七月二十三日

你竟站在一旁，像與他們同夥。（俄：11）

以東和以色列本有兄弟之情，在患難之時理當彼此幫助，但以掃的後裔却與以色列的仇敵朋比爲奸。這一句話裏所著重的是一個“你”字；正像該撒被親信的朋友們所剌後對不魯特斯說：“不魯特斯，你？……”（事見莎氏全集）同是一件不義之舉，罪名却因人而分輕重。我們既被神所特別看重，特別揀選，若犯了罪，我們的罪就得加等；我們的罪是重大昭彰的，因爲我們是明知故犯。當我們在作惡的時候，天使若來刑罰我們，他不用別的，單用一句話來責備我們說：“你怎麽也這樣？你在這裏作了些什麽？”我們就受不了。我們這多蒙赦免，多蒙救贖，多得教訓，多得豐富，多蒙賜福的人，還敢使我們的手沾染什麽惡事嗎？斷乎不當！親愛的讀者，我們今晨要用幾分鐘的時間向神承認我們的罪。

你也曾像惡人一樣嗎？有人以污穢的話當作笑談，你也不以爲怪，甚至與他們同夥；有人辱駡神，你只赧然緘默；因爲你袖手旁觀，所以你也是與他們同夥的。世人在作買賣時樂虞我詐，你也這樣專以牟利爲目的，那末你不是與他們同夥嗎？當他們像獵人一樣追逐虛榮時，你不也像他們一樣地貪得無厭嗎？你與他們有什麽分別呢？到底有什麽分別呢？願你誠誠實實地，在基督耶穌裏作一個新造的人；然後我們要小心,免得有人說：“你，像與他們同夥。”你不願得他們所得的永刑，那末你爲什麽要像他們一樣呢？你不要和他們同流合污，免得你和他們一同滅亡。要與神受苦的百姓同站，莫與世人携手。

July 23

"Even thou wast as one of them." -- Obadiah 1:11

Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to Israel in the time of need, but instead thereof, the men of Esau made common cause with Israel's foes. Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the word thou; as when Caesar cried to Brutus, "and thou Brutus"; a bad action may be all the worse, because of the person who has committed it. When we sin, who are the chosen favorites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis; ours is a crying offence, because we are so peculiarly indulged. If an angel should lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need not use any other rebuke than the question, "What thou? What dost thou here?" Much forgiven, much delivered, much instructed, much enriched, much blessed, shall we dare to put forth our hand unto evil? God forbid!

A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader, this morning. Hast thou never been as the wicked? At an evening party certain men laughed at uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether offensive to thine ear, even thou wast as one of them. When hard things were spoken concerning the ways of God, thou wast bashfully silent; and so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them. When worldlings were bartering in the market, and driving hard bargains, wast thou not as one of them? When they were pursuing vanity with a hunter's foot, wert thou not as greedy for gain as they were? Could any difference be discerned between thee and them? Is there any difference? Here we come to close quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and make sure that thou art a new creature in Christ Jesus; but when this is sure, walk jealously, lest any should again be able to say, "Even thou wast as one of them." Thou wouldst not desire to share their eternal doom, why then be like them here? Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into their ruin. Side with the afflicted people of God, and not with the world.