十二月七日
神也揀選了世上卑賤的。（林前1：28）
月明星稀，夜闌人靜，若是你敢的話，可以到街上走走，那時你就可以看到罪人了。夜色黝黑，狂風怒吼，門上的鎖發出幾聲怪響，那時你就可以看到罪人了。或到監獄，看看鐵窗裏雙眉緊鎖著的人們，是你夜晚所不敢單獨遇見的人們，那就是罪人了。再到感化院，留心那些俯首招供的墮落的青年，你在那裏就可以看到罪人了。或渡海到吃人的地方，你若看到一個人啃著帶人腥氣的骨頭，那就是罪人了。任你到何處，不必走遍全地，你就可以找到罪人，因爲他們是很普遍的；你可以在各城市、各鄉鎮、各村莊中的每一條街巷找到他們。耶穌就爲這樣的人死了。他是人類當中最完全的一位，雖然他爲女人所生，我也要仰望他，因爲基督耶穌乃是來尋找拯救罪人。神選召人的大愛，使最壞的成了最好的。恩河的小石子可以變成王冠上的寶石。毫無價值的渣滓可以變爲精金。救贖的大愛把人類中許多最壞的分別出來作了救主受苦的獎賞。大有功效的恩典召出許多邪惡中最邪惡的人，使他們坐在恩典的筵席上，因此人人都不當失望。
讀者呀！因著耶穌含泪注視你的愛，因著流血的創傷所流出的愛，因著那信實的愛，那堅强的愛，那純潔、無私和永遠的愛；因著救主恩慈的心懷，我們求你不要轉身離去，好像對你毫無關係似地；乃要相信他，你就必得救。把你的靈魂交托他，他必把你帶到他父的右邊，進入永遠的榮耀裏。
December 7
"Base things of the world hath God chosen."—1
Corinthians 1:28
Walk the streets by
moonlight, if you dare, and you will see sinners then. Watch when the night is
dark, and the wind is howling, and the picklock is grating in the door, and you
will see sinners then. Go to yon jail, and walk through the wards, and mark the
men with heavy over-hanging brows, men whom you would not like to meet at
night, and there are sinners there. Go to the Reformatories, and note those who
have betrayed a rampant juvenile depravity, and you will see sinners there. Go
across the seas to the place where a man will gnaw a bone upon which is reeking
human flesh, and there is a sinner there. Go where you will, you need not
ransack earth to find sinners, for they are common enough; you may find them in
every lane and street of every city, and town, and village, and hamlet. It is
for such that Jesus died. If you will select me the grossest specimen of
humanity, if he be but born of woman, I will have hope of him yet, because
Jesus Christ is come to seek and to save sinners. Electing love has selected
some of the worst to be made the best. Pebbles of the brook grace turns into
jewels for the crown-royal. Worthless dross he transforms into pure gold.
Redeeming love has set apart many of the worst of mankind to be the reward of
the Saviour's passion. Effectual grace calls forth many of the vilest of the
vile to sit at the table of mercy, and therefore let none despair.
Reader, by that love looking out of Jesus' tearful eyes,
by that love streaming from those bleeding wounds, by that faithful love, that
strong love, that pure, disinterested, and abiding love; by the heart and by
the bowels of the Saviour's compassion, we conjure you turn not away as though
it were nothing to you; but believe on him and you shall be saved. Trust your
soul with him and he will bring you to his Father's right hand in glory
everlasting.
12月7日清晨甘露
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