十一月一日

在你家的教會。（門：2）

這一個家庭中也有一個教會嗎？父母、兒女、朋友（傭工）都是教會的會友嗎？或者還有什麽人仍未得救嗎？讓我們依次自問：我是這個家庭教會的會友嗎？若是自長至幼都得了救，父親的心必歡喜踴躍，母親的眼必熱泪盈眶！讓我們爲這一個大憐憫禱告，直到主應允了我們。或許腓利門的心願就是切望全家得救；可是起初神幷沒有把這恩完全賜給他。他有一個惡僕阿尼西母，離他逃跑，幷且也作了虧負他的事。但是他的禱告却隨著他；至終，這也是神的心願，阿尼西母因爲保羅的傳道，所以受感悔改，又回到腓利門的家，此後不單成爲一個忠心的僕人，也成了一位親愛的弟兄，于是腓利門家中的教會又多了一位會友。

今晨這家有什麽還未得救的僕人或孩子在外面嗎？要特別爲他們祈求，當他們回家的時候，聽見他們述說神的恩典時，全家的心必滿了快樂！現在家裏有這樣的人嗎？那麽他也當一同熱切地呼求神。若我們的家中有這樣的一個教會，我們就當好好地管理，願我們一切的行事都好像是行在神的面前一樣。讓我們日常的生活滿了聖潔、殷勤、仁慈和正直。人們對于一個教會比一個普通的家庭所期望的更多；家庭禮拜在這種情形之下，必須熱烈而誠懇；內心的愛必須更加溫暖而堅强；外面的行事必須更聖潔而像基督。我們不要怕我們的人數太少，不能成爲一個教會，因爲聖靈已經印證這是一個家庭的教會。既是教會，我們現在就當就近普世教會的頭，求他賜恩叫我們爲他名的榮耀，把我們的好行爲照亮在人面前。

November 1

"The church in thy house."--Philemon 2

Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round--Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would father's heart leap for joy, and mother's eyes fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service. His master's prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon's house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him partake in the same earnest entreaty.

If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance. As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of his name.