五月一日

他的兩腮如香花畦，如香草台。（歌5：13）

百花開放的月份來了！三月的風、四月的雨已經完成了它們的任務，大地又換上了美麗的春裝。我的心哪！穿上便裝到野外去拾取屬天的花朵吧。你知道你該往那裡去，因為“香花畦”是很出名的地方，你也常聞到“香花”的芬芳，你必立即就到你的良人，在他裡面得到一切愛情和快樂。那腮曾受人的毒打，常滿了同情的淚，也曾受人的唾棄——那腮滿懷恩憐的微笑，對於我心好像是芳香的肉桂一樣。主耶穌啊！你的臉受辱受唾時並未畏縮，因此我要歡樂地稱頌你。那腮滿了憂傷的刺痕，血從荊冕刺破的額角滴滴流下，這種無限之愛的記號比“香草台”更能歡暢我心。若我不能看到他整個的臉，單看他的腮就夠了，因為只要一看，我的靈性就必大得振奮，並得到各種的歡樂。耶穌不但是芳香，而且是“香花畦”；不只是一種花，而且是各樣的香花。他是我的玫瑰，我的百合花，我的安心草（hcanscasc）和我的鳳仙花。他若與我同在，那末終年都是五月，我的心要在他恩惠的晨露中洗濯它快樂的面，並以他應許之鳥兒的歌唱作為安慰。至寶貴的主耶穌啊！叫我真知道與你永遠同住、與你永遠相交是有福的事。我是不配的，我的腮不配你親！讓我也用我的唇與你親嘴。

“天使稱讚名最香，人亦歌詠名無雙；

天上地下常頌揚，耶穌我恩主耶穌。”

May 1

"His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers." -- Song of Solomon 5:13

Lo, the flowery month is come! March winds and April showers have done their work, and the earth is all bedecked with beauty. Come my soul, put on thine holiday attire and go forth to gather garlands of heavenly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, for to thee "the beds of spices" are well known, and thou hast so often smelt the perfume of "the sweet flowers," that thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveliness, all joy in Him. That cheek once so rudely smitten with a rod, oft bedewed with tears of sympathy and then defiled with spittle--that cheek as it smiles with mercy is as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not hide Thy face from shame and spitting, O Lord Jesus, and therefore I will find my dearest delight in praising Thee. Those cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned with red lines of blood from Thy thorn-crowned temples; such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far more than "pillars of perfume." If I may not see the whole of His face I would behold His cheeks, for the least glimpse of Him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense and yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fragrance, but a bed of spices; not one flower, but all manner of sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my heart's- ease and my cluster of camphire. When He is with me it is May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her happy face in the morning-dew of His grace, and to solace herself with the singing of the birds of His promises. Precious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with Thee. I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek Thou hast deigned to kiss! O let me kiss Thee in return with the kisses of my lips.