十月十四日

我也將萬事當作有損的，因我以認識我主基督耶穌爲至寶。（腓3：8）

認識基督乃是個人親身的經歷。我不能藉著別人認識耶穌的經驗來認識他。不，我必須親自認識他，我必須爲自己的緣故認識他。這經驗必須出于理智——我必須認識他，幷非幻想他，而是照神的話所記得把他啓示出來。我必須認識他的神人二性，我必須知道他的職分、他的本性、他的工作、他的受辱、他的得榮。我必須默想他直到我“能以和衆聖徒一同明白基督的愛是何等長闊高深；幷知道這愛是過于人所能測度的”。

認識基督必須出于愛情；若我真認識他，我就必愛他。在心靈裏認識了一兩，遠超過頭腦中學來的一噸。我們對于他的認識是一種滿足的認識。當我認識救主時，我的心被充滿了，我感到我已得了我的靈所渴慕的。“我就是生命的糧，到我這裏來的，必定不餓。”同時這認識也是激勵人的；我若多認識我的愛主，就多渴慕認識他。當我爬高山時，越靠近絕頂，越起勁拔步往上攀登。我得的越多，要的也越多，真是得隴望蜀；正像一個守財奴一樣地貪得無厭，有了一些黃金便要更多的黃金。末了，認識基督耶穌是一種最快樂的知識；事實上，它能使我完全駕乎一切苦難、疑惑和憂傷之上；我若有這知識就不像約伯所說的：“人爲婦人所生，日子短少，多有患難。”因爲永活的救主必賜我永遠的生命，幷用他永遠快樂的腰帶爲我束腰。我的心哪！來吧，今天你要坐在耶穌的脚前，聽他的教訓吧！

October 14

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."--Philippians 3:8

Spiritual knowledge of Christ will be a personal knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another person's acquaintance with him. No, I must know him myself; I must know him on my own account. It will be an intelligent knowledge--I must know him, not as the visionary dreams of him, but as the Word reveals him. I must know his natures, divine and human. I must know his offices--his attributes--his works--his shame--his glory. I must meditate upon him until I "comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." It will be an affectionate knowledge of him; indeed, if I know him at all, I must love him. An ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning. Our knowledge of him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I know my Saviour, my mind will be full to the brim--I shall feel that I have that which my spirit panted after. "This is that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger." At the same time it will be an exciting knowledge; the more I know of my Beloved, the more I shall want to know. The higher I climb the loftier will be the summits which invite my eager footsteps. I shall want the more as I get the more. Like the miser's treasure, my gold will make me covet more. To conclude; this knowledge of Christ Jesus will be a most happy one; in fact, so elevating, that sometimes it will completely bear me up above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me something more than "Man that is born of woman, who is of few days, and full of trouble"; for it will fling about me the immortality of the ever living Saviour, and gird me with the golden girdle of his eternal joy. Come, my soul, sit at Jesus's feet and learn of him all this day.