二月八日

你要給他起名叫耶穌。（太1:21）

“一登龍門，聲價十倍”，這話真不錯。一個尊貴人所接觸的一切人或物，也都因他的緣故而尊貴起來。與什麼樣的人來往，結果就成為什麼樣的人。這就是“近朱者赤，近墨者黑”的道理。在一切信徒看來，主耶穌乃是至尊貴的，他的一切也都是無價之寶。大衛說“你的衣服都有沒藥、沉香、肉桂的香氣”，好像衣服也因救主的緣故馨香寶貴起來，叫人不能不愛它們。確然如此。凡他聖腳所留下得每一個蹤跡；他可稱頌的嘴唇，所說的每一句話，他愛的話語所表現得心情，這些對我們沒有一樣不是至貴至寶的。基督的名字都是這樣——在信徒的耳中都是幽雅可愛馨香甜蜜的。他是教會的丈夫、新郎或朋友，他是從創世以來被殺的羔羊、君王、先知或祭司——我主的其他名稱、細羅、以馬內利、奇妙、策士——每一個名稱都像蜂房下滴滴的甜蜜。但如果有一個名字在信徒的耳中必別的名字更甜蜜的話，那就是“耶穌”。耶穌！這名字使天上的琴奏出幽雅的歌曲。耶穌！是我們一切歡樂的生命。若天地之間有一個更美、更寶的名字的話，就是這一個名字了。它是織成我們聖歌的經緯。有許多聖詩開頭的字都是用它，而很少用其他名字；要使人得益的話，末尾的字也不能不用它。它是一切歡樂的總和。它是天上的鐘所奏出的樂聲，這個名字就是一支歌。闊而大之為廣洋，簡而約之為涓滴：二字之中有無盡的聖詩，數筆之中積藏著永世無盡的哈利路亞。

“耶穌！我愛你的美名，你是我耳中的歌聲。哦！耶穌！”

February 8

"Thou shalt call his name Jesus." --Matthew 1:21

When a person is dear, everything connected with him becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers, that everything about Him they consider to be inestimable beyond all price. "All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia," said David, as if the very vestments of the Saviour were so sweetened by His person that he could not but love them. Certain it is, that there is not a spot where that hallowed foot hath trodden--there is not a word which those blessed lips have uttered--nor a thought which His loving Word has revealed--which is not to us precious beyond all price. And this is true of the names of Christ--they are all sweet in the believer's ear. Whether He be called the Husband of the Church, her Bridegroom, her Friend; whether He be styled the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world--the King, the Prophet, or the Priest--every title of our Master--Shiloh, Emmanuel, Wonderful, the Mighty Counsellor-- every name is like the honeycomb dropping with honey, and luscious are the drops that distil from it. But if there be one name sweeter than another in the believer's ear, it is the name of Jesus. Jesus! it is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; an ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters.

"Jesus, I love Thy charming name,

'Tis music to mine ear."