八月二十九日

神啊，求你按你的慈愛憐恤我。（詩51：1）

克理病危之時有人問他說：“設若你的病不會好了，你願意用哪節聖經作爲安葬的講題呢？”他回答說：“我覺得一個可憐的犯罪的人是不值得提他的；但若一定要在喪事禮拜中講道的話，要用這話：‘神啊！求你按你的慈愛憐恤我，按你豐盛的慈悲塗抹我的過犯。’”在留遺囑的時候他也抱著同樣的謙卑的精神，他說碑文要這樣刻：

克理威廉生于一七六一年八月十七日，死于……

“我是一條卑賤、可憐、軟弱的蟲，但我願投靠在你恩慈的膀臂中。”

只有在洪恩之下最有經驗、最得尊榮的聖徒才能到神那裏去。人以爲自己比別人强，其實他們不過是人。空船才浮得高，而滿載的船却沉在水中；只有口是心非的人才會誇口，而真是神兒女的人反自覺無善可陳，因此才呼求神的慈憐。我們須要神憐憫我們的善行、我們的禱告、我們的講道、我們的施捨和我們一切至聖之物。羊的血不單塗在以色列人的門框門楣上，也灑在聖所、施恩座和壇上，因爲當罪干犯了聖物之後，必須用耶穌的血洗淨它們，好不沾染污穢。若我們的工作須要憐憫，那末我們的罪該當怎樣呢？每逢想到神無窮盡的憐憫隨時都能恩待我們，挽回我們的退後，使我們折斷的骨頭歡暢的時候，我們心中是多少快樂而甜蜜呀！

August 29

"Have mercy upon me, O God." -- Psalm 51:1

When Dr. Carey was suffering from a dangerous illness, the enquiry was made, "If this sickness should prove fatal, what passage would you select as the text for your funeral sermon?" He replied, "Oh, I feel that such a poor sinful creature is unworthy to have anything said about him; but if a funeral sermon must be preached, let it be from the words, 'Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.'" In the same spirit of humility he directed in his will that the following inscription and nothing more should be cut on his gravestone:--

WILLIAM CAREY, BORN AUGUST 17th, 1761:

DIED - -

"A wretched, poor, and helpless worm

On Thy kind arms I fall."

Only on the footing of free grace can the most experienced and most honoured of the saints approach their God. The best of men are conscious above all others that they are men at the best. Empty boats float high, but heavily laden vessels are low in the water; mere professors can boast, but true children of God cry for mercy upon their unprofitableness. We have need that the Lord should have mercy upon our good works, our prayers, our preachings, our alms-givings, and our holiest things. The blood was not only sprinkled upon the doorposts of Israel's dwelling houses, but upon the sanctuary, the mercy-seat, and the altar, because as sin intrudes into our holiest things, the blood of Jesus is needed to purify them from defilement. If mercy be needed to be exercised towards our duties, what shall be said of our sins? How sweet the remembrance that inexhaustible mercy is waiting to be gracious to us, to restore our backslidings, and make our broken bones rejoice!