十一月十二日

叫你們的信心既被試驗……（彼前1：7）

沒有經過試驗的信心或許是真的信心，但那是微小的信心；若不經過試驗，它總是不會長進的。信心經受諸般的磨煉便越發增長：風暴是它的教練官，閃電是它的啓發者。當海洋風平浪靜時，你無論怎樣揚帆，也不會抵達海港：因爲海洋沉睡，船上的龍骨也安眠起來。讓風怒吼，任浪汹涌，船雖或會觸礁，會被水衝擊，它的桅杆容或因帆面全張、壓力過重而折斷，但那時才能急速地駛往所願去的海口。冰河岸邊生長著的藍色花朵最爲可愛；北極上空的星星最爲光耀；沙漠中的泉水最爲甘美；在患難之中的生活與得勝的信心也是最爲寶貴。信心經過試驗便得了經驗。若你不被迫涉水，你就不相信自己是軟弱的，你也不會知道神有力量在洪水之中扶持你。信心越經過灾難，便越堅强、牢靠而持久。信心是寶貴的，試煉也是寶貴的。

甚願在信心方面還幼稚的人不要因此灰心。你不去尋找，試煉也會接踵而至的：滿足的份必依時量給你。這事，若你經驗已經很多，但是還未結束，就當爲你所蒙的恩感謝神，要爲你已經有的信心的程度贊美他；依此而行，你必日漸多蒙神的賜福，直到你的信心能移山，幷能勝過人以爲是不可能的事爲止。

“靠耶穌度過今世，靠耶穌能行萬事；我不論走何險路，惟要信靠我的主。”

November 12

"The trial of your faith."--1 Peter 1:7

Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.

Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: the full portion will be measured out to you in due season. Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.