八月二十七日

他們還不信我要到幾時呢？（民14：11）

我們要用全副力量殷勤對付自己不信的噁心。我們稍加放鬆就要羞辱了基督，我們若羞辱了他，他的面就必離開我們。不錯，它像蔓草一樣，我們不能把它的子從土裏除去，但我們必順用熱心和恒心來把它的根斬除淨盡。在可恨的東西當中這却是最可惡的！它的毒性很大，放毒的和被毒的都受其害。

信徒啊！按你來說吧，神過去的恩典，反而增加你現在疑惑他的罪，你看這有多麽可惡。當你不信主耶穌的時候，他就呼喊道：“看哪！我被壓在你們之下，如同裝滿禾捆的車被壓一樣。”（改譯摩2：13）這就是把尖銳的荊冠加在他的頭上。一個被愛的妻子不信她恩愛忠實的丈夫真是一件忍心的事。這罪是無謂的、愚昧的，也是危險的。耶穌沒有一點令你懷疑的地方，而疑惑那應當以愛和忠誠相待的主真是一件不當的事。耶穌是至高者的兒子，他有無限的豐富；疑惑全能者，不信足够者真是一件可耻的事。千山上的牛群足以飽足我們的饑腸，天上的糧倉無論如何不會被我們吃完。若基督只不過是一個水槽，那末我們不久便會飲盡他的豐滿，但誰能使泉源乾涸呢！萬千人取飲于他，沒有一個人發怨言說他的源頭是細小的。去吧！謊言的奸細，不信，因爲它的使命是要我們斷絕與主的交通，使我們離去救主的恩面。親愛的讀者呀！信徒心中的不信的噁心，實在是應當努力鏟除的，因爲那會攔阻你生命的增長，妨礙你靈程的進步，也能奪去你心中的喜樂和平安！

August 27

"How long will it be ere they believe me?" -- Numbers 14:11

Strive with all diligence to keep out that monster unbelief. It so dishonours Christ, that He will withdraw His visible presence if we insult Him by indulging it. It is true it is a weed, the seeds of which we an never entirely extract from the soil, but we must aim at its root with zeal and perseverance. Among hateful things it is the most to be abhorred. Its injurious nature is so venomous that he that exerciseth it and he upon whom it is exercised are both hurt thereby. In thy case, O believer! it is most wicked, for the mercies of thy Lord in the past, increase thy guilt in doubting Him now. When thou dost distrust the Lord Jesus, He may well cry out, "Behold I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." This is crowning His head with thorns of the sharpest kind. It is very cruel for a well-beloved wife to mistrust a kind and faithful husband. The sin is needless, foolish, and unwarranted. Jesus has never given the slightest ground for suspicion, and it is hard to be doubted by those to whom our conduct is uniformly affectionate and true. Jesus is the Son of the Highest, and has unbounded wealth; it is shameful to doubt Omnipotence and distrust all-sufficiency. The cattle on a thousand hills will suffice for our most hungry feeding, and the granaries of heaven are not likely to be emptied by our eating. If Christ were only a cistern, we might soon exhaust His fulness, but who can drain a fountain? Myriads of spirits have drawn their supplies from Him, and not one of them has murmured at the scantiness of His resources. Away, then, with this lying traitor unbelief, for his only errand is to cut the bonds of communion and make us mourn an absent Saviour. Bunyan tells us that unbelief has "as many lives as a cat:" if so, let us kill one life now, and continue the work till the whole nine are gone. Down with thee, thou traitor, my heart abhors thee.