七月十四日
因你在上頭一動家具，就把壇污穢了。（出20：25）
神的壇不可用鑿成的石頭來築成，不能在神的壇上看出人的技巧和工作來。人們常喜歡用自己的智慧把十字架的道理加以整理和修飾，以期迎合墮落之人的口味；其實人的智慧常是畫蛇添足的，他們不但不能使福音更趨完美，反而污穢了福音，使它成爲“別的福音”，根本算不得是神的真道。因此凡把神自己的話加以修正或更改的，都是污穢肮髒的。人的驕傲的心常想在神使人稱義的事上也有份兒，渴想爲基督作種種的準備，依靠自己的謙卑和悔改，高興自己的善行，誇耀自己的本領，這一切都是要在神的壇上動用人的家具。罪人應當記得若用人的信心和方法來完成救主的工作，那就是污穢幷羞辱了那工作。
主自己必在贖罪的事上被高舉，其上毫無人錘鑿的痕迹。凡要在基督耶穌臨死時所宣告“成了”的事上再加添什麽的，就是犯了褻瀆的罪；要想修正主耶和華所看爲美、所看爲“甚好”的事也是如此。顫栗著的罪人哪！丟掉你的器具吧，雙膝跪下謙卑地祈求吧，接受主耶穌作爲贖你罪的壇，幷且單單投靠他。
有很多人或許能因今晨的話爲自己所信的道理得到一個警戒。有很多基督徒頗有將啓示的真道加以“揚弃”或“調和”的傾向，這是不敬不信的表示；我們却要完全領受所傳于我們的真道，我們要快樂，因爲主的話是未鑿過的石頭，因此才能用以築成神的壇。
July 14
"If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast
polluted it." -- Exodus 20:25
God'S altar was to be built of unhewn stones,
that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom
delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more
artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature;
instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it
becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and
amendments of the Lord's own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud
heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul
before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings
are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and
by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar.
It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the
Saviour's work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it. The
Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of
man's chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in
seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be
finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect
satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in
humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine
atonement, and rest in Him alone.
Many professors may take
warning from this morning's text as to the doctrines which they believe. There
is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths
of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive
against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of
the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for
the Lord.
7月14日清晨甘露
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