三月十日

我凡事平順，便說：“我永不動搖。”（詩30:6）

“摩押自幼年以來常享安逸，如酒在渣滓上澄清，沒有從這器皿倒在那器皿裡。”把財富賜給一個人，讓他的船隻不斷地從海外運回許多財寶；讓風浪作他的僕役使他的船隻平安地渡過大洋。讓他田地的莊稼豐收，讓他五穀豐登；讓他一帆風順，諸事順利；讓他成為興家立業的巨商昂然站在眾人當中；讓他身康體健，使他有靈敏的思想，銳利的眼光，獨步世界，永享快樂；賜他愉快的精神；讓他唇上的歌聲永不停止；讓他的眼睛時時透出歡樂的光芒——在這種安樂生活當中，讓他順著自然而發展，讓他作一個得未曾有的基督徒，那真是幻想，就連大衛也說：“我永不動搖”；我們並不像大衛那麼好，真可說是望塵莫及。弟兄呀！走路時在光滑平坦的地方要特別留心；若你行走在其上，或是路途崎嶇，那麼感謝神吧。若神把我們放在順利的搖籃中搖我們，若神把我們抱在幸運的膝上，若我們的玉柱沒有瑕疵，若我們的天空沒有幾片烏雲，若我們的人生沒有幾滴苦酒，我們就在歡樂中醉生夢死了！並且幻想“我們站立得穩”；我們卻應當像是站在尖塔之上，像一個睡在桅杆上的人一樣，必須時時提心吊膽。那麼為我們的苦難讚美神吧！為我們的變遷感謝他，為我們財產的損失頌揚他，因為我們知道他若不這樣管教我們，我們就不會穩妥了。在世事上一直順利或興隆真是一種火煉。“苦難雖然難當，但卻加給人恩典。”

March 10

"In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved." --Psalm 30:6

"Moab settled on his lees, he hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel." Give a man wealth; let his ships bring home continually rich freights; let the winds and waves appear to be his servants to bear his vessels across the bosom of the mighty deep; let his lands yield abundantly: let the weather be propitious to his crops; let uninterrupted success attend him; let him stand among men as a successful merchant; let him enjoy continued health; allow him with braced nerve and brilliant eye to march through the world, and live happily; give him the buoyant spirit; let him have the song perpetually on his lips; let his eye be ever sparkling with joy--and the natural consequence of such an easy state to any man, let him be the best Christian who ever breathed, will be presumption; even David said, "I shall never be moved;" and we are not better than David, nor half so good. Brother, beware of the smooth places of the way; if you are treading them, or if the way be rough, thank God for it. If God should always rock us in the cradle of prosperity; if we were always dandled on the knees of fortune; if we had not some stain on the alabaster pillar; if there were not a few clouds in the sky; if we had not some bitter drops in the wine of this life, we should become intoxicated with pleasure, we should dream "we stand;" and stand we should, but it would be upon a pinnacle; like the man asleep upon the mast, each moment we should be in jeopardy.

We bless God, then, for our afflictions; we thank Him for our changes; we extol His name for losses of property; for we feel that had He not chastened us thus, we might have become too secure. Continued worldly prosperity is a fiery trial.

"Afflictions, though they seem severe,

In mercy oft are sent."