十二月十日

我們就要和主永遠同在。（帖前4：17）

基督與我們的會聚是最甜蜜的事，但那是多麽暫短的事呀！一會兒我們的眼看到了他，我們就感到樂不可言，滿有榮耀；但又一會兒，我們就看不見他了，因爲我們所愛的離開了我們；好像羚羊，或像小鹿奔過了比特（分離）山；他到了香花畦，不再在百合花中牧放群羊。今天我們感到他的赦罪之恩，但是明天他或許使我們受折磨，使我們感到內心有無限的痛疚。你想，如果不在遠處看他，而得與他面對面的時候是多麽美妙呀！他來到我們心中，幷不像一位過客信宿即起行他往，而要永遠把我們保抱在他榮耀的懷中。

我們幷不是暫時看到他，而要用驚异的眼光永遠瞻仰救主的榮美，幷且世世無盡地崇拜他大愛的奇妙。在天上我們必不受憂慮和罪惡的滋擾，我們的眼不再因哭泣蒙矓昏花，世福不再轉移我們屬靈的樂趣，無論什麽都不能阻攔我們定睛仰望公義的日頭。若我們現在得以看到他，就覺得甜美非常，當我們能永遠抬眼仰望他的恩面時又是怎樣的甜美呀！那時烏雲永遠不能遮沒，我們也永遠轉眼不看這個困倦而悲慘的世界了！福樂之日啊！你什麽時候破曉呀？永遠不落的太陽啊！興起來吧！願我們永不失去這快樂，我們因此必更加榮耀。若死不過是使我毫無攔阻地與耶穌相交，那末死了就有益處，涓涓黑滴必然被得勝的大海所吞沒。

“無論是生是死，總叫基督在我身上照常顯大。”

December 10

"So shall we ever be with the Lord."—1 Thessalonians 4:17

Even the sweetest visits from Christ, how short they are--and how transitory! One moment our eyes see him, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, but again a little time and we do not see him, for our beloved withdraws himself from us; like a roe or a young hart he leaps over the mountains of division; he is gone to the land of spices, and feeds no more among the lilies.

"If today he deigns to bless us

With a sense of pardoned sin,

He to-morrow may distress us,

Make us feel the plague within."

Oh, how sweet the prospect of the time when we shall not behold him at a distance, but see him face to face: when he shall not be as a wayfaring man tarrying but for a night, but shall eternally enfold us in the bosom of his glory. We shall not see him for a little season, but

"Millions of years our wondering eyes,

Shall o'er our Saviour's beauties rove;

And myriad ages we'll adore,

The wonders of his love."

In heaven there shall be no interruptions from care or sin; no weeping shall dim our eyes; no earthly business shall distract our happy thoughts; we shall have nothing to hinder us from gazing forever on the Sun of Righteousness with unwearied eyes. Oh, if it be so sweet to see him now and then, how sweet to gaze on that blessed face for aye, and never have a cloud rolling between, and never have to turn one's eyes away to look on a world of weariness and woe! Blest day, when wilt thou dawn? Rise, O unsetting sun! The joys of sense may leave us as soon as they will, for this shall make glorious amends. If to die is but to enter into uninterrupted communion with Jesus, then death is indeed gain, and the black drop is swallowed up in a sea of victory.