十一月六日

我要將水澆灌口渴的人。（賽44：3）

當信徒落到憂鬱的泥淖中的時候，便常想藉著懼怕黑暗和悲痛的心來管教自己，好把自己救拔出來。這種方法幷不能把他從塵埃中高舉起來，而只能使他繼續陷溺其中。我們要想用懷疑加增我們的恩典，就像把鷹的翅膀縛住叫它高飛一樣。開頭能拯救那尋求之人的，幷非律法，而是福音；幷且以後鼓舞灰心喪膽之信徒的，也非律法的捆綁，而是福音的自由。爲奴的懼怕之心幷不能把背道的人挽回到神的面前，只有慈愛的柔聲能把他帶到耶穌的懷中。

今晨你渴慕永生的神嗎？你心中因爲沒有找到他的喜樂而難過嗎？你失去了救恩之樂嗎？你曾這樣禱告過嗎？“求你使我仍得救恩之樂。”你感到你的貧乏，像一片乾旱之地嗎？你感到沒有結出神所向你要的果子嗎？你也覺得你在教會中、在世界上，沒有按照你自己的心願有所貢獻嗎？那末這裏正是你所需要的應許：“我要將水澆灌口渴的人。”你必得到你所祈求的恩典，你的需要必大得滿足。水能滋潤人的乾渴：你必然得到滋潤，你的心願必被滿足。水能振起萎下去的枝葉：你的生命必因新鮮的恩典舒展起來。水能使花開放，使果成熟：你必得到結果子的恩典，你必按神的旨意結出果子來。神的恩典中所有的好處你都能豐享。你必大得神恩典的豐富，你必被恩漫過：正像草場被奔流的河水涌流而過一樣，使田地成爲水池，你也是這樣，河必澆灌乾旱之地，使它成爲涌流的泉源。

November 6

"I will pour water upon him that is thirsty."--Isaiah 44:3

When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle's wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus' bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of religion, and is this your prayer, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation"? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which he has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be--the thirsty land shall be springs of water.