四月九日

有許多百姓跟隨耶穌，內中有好些婦女，婦女們為他號啕痛哭。（路23:27）

在送救主到刑場去的擾嚷的群眾中，有幾個心中滿了憂傷的人，一路上號啕痛哭著——伴奏著悲哀的隊伍緩緩往前進行。我想像著，我也看到救主背著他的十字架往加弗瑞（calvary）走去，我也與那些虔敬的婦女一同為他哭號，因為真有值得人悲傷的理由——這理由是比那哭泣著的婦女所想到的更深切。她們因為看到無辜者被虐待、善良人受逼迫、仁愛的人流血、柔和的人將死而哭號，但我的心哭泣卻有一種更深的理由。我的罪也像刺鞭一樣抽在他的肩頭上，像荊冕一樣刺在他流血的額角上！我的罪喊道：“釘他十字架！釘他十字架”，並把十字架擱在他的肩頭上。他被帶去受死刑是值得永久悲傷的，但我是殺害他的兇手，這是最最令人悲傷的，這悲傷是淚泉所不能表現出來的。那些婦女為什麼愛他並為他哭泣是不難猜想的，但使我哭泣的理由比她們的要大得多：拿因的寡婦因為看到自己的兒子復活，但我卻復活得到新生；彼得的岳母因為熱病得痊，但我卻脫離更大之罪的病疫；抹大拉的馬利亞身上被趕出七個鬼，但我身上卻被趕出大隊的汙鬼；主常願意到馬利亞和馬大的家，但他卻住在我裡面；他的母親孕育了他的肉身，但他卻在我裡面形成了我的榮耀的盼望。那些婦女尚且感激他、為他哭泣，我又怎能落在她們後面呢？

“憂愛焚燒我心，熱淚沾主身；我心常流泣，主死為救人。”

April 9

"And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him." --Luke 23:27

Amid the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations--fit music to accompany that march of woe. When my soul can, in imagination, see the Saviour bearing His cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women and weeps with them; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief-- cause lying deeper than those mourning women thought. They bewailed innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted, love bleeding, meekness about to die; but my heart has a deeper and more bitter cause to mourn. My sins were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders, and crowned with thorn those bleeding brows: my sins cried "Crucify Him! crucify Him!" and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders. His being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity: but my having been His murderer, is more, infinitely more, grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.

Why those women loved and wept it were not hard to guess: but they could not have had greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. Nain's widow saw her son restored--but I myself have been raised to newness of life. Peter's wife's mother was cured of the fever--but I of the greater plague of sin. Out of Magdalene seven devils were cast--but a whole legion out of me. Mary and Martha were favoured with visits--but He dwells with me. His mother bare His body--but He is formed in me the hope of glory. In nothing behind the holy women in debt, let me not be behind them in gratitude or sorrow.

"Love and grief my heart dividing,

With my tears His feet I'll lave--

Constant still in heart abiding,

Weep for Him who died to save."