十一月五日

凡爲攻擊你造成的器械，必不利用（或譯：凡爲攻擊你而造成的武器，必不能成功）。（賽54：17）

今天在世界歷史上，甚至基督教歷史上是一個重要的日子。神在這一天曾施行了兩次大拯救。一六0五年教皇黨徒企圖推翻國會，控制英國，建立教權，幸及時發現；不然基督教必受大難。第二，一六八八年的今天，英王威廉第三（荷蘭大統領威廉第二之子，與英王詹姆士第二之女瑪利結婚，一六八八年被迎立爲王。預誓不損民權，不蹂躪國會，此即所謂名譽革命。一六九一年他曾爲美洲馬薩諸塞簽署一個新憲章內雲：“除了教皇黨徒外，一切基督徒皆可享受良心自由。”）登陸英倫，天主教的威權從此被鎮壓下去，人們才獲得宗教自由。我們也應當用聖徒的詩歌來紀念這一天。清教徒的先祖們在這一天舉行特別的感恩禮拜。我們這些愛好自由的信徒也當在這一天感謝神。

我們的心和嘴唇也當這樣說：“神啊！你在古時，我們列祖的日子，所行的事，我們親耳聽見了，我們的列祖，也給我們述說過。”神一再保護、救援屬他的人免受一切的灾害和仇敵的攻擊，我們要再三爲神一再拯救我們而歌唱。求你使我們謹防敵基督的假師傅，直到他們完全消滅。你必破壞他們加害于我們的圖謀。我們永遠信靠這應許：“凡爲攻擊你而造成的武器，必不能成功。”願這話銘刻在一切喜愛耶穌福音的人心上，靠此把异端邪說推翻，好廣傳神的真道。願我們省察我們的心，看我們裏面還有沒有靠己成義的遺毒存留著！

November 5

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper."--Isaiah 54:17

This day is notable in English history for two great deliverances wrought by God for us. On this day the plot of the Papists to destroy our Houses of Parliament was discovered, 1605.

"While for our princes they prepare

In caverns deep a burning snare,

He shot from heaven a piercing ray,

And the dark treachery brought to day."

And secondly--today is the anniversary of the landing of King William III, at Torbay, by which the hope of Popish ascendancy was quashed, and religious liberty was secured, 1688.

This day ought to be celebrated, not by the saturnalia of striplings, but by the songs of saints. Our Puritan forefathers most devoutly made it a special time of thanksgiving. There is extant a record of the annual sermons preached by Matthew Henry on this day. Our Protestant feeling, and our love of liberty, should make us regard its anniversary with holy gratitude. Let our hearts and lips exclaim, "We have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us the wondrous things which thou didst in their day, and in the old time before them." Thou hast made this nation the home of the gospel; and when the foe has risen against her, thou hast shielded her. Help us to offer repeated songs for repeated deliverances. Grant us more and more a hatred of Antichrist, and hasten on the day of her entire extinction. Till then and ever, we believe the promise, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper." Should it not be laid upon the heart of every lover of the gospel of Jesus on this day to plead for the overturning of false doctrines and the extension of divine truth? Would it not be well to search our own hearts, and turn out any of the Popish lumber of self-righteousness which may lie concealed therein?