九月九日
你求告我，我就應允你，幷將你所不知道、又大又難的事指示你。（耶33：3）
這節聖經有好多譯法。有人譯作“……又大又强的事”，也有人譯爲“大而保藏的事”。那麽，基督徒的經驗中也有一些保藏的、特殊的事：各人屬靈生命的發展是不相同的。悔改的經驗大都相似，信、樂、望，也都雷同；但歡樂，面對面的相交，幷與基督合一的至高境界，幷非一般信徒所能臻至的。我們沒有約翰所有的一切特恩，倚在耶穌的懷裏；也沒有保羅被提到三層天上的經驗。屬神的事中有一些至高的實際知識是銳利的鷹眼所看不到的，也是深奧的思想所想不到的：惟有神能使我們達到那裏；但他使我們所乘的車，以及拉車的馬，乃是得勝的禱告。
得勝的禱告能勝過憐憫人的神，“壯年的時候與神較力，與天使較力，幷且得勝；哭泣懇求，在伯特利遇見耶和華，耶和華萬軍之神在那裏曉諭我們。”
得勝的禱告把基督徒帶到迦密山上，幷使福雲在天空遮蓋他，使恩雨降滿大地。得勝的禱告把基督徒帶到毗斯加山頂，叫他看到爲他所存留的基業；它把我們提到他泊山上改變我們的形象，直到我們像主，我們在世上也是這樣。若你要從普通的經驗中進入更高的境地，就當仰望那高過你的磐石，用信心的眼向迫切禱告的窗外觀看。當你開了你的一扇窗，另一扇窗也就爲你大開。
讀：啓2：7，11，17，26；3：5，12，21
September
9
"I
will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest
not." -- Jeremiah 33:3
There are different translations of these
words. One version renders it, "I will shew thee great and fortified
things." Another, "Great and reserved things." Now, there are reserved
and special things in Christian experience: all the developments of spiritual
life are not alike easy of attainment. There are the common frames and feelings
of repentance, and faith, and joy, and hope, which are enjoyed by the entire
family; but there is an upper realm of rapture, of communion, and conscious
union with Christ, which is far from being the common dwelling-place of
believers. We have not all the high privilege of John, to lean upon Jesus'
bosom; nor of Paul, to be caught up into the third heaven. There are heights in
experimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle's eye of acumen and
philosophic thought hath never seen: God alone can bear us there; but the
chariot in which He takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot
is dragged, are prevailing prayers. Prevailing prayer is victorious over the
God of mercy, "By his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power
over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto Him: he
found Him in Beth-el, and there He spake with us." Prevailing prayer takes
the Christian to Carmel, and enables him to cover heaven with clouds of
blessing, and earth with floods of mercy. Prevailing prayer bears the Christian
aloft to Pisgah, and shows him the inheritance reserved; it elevates us to
Tabor and transfigures us, till in the likeness of his Lord, as He is, so are
we also in this world. If you would reach to something higher than ordinary
grovelling experience, look to the Rock that is higher than you, and gaze with
the eye of faith through the window of importunate prayer. When you open the
window on your side, it will not be bolted on the other.
9月9日清晨甘露
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