九月三日

我心所愛的啊！（歌1：7）

在說到主耶穌是“我心所愛的”時候，不加“若”和“但”才好。有很多人只能說他們盼望愛耶穌，他們相信他們愛他，可憐的、膚淺的人才這樣。一個人若對這件重大的事沒有把握就不當鬆懈。我們不當以爲自己表面的盼望耶穌愛我們、我們也相信自己愛他而感到知足。古聖徒平常幷不說“但”、“若”、“盼望”、和“相信”，他們的話乃是清楚而肯定地。保羅說：“我知道我所信的是誰。”約伯說：“我知道我的救贖主活著。”你要肯定地知道你愛耶穌，你若不能實在說愛他，就不當知足，你要因著接受了聖靈的見證而確實有把握，幷在心中因信受他印記。

每一個真正愛基督的人都是聖靈所作的工作，心中必須有聖靈的工作才能發生愛主的心。他是我們愛主的原動力；我們爲什麽愛耶穌，乃是在于他自己。我們爲什麽愛耶穌呢？因爲他先愛我們。爲什麽我們愛耶穌呢？因爲“他爲我們舍了自己”，我們因他的死而得生，我們因他的血而得平安。他雖然富足，但他爲我們的緣故成爲貧窮。爲什麽我們愛耶穌呢？因爲他是完美的，他是高尚而美麗的！我們羡慕他的美妙，感到他無限的完全！他的偉大、善良和慈愛，像一條燦爛無比的光綫，照射我們的心靈，使我們不期然而然地說：“他全然可愛。”他的愛像柔軟如絲的鎖鏈一樣捆綁我們的心，但是却比鑽石還堅固。

September 3

"Thou whom my soul loveth." -- Song of Solomon 1:7

It is well to be able, without any "if" or "but," to say of the Lord Jesus--"Thou whom my soul loveth." Many can only say of Jesus that they hope they love Him; they trust they love Him; but only a poor and shallow experience will be content to stay here. No one ought to give any rest to his spirit till he feels quite sure about a matter of such vital importance. We ought not to be satisfied with a superficial hope that Jesus loves us, and with a bare trust that we love Him. The old saints did not generally speak with "buts," and "ifs," and "hopes," and "trusts," but they spoke positively and plainly. "I know whom I have believed," saith Paul. "I know that my Redeemer liveth," saith Job. Get positive knowledge of your love of Jesus, and be not satisfied till you can speak of your interest in Him as a reality, which you have made sure by having received the witness of the Holy Spirit, and His seal upon your soul by faith.

True love to Christ is in every case the Holy Spirit's work, and must be wrought in the heart by Him. He is the efficient cause of it; but the logical reason why we love Jesus lies in Himself. Why do we love Jesus? Because He first loved us. Why do we love Jesus? Because He "gave Himself for us." We have life through His death; we have peace through His blood. Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. Why do we love Jesus? Because of the excellency of His person. We are filled with a sense of His beauty! an admiration of His charms! a consciousness of His infinite perfection! His greatness, goodness, and loveliness, in one resplendent ray, combine to enchant the soul till it is so ravished that it exclaims, "Yea, He is altogether lovely." Blessed love this--a love which binds the heart with chains more soft than silk, and yet more firm than adamant!