五月六日

我們是住在他裡面……（約壹4：13）

你願意為你的靈魂預備一所房屋嗎?你問“要多少價錢”?只要人肯，它的價錢並不算大。因為不要錢，也不用什麼代價。可是你要付相當的租金！你要作一些什麼事來贏得基督嗎?那末你就不能得到那房屋了，因為它是“無代價”的。你願意永遠租用我主的房屋嗎?你用不著付什麼代價，只要你永遠愛他、服侍他作為你的一點租金就夠了。你願意得到耶穌並“住在他裡面”嗎?這房子裡有你一切所需要的，裡面的財富超過了你終生所需。在此你可以與基督有密切的相交並得在他的愛中筵宴；桌上擺滿了各種食物，足夠你一生食用；當你軟弱的時候，在其中，你能在耶穌裡得到安息；在其中，你可以向外看到天堂。你願有這房屋嗎?噢，若你還流離久所，沒有房子，你要說：“我願有那房屋，但我能得到嗎?”是的，這裡是鑰匙——鑰匙乃是“來就耶穌”。你說：“但，我住到那房屋中太不相配，因為我太肮髒了。”不要緊，裡面有禮服。若你覺得有罪，而且罪已被定，就要來；雖然那房屋太清潔，但基督要使你清潔。他要洗滌並洗淨你，你就能說“我們是住在他裡面”了。信徒啊！若你有這樣的住處就當加倍地快樂！你是個蒙大福的人，因為你有一所“堅固的居所”、“山寨”，你必在其中永遠穩妥平安。你“住在他裡面”，不單是一個完全和安全的房屋，而且是一所永久的住處。當這世界如夢一樣消逝之後，我們的房屋必固若磐石、穩如泰山，與神一樣存到永遠，因為它就是神我們的住處。

May 6

"We dwell in Him." -- 1 John 4:13

Do you want a house for your soul? Do you ask, "What is the purchase?" It is something less than proud human nature will like to give. It is without money and without price. Ah! you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ? Then you cannot have the house, for it is "without price." Will you take my Master's house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground-rent of loving and serving Him for ever? Will you take Jesus and "dwell in Him?" See, this house is furnished with all you want, it is filled with riches more than you will spend as long as you live. Here you can have intimate communion with Christ and feast on His love; here are tables well-stored with food for you to live on for ever; in it, when weary, you can find rest with Jesus; and from it you can look out and see heaven itself. Will you have the house? Ah! if you are houseless, you will say, "I should like to have the house; but may I have it?" Yes; there is the key--the key is, "Come to Jesus." "But," you say, "I am too shabby for such a house." Never mind; there are garments inside. If you feel guilty and condemned, come; and though the house is too good for you, Christ will make you good enough for the house by-and-by. He will wash you and cleanse you, and you will yet be able to sing, "We dwell in Him." Believer: thrice happy art thou to have such a dwelling-place! Greatly privileged thou art, for thou hast a "strong habitation" in which thou art ever safe. And "dwelling in Him," thou hast not only a perfect and secure house, but an everlasting one. When this world shall have melted like a dream, our house shall live, and stand more imperishable than marble, more solid than granite, self-existent as God, for it is God Himself--"We dwell in Him."