十月十五日

他來的日子，誰能當得起呢？（瑪3：2）

他頭一次來時幷未彰顯他的尊榮和威權，但仍有一些人在他的面前站立不住。當他降生的消息傳開之後希律和耶路撒冷合城的人都受了震驚，那些自以爲等候他的人當他來時反而拒絕他。他在世的生活好像是揚場的簸箕，信的人雖然比比皆是，但只有少數能當得起他的簸揚。當他二次再來時怎樣呢？罪人能料想那可怕的情形嗎？他要“以口中的杖擊打世界，以嘴裏的氣殺戮惡人”。

他在世時不過對兵丁說“我就是”，他們就退後撲到在地。當他彰顯出他的本體時他的仇敵會落到怎樣可怕的境地呢？他的死，地爲之震動，天爲之變色。當永活的救主榮耀顯現的日子把活人死人都召聚在他面前又是怎樣地可怕呢？想到主來時的可怕情景，就叫人不能不丟弃罪惡，幷以嘴親子（基督耶穌），免得他發怒！雖然他是羔羊，但也是猶大的獅子，必撕裂掠物；雖然他不將壓傷的蘆葦折斷，但他也是擊打仇敵的鐵杖，他必把他們打得粉碎像窑匠的瓦器一樣；他一切的仇敵都當不起他忿怒的暴風，逃不了他烈怒的冰雹；但他所愛的，用血所洗淨的民都歡喜快樂地迎見他，幷毫無懼怕地與他永遠同住，主對于他們好像是一位煉金的人，經過他的試煉之後就成爲精金。今晨讓我們省察自己，要確實知道我們已經蒙召被選，好當主來的時候我們的心可以坦然無懼。求神施恩，除去我們一切的虛僞，好當他顯現的日子誠實無過，不受責備。

October 15

"But who may abide the day of his coming?"--Malachi 3:2

His first coming was without external pomp or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could abide its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem with him were stirred at the news of the wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for him, showed the fallacy of their professions by rejecting him when he came. His life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and few enough could abide the process. But what will his second advent be? What sinner can endure to think of it? "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." When in his humiliation he did but say to the soldiers, "I am he," they fell backward; what will be the terror of his enemies when he shall more fully reveal himself as the "I am?" His death shook earth and darkened heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendour of that day in which as the living Saviour, he shall summon the quick and dead before him? O that the terrors of the Lord would persuade men to forsake their sins and kiss the Son lest he be angry! Though a lamb, he is yet the lion of the tribe of Judah, rending the prey in pieces; and though he breaks not the bruised reed, yet will he break his enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. None of his foes shall bear up before the tempest of his wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of his indignation; but his beloved blood washed people look for his appearing with joy, and hope to abide it without fear: to them he sits as a refiner even now, and when he has tried them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves this morning and make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no dark forebodings in our mind. O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found of him sincere and without rebuke in the day of his appearing.