誠實之父家裏的人呢，還是自私先生的親屬？若我仍死在過犯罪惡之中，一個名稱對我是毫無價值的。一脚踏著真理的陸地，一脚踏著虛假的海洋，必須墮入可怕的深淵，終至完全滅亡。要接受基督就得完全接受他，否則就不要接受。神是充滿全宇宙的，那末宇宙便不能再容下什麽別的神；因此，他既在我心中掌權，就不能再讓別的權勢作王。我專專依靠釘死的耶穌，幷專專爲他而活嗎？這是我的心願嗎？我的心是否願意這樣行呢？若是，就願領我得救的恩主得到稱贊；否則，主啊！求你赦免我的冒犯，使我的心單單敬畏你的名。

November 14

"I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham."--Zephaniah 1:5

Such persons thought themselves safe because they were with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time to Malcham. But duplicity is abominable with God, and hypocrisy his soul hateth. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted and detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while his heart is with the world and the sins thereof. To hold with the hare and run with the hounds, is a dastard's policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double- minded man is despised, but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree. The penalty pronounced in the verse before us is terrible, but it is well deserved; for how should divine justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his heart?

My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou art guilty of double-dealing. Thou professest to be a follower of Jesus--dost thou truly love him? Is thy heart right with God? Art thou of the family of old Father Honest, or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends? A name to live is of little value if I be indeed dead in trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the sea of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall and a total ruin. Christ will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, and hence there is no room for another god; if, then, he reigns in my heart, there will be no space for another reigning power. Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified, and live alone for him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set upon so doing? If so, blessed be the mighty grace which has led me to salvation; and if not so, O Lord, pardon my sad offence, and unite my heart to fear thy name.