十一月二十九日

不可在民中往來搬弄是非……不可心裏恨你的弟兄；總要指摘你的鄰舍，免得因他擔罪。（利19：16—17）

搬弄是非對三方面都有害處，對說的人、聽的人和被說的人都是有損無益。不管所談論的是真是僞，神都命令我們不可傳布。神子民的名聲在我們眼中必須看爲寶貴，我們若幫助魔鬼辱沒教會和神的名就當引以爲耻；有的舌頭需要馬嚼而不需要馬剌。抑人不足以自高；辱人亦未必能自榮。挪亞的聰明的兒子們用衣服遮在父親身上，而傳揚這事的却受了可怕的咒詛。我們自己在黑暗的時期也需我們弟兄們的擔當和緘默，那末現在我們就當高高興興地這樣待那需要的人。“莫論人非”——願這話作我們一家的規律，幷作我個人的準繩。

但聖靈叫我們指責罪，幷將指責罪的方法指示我們。我們必須當面責備弟兄，而不應背後辱駡。這是一種大方，友善，具有基督精神的舉動，若神賜福必然生效。肉體畏縮不前嗎？那末我們必須大力督促我們的良心，大膽作去；免得因爲我們容忍朋友的罪，而自己也在那罪上有份。忠實的牧師或弟兄們及時的、聰明的、仁愛的忠告使人少犯很多大罪。我們的恩主耶穌曾爲我們留下一個糾正朋友錯誤的好榜樣；在他警告彼得之前，他先禱告，他寬宏地容忍了彼得誇大的永也不能不認他的話，這種態度正是彼得所需要的。

November 29

"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ... Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."--Leviticus 19:16-17

Tale-bearing emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to dishonour the Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of these dark days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us render it cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family rule, and our personal bond--Speak evil of no man.

The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way in which we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike, and under God's blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep ourselves to the work, lest by suffering sin upon our friend we become ourselves partakers of it. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends in his warning given to Peter, the prayer with which he preceded it, and the gentle way in which he bore with Peter's boastful denial that he needed such a caution.