九月二十日

耶和華和基甸的刀！（士7：20）

基甸命令跟隨他的人作兩樣事：藏著火把的瓶，好當他的信號一發出之後就打破瓶子放出光來，以後再吹角，喊叫說：“耶和華和基甸的刀！耶和華和基甸的刀！”

這正是一切基督徒所當作的。第一，你必須放光。要打破你藏著亮光的瓶子，要挪開蓋著亮光的鬥，要放出光來；要叫你的光照在人前，你的好行爲也當這樣，她叫看到的人知道你是屬耶穌的。以後必須發出響聲，吹起角來。必須向罪人宣講基督被釘十字架，把福音傳給他們，把福音帶到他們的門前，放在他們的路上；不要使他們逃避福音，要對著他們的耳吹起角來。

我們要留意，教會爭戰的呼號正是基甸所說的：“耶和華和基甸的刀！”神必親自作戰，因爲那是他的事情。可是我們也不當袖手旁觀；必須拿起兵器：“耶和華和基甸的刀！”若我們只喊“耶和華的刀！”就犯了閑懶妄想的罪；若我們空呼：“基甸的刀！”就表現我們崇拜幷倚賴血肉的膀臂。我們必須使二者協合一致：“耶和華和基甸的刀”我們靠自己什麽也不能作，但靠我們的神萬事都能作。因此，我們當讓他的名親自出戰，我們也要使用我們聖潔榜樣的火把和熱心傳道與作見證的角聲，那末神必與我們同在，米甸人必然亂竄，耶和華的軍兵必然永遠掌權。

September 20

"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." -- Judges 7:20

Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon's watchword, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" God must do it, it is His own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used--"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" If we only cry, "The sword of the Lord!" we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, "The sword of Gideon!" alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in His name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.