一月二十二日

人子啊，葡萄樹比別樣樹有什麼強處？葡萄枝比眾樹枝有什麼好處？（結15:2）

這些話是叫神的子民謙卑；他們是神的葡萄樹，葡萄樹的性質與其他樹木有什麼兩樣呢？它們，因著神的聖善，成為多結果子的樹，種在肥美的好土中；它們在神的聖園中受修理，結出果子來榮耀神；但是若它們沒有神便怎麼樣呢？若我們沒有聖靈的影響，怎會多結果子呢？信徒呀！要學著去掉你的驕傲，因為你毫無可以驕傲的理由。不管你是怎樣的人，你有什麼可驕傲的呢？你所有的越多，那末欠神的債也就越多；你既是一位負債人還有什麼可驕傲的呢？想想你的本源，看看你過去是什麼樣子。想想你若沒有神的恩典會成為什麼樣子？看看你現在是什麼樣子。你的良心不責備你嗎？你一切的流離可憐的情形，不會告訴你說你不配稱為他的兒子嗎？若他使你更換一新，你不知道你是因為恩典才成了兩樣的人嗎？大信徒呀！若神不使你成為兩樣的人你還不是一位大罪人嗎？你這奮勇為真道的人，若恩典不臨到你，你不是也勇於犯罪嗎？因此，不要驕傲，雖然你有了極大的產業——廣大恩典的基業，但除了你的罪和可憐之外，沒有一樣可說是你自己的。唉！你這受迷惑的人，你的一切既然都是告貸來的，就不當自己揚揚得意；你這依賴救主周濟的人，若沒有耶穌，你的生命流早就中斷了，可是你還要驕傲！愚蠢的心啊！你自己不覺得好笑嗎？

“謙卑在耶穌腳前，謙卑在耶穌腳前，謙卑在耶穌腳前，謙卑到底。”

January 22

"Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?" --Ezekiel 15:2

These words are for the humbling of God's people; they are called God's vine, but what are they by nature more than others? They, by God's goodness, have become fruitful, having been planted in a good soil; the Lord hath trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and they bring forth fruit to His glory; but what are they without their God? What are they without the continual influence of the Spirit, begetting fruitfulness in them? O believer, learn to reject pride, seeing that thou hast no ground for it. Whatever thou art, thou hast nothing to make thee proud. The more thou hast, the more thou art in debt to God; and thou shouldst not be proud of that which renders thee a debtor. Consider thine origin; look back to what thou wast. Consider what thou wouldst have been but for divine grace. Look upon thyself as thou art now. Doth not thy conscience reproach thee? Do not thy thousand wanderings stand before thee, and tell thee that thou art unworthy to be called His son? And if He hath made thee anything, art thou not taught thereby that it is grace which hath made thee to differ? Great believer, thou wouldst have been a great sinner if God had not made thee to differ. O thou who art valiant for truth, thou wouldst have been as valiant for error if grace had not laid hold upon thee. Therefore, be not proud, though thou hast a large estate--a wide domain of grace, thou hadst not once a single thing to call thine own except thy sin and misery. Oh! strange infatuation, that thou, who hast borrowed everything, shouldst think of exalting thyself; a poor dependent pensioner upon the bounty of thy Saviour, one who hath a life which dies without fresh streams of life from Jesus, and yet proud! Fie on thee, O silly heart!