七月五日

奉召作聖徒。（羅1：7）

我們每每以爲使徒時代的聖徒比神其他的兒女特別些。凡神所恩召、聖靈所分別的人都是“聖徒”；但我們常是把使徒看作是一些非常的人，其實他們也像我們一樣地發軟弱，受試探。有這存心的人忘記了一個真理，一個人的生活越靠近神，越爲自己邪惡的心感到難過，神越在他服侍主的工作上尊崇他，他天天受邪情私欲的滋擾和困惑也越多。事實是這樣，若我們曾看見過使徒保羅，我們必知道他和神家裏的其他人是一樣的可貴；若我們曾和他談過話，我們必會說：“我們發現他的經驗和我們的是一樣的。他更忠心，更聖潔，靈曆更深，但他所忍受的試煉和我們却是一樣的。

不，從另一些方面看來，他所受的苦比我們更大。”所以不要以爲古聖徒能免去灾禍和罪惡，不要盲目地過于崇拜他們像拜偶像一樣。他們怎樣聖潔，我們也能達到那種境地。我們“奉召作聖徒”和他們是一樣的，他們因聖召而得到崇高的地位，那召我們的聲音是一樣的。得以列在聖徒當中是每一位基督徒的責任；若聖徒的靈曆比我們更高超，當然他們是很高超的，那末讓我們急起直追；讓我們趕上他們的熱誠和聖潔。我們所得的亮光和他們一樣，我們也能得到同樣的恩典，若我們的靈性不能像他們一樣，我們能够知足，能够安懷嗎？他們與耶穌同活，他們爲耶穌而活，因此他們像耶穌。讓我們靠著同一位聖靈而活，正如他們一樣，“仰望主耶穌”，那末不久我們就顯明自己是聖徒了。

July 5

"Called to be saints." -- Romans 1:7

We are very apt to regard the apostolic saints as if they were "saints" in a more especial manner than the other children of God. All are "saints" whom God has called by His grace, and sanctified by His Spirit; but we are apt to look upon the apostles as extraordinary beings, scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as ourselves. Yet in so doing we are forgetful of this truth, that the nearer a man lives to God the more intensely has he to mourn over his own evil heart; and the more his Master honours him in His service, the more also doth the evil of the flesh vex and tease him day by day. The fact is, if we had seen the apostle Paul, we should have thought him remarkably like the rest of the chosen family: and if we had talked with him, we should have said, "We find that his experience and ours are much the same. He is more faithful, more holy, and more deeply taught than we are, but he has the selfsame trials to endure. Nay, in some respects he is more sorely tried than ourselves." Do not, then, look upon the ancient saints as being exempt either from infirmities or sins; and do not regard them with that mystic reverence which will almost make us idolators. Their holiness is attainable even by us. We are "called to be saints" by that same voice which constrained them to their high vocation. It is a Christian's duty to force his way into the inner circle of saintship; and if these saints were superior to us in their attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them; let us emulate their ardour and holiness. We have the same light that they had, the same grace is accessible to us, and why should we rest satisfied until we have equalled them in heavenly character? They lived with Jesus, they lived for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by the same Spirit as they did, "looking unto Jesus," and our saintship will soon be apparent.