三月一日

北風啊，興起！南風啊，吹來！吹在我的園內，使其中的香氣發出來。（歌4:16）

無論什麼都比無謂的死寂好得多。我們的內心需要困難的北風，好使我們的美德發出香氣。時至現在我們不能說“耶和華卻不在風中”，我們不要逃避料峭刺骨的北風，不要怕它吹上生長著的美德。新婦在這一節裡不是表示很願意她所愛之人的熬煉，懇求他按著他的旨意，而非自己的心願賜她任何形式的恩惠嗎？她，不是和我們一樣死氣沉沉、沒精打采，因此希望有風吹來好振起精神、奮發有為嗎？然而她需要安慰的南風、神慈愛的笑容、主同在的快樂，這些常使她得生活懈怠起來。她需要這樣的風，那樣的風，或者兩者都需要，好叫她園中的香氣能使她所愛的人得到喜悅。她經不起摧殘，我們也不能。耶穌能因我們可憐的、微弱的美德得到喜悅是多麼令人高興的一件事呀！這是可能的嗎？在人好像是決不能的。若我們能使以馬內利的心歡喜，就是赴湯蹈火、捨身就死，我們也願意。只要我們親愛的主耶穌能得榮耀，就是我們的心被吹打成為粉碎，我們也甘心。沒有經過試煉的美德好像芬芳的香味還含在花心之中一樣，我們的大園丁要用各樣的、相反的方法好達到所期望的結果，並用苦難和安慰使我們的信、望、愛、忍耐、順服、快樂和園中其他的好花一同發出它們的香氣。經過風霜的菜蔬、更加柔嫩、新鮮而可口。願我們從自己的甜蜜的經驗中，體會到其中的意義。

“我們不怕北風興起，嚴肅的北風過去，南風就一定要吹來。”

March 1

"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." --Song of Solomon 4:16

Anything is better than the dead calm of indifference. Our souls may wisely desire the north wind of trouble if that alone can be sanctified to the drawing forth of the perfume of our graces. So long as it cannot be said, "The Lord was not in the wind," we will not shrink from the most wintry blast that ever blew upon plants of grace. Did not the spouse in this verse humbly submit herself to the reproofs of her Beloved; only entreating Him to send forth His grace in some form, and making no stipulation as to the peculiar manner in which it should come? Did she not, like ourselves, become so utterly weary of deadness and unholy calm that she sighed for any visitation which would brace her to action? Yet she desires the warm south wind of comfort, too, the smiles of divine love, the joy of the Redeemer's presence; these are often mightily effectual to arouse our sluggish life. She desires either one or the other, or both; so that she may but be able to delight her Beloved with the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be unprofitable, nor can we. How cheering a thought that Jesus can find comfort in our poor feeble graces. Can it be? It seems far too good to be true. Well may we court trial or even death itself if we shall thereby be aided to make glad Immanuel's heart. O that our heart were crushed to atoms if only by such bruising our sweet Lord Jesus could be glorified. Graces unexercised are as sweet perfumes slumbering in the cups of the flowers: the wisdom of the great Husbandman overrules diverse and opposite causes to produce the one desired result, and makes both affliction and consolation draw forth the grateful odours of faith, love, patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of the garden. May we know by sweet experience, what this means.