一月二十九日

乃是顧念所不見的……（林後4:18）

基督徒行天路的時候，最好是往前看。前面有冠冕，前面是目標。無論有什麼盼望，有什麼喜樂，有什麼安慰，有什麼激起愛心的事，“將來”必須作我們信眼的大目標。往將來看，我們看到罪已除掉，罪身與死已被滅絕，靈魂已得完全，可以與光明的聖者同得基業。再往前看，信徒被啟明的眼睛，必可看到死河已過，幽溪已渡，並且已經到了光明的山上和其上的天城；他看到他自己進了珍珠門，像凱旋榮歸的勝利者一樣，基督親手給他戴上冠冕，耶穌的雙臂環抱他，好與他同得榮耀，並得與他一同坐在他的寶座上，就像他得勝之後與父一同坐在他的寶座上一樣。想到將來，過去的黑暗和現在的陰暗都必雲消霧散。天上的快樂必可補償在地上的悲哀。我的懼怕呀，離去吧！這個世界狹如隙澗，不久你就越過。我的疑惑呀，離去吧！離去吧！你必安然穩渡溺水。時間，是多麼暫短；永遠，是多麼恒久！死，是多麼短促；永生，是多麼無窮無盡！我想我現在就吃了以實各穀的葡萄，在天門之內吸飲。路途是太短太短了！不久我就可以到那裡。

世界憂慮如風暴，我心破碎且驚跳；

但因升天而快樂，失望之中有依靠。

信心眼光扶持我，人生旅途盡渡過；

恐懼困苦由他去，回到天家便穩妥。

January 29

"The things which are not seen." --2 Corinthians 4:18

In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith. Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. Looking further yet, the believer's enlightened eye can see death's river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial city; he seeth himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with Him, and made to sit together with Him on His throne, even as He has overcome and has sat down with the Father on His throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! death is but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time, how short--eternity, how long! Death, how brief--immortality, how endless! Methinks I even now eat of Eshcol's clusters, and sip of the well which is within the gate. The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there.

"When the world my heart is rending

With its heaviest storm of care,

My glad thoughts to heaven ascending,

Find a refuge from despair.

Faith's bright vision shall sustain me

Till life's pilgrimage is past;

Fears may vex and troubles pain me,

I shall reach my home at last."