十二月十六日

可以到我這裏來。（太11：28）

基督教的呼聲乃是一個柔和的字：“來。”猶太教的律法却是粗聲厲氣地說：“去，在你所行的路上要小心你的脚步。違背誡命，就必滅亡；遵守誡命。便得存活。”律法是令人懼怕的，它像一條鞭子一樣地驅策人們；福音却用慈繩愛索吸引著人們。耶穌是一位走在羊群前面的好牧人，叫它們跟從他，總是用和悅的語調：“來！”引導它們向前。律法使人看出神人之間有一段距離；福音却是這一條可怕鴻溝的橋梁，使人得以渡過。

從你靈命的開頭，直到你被接在榮耀裏，基督總是對你說：“來，到我這裏來。”母親怎樣放手叫她的小孩子學走說“來”，耶穌也是這樣。他永遠在你前面，叫你跟從他．像兵丁服從官長一樣。他永遠在你以前爲你開路、鋪路，你必聽到他鼓舞你的話叫你終生跟隨他；在你臨終的一刹那，他必柔聲招你到天堂說：“你們這蒙我父賜福的，可來。”

非但這樣，這不單單是基督對你的呼聲，如果你是一位信徒，這也是你對基督的呼聲：“來，來！”你必切慕他二次再來，你必說：“主耶穌啊！我願你快來。”你必渴慕與他有更親近、更密切的交通。他對你說“來”，你也要回答他說：“主啊！來，與我同住。來，占據我心中的寶座；獨自執掌王權，幷把我分別爲聖，完全爲你工作。”

December 16

"Come unto me."—Matthew 11:28

The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, "Come." The Jewish law harshly said, "Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt live." The law was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge; the gospel draws with bands of love. Jesus is the good Shepherd going before his sheep, bidding them follow him, and ever leading them onwards with the sweet word, "Come." The law repels, the gospel attracts. The law shows the distance which there is between God and man; the gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it.

From the first moment of your spiritual life until you are ushered into glory, the language of Christ to you will be, "Come, come unto me." As a mother puts out her finger to her little child and woos it to walk by saying, "Come," even so does Jesus. He will always be ahead of you, bidding you follow him as the soldier follows his captain. He will always go before you to pave your way, and clear your path, and you shall hear his animating voice calling you after him all through life; while in the solemn hour of death, his sweet words with which he shall usher you into the heavenly world shall be--"Come, ye blessed of my Father."

Nay, further, this is not only Christ's cry to you, but, if you be a believer, this is your cry to Christ--"Come! come!" You will be longing for his second advent; you will be saying, "Come quickly, even so come Lord Jesus." You will be panting for nearer and closer communion with him. As his voice to you is "Come," your response to him will be, "Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone the throne of my heart; reign there without a rival, and consecrate me entirely to thy service."