八月十七日

神的慈愛（或譯憐憫）。（詩52：8）

請稍微用一點時間來默想神的慈愛。這慈愛是祥和的：他用溫柔、仁愛的手醫好破碎的心，纏裹被打的傷。他的態度是和悅的，他的慈愛是恩惠的。這慈愛是偉大的：神所有的一切沒有渺小的，他的慈愛和他自己一樣，是無限量的；你不能測度。他的慈愛是偉大的，因他赦免了一切大罪人長時所犯的大罪，幷賜他們大恩、大權，使他們進入偉大之神的高天，得享大福樂。這慈愛是不應得的：一切大憐憫都是這樣，因爲應得的憐憫乃是誤解了公義。按著公義來說無人應得神的憐憫。罪人哪有權柄要求至高者向他開恩呢？若悖逆之子當受永火的刑罰，他的死是死有餘辜的，還有什麽說詞呢？若他得免神的盛怒，那末神的至愛是惟一的情由，罪人是毫無所有的。

這慈愛是宏富的：有一些東西雖然偉大，但是沒有功效，然而這慈愛的效用是你消沉的靈性的興奮劑；是你血流不止的傷口的金膏；是你折斷了的骨頭的綳帶；是你疲乏了的雙足的禦車；是你顫栗之心的愛懷。這慈愛是衆多的：正如本仁所說“神園中的一切花都是雙的”。神的慈愛沒有單的；你或許以爲你只得了一種慈愛，但你若仔細尋思就發現是一串慈愛。這慈愛是豐盛的：千千萬萬的人得了這慈愛，但是這慈愛幷不因之窮盡。它仍然永遠是新鮮、豐滿，任人白白取得的。這慈愛是永不失敗的：它永不離開你，若慈愛與你爲友，那麽當你受試探的時候，慈愛必幫助你得勝試探；在困苦中必不使你下沉；在你活著的時候是你臉上的亮光和生命；在你將死、世福消失的時候，是你靈魂的快樂。

August 17

"The mercy of God." -- Psalm 52:8

Meditate a little on this mercy of the Lord. It is tender mercy. With gentle, loving touch, He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of His mercy as in the matter of it. It is great mercy. There is nothing little in God; His mercy is like Himself--it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great lengths of time, and then gives great favours and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God. It is undeserved mercy, as indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy is only a misnomer for justice. There was no right on the sinner's part to the kind consideration of the Most High; had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire he would have richly merited the doom, and if delivered from wrath, sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none in the sinner himself. It is rich mercy. Some things are great, but have little efficacy in them, but this mercy is a cordial to your drooping spirits; a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds; a heavenly bandage to your broken bones; a royal chariot for your weary feet; a bosom of love for your trembling heart. It is manifold mercy. As Bunyan says, "All the flowers in God's garden are double." There is no single mercy. You may think you have but one mercy, but you shall find it to be a whole cluster of mercies. It is abounding mercy. Millions have received it, yet far from its being exhausted; it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever. It is unfailing mercy. It will never leave thee. If mercy be thy friend, mercy will be with thee in temptation to keep thee from yielding; with thee in trouble to prevent thee from sinking; with thee living to be the light and life of thy countenance; and with thee dying to be the joy of thy soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast.