九月七日

因爲人多，不得近前，就把耶穌所在的房子，拆了房頂，既拆通了，就把癱子連所躺臥的褥子都縋下來。（可2：4）

信心是滿了發明力的。房子滿了人，人群擋住了門，但是因著有信心的緣故，終于找出了一條路來把癱子放在主面前。若我們不能用普通的方法把罪人帶到耶穌面前，就當用非常的方法。根據路加五章十九節，我們知道房頂上的瓦也拆了，那麽在搬瓦的時候必然弄出許多灰來，對于下面的人也是很危險的，但這事既然非常迫切，我們就不能顧及什麽危險和別人的驚懼。能治病的耶穌既在那裏，不管怎樣，把病人放下來再說，信心冒著一切的危險才能使癱子的罪得到赦免。願我們也有大膽的信心！

親愛的讀者，我們今晨不能爲自己和我們的同工尋求這樣的信心嗎？我們今天不願爲愛人的靈魂幷榮耀主的緣故這樣果敢行事嗎？世界不斷地在發明，天才爲應付人各樣的需要日夜操勞；信心不也一樣能有所發明，用新的方法挽救我們周圍的將要滅亡的人嗎？因爲耶穌在那裏，所以使四個抬癱子的人大爲興奮而果敢；主現在不也在我們中間嗎？我們今晨不是親自看見他的面嗎？我們不是感到他已醫治了我們的靈魂嗎？若是，就當從門、窗或頂，破開一切阻攔，努力把將亡的靈魂帶到耶穌面前。當信心和愛心真正從事救靈工作的時候，一切方法都是好的、合宜的。若是能打碎石墻以餅救濟人肉體的饑餓靈魂的饑餓，也當努力破除一切攔阻予以周濟。主啊！願你使我們趕快用各種的方法，冒各樣的危險，把患罪病的人抬來。

September 7

"And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay." -- Mark 2:4

Faith is full of inventions. The house was full, a crowd blocked up the door, but faith found a way of getting at the Lord and placing the palsied man before Him. If we cannot get sinners where Jesus is by ordinary methods we must use extraordinary ones. It seems, according to Luke 5:19, that a tiling had to be removed, which would make dust and cause a measure of danger to those below, but where the case is very urgent we must not mind running some risks and shocking some proprieties. Jesus was there to heal, and therefore fall what might, faith ventured all so that her poor paralyzed charge might have his sins forgiven. O that we had more daring faith among us! Cannot we, dear reader, seek it this morning for ourselves and for our fellow-workers, and will we not try to-day to perform some gallant act for the love of souls and the glory of the Lord.

The world is constantly inventing; genius serves all the purposes of human desire: cannot faith invent too, and reach by some new means the outcasts who lie perishing around us? It was the presence of Jesus which excited victorious courage in the four bearers of the palsied man: is not the Lord among us now? Have we seen His face for ourselves this morning? Have we felt His healing power in our own souls? If so, then through door, through window, or through roof, let us, breaking through all impediments, labour to bring poor souls to Jesus. All means are good and decorous when faith and love are truly set on winning souls. If hunger for bread can break through stone walls, surely hunger for souls is not to be hindered in its efforts. O Lord, make us quick to suggest methods of reaching Thy poor sin-sick ones, and bold to carry them out at all hazards.