十二月二十三日

朋友，請上坐。（路14：10）

當我們蒙恩的生命一開頭的時候，我們就會親近神，但是却非常戰兢恐懼。我們的心靈一想到罪過，就謙卑起來，爲我們所處的嚴肅地位恐慌萬狀；我們的心靈站在威容顯赫的耶和華面前是不能不五體投地的。我們只能卑躬屈節地赧然居末。

但基督徒得了生命之後，雖然他還不能忘記他的嚴肅地位，幷且蒙恩的人在那能創造、也能毀滅之神的面前，永遠不會失去他的敬畏感，但他在恩典上已有了長進；可是他的敬畏却不含著懼怕的成分了，此後乃是崇敬膜拜，不再是畏懼戰栗了。他更蒙召在基督裏進入至高神的面前。那末屬神之人的生活便有了神性的榮尊，幷像榮耀的基路伯一樣用雙翼遮臉，就是用耶穌基督的血和義遮掩起來，在靈裏謙恭俯拜地就近寶座；在那裏看到慈愛、良善、憐憫的神，得知神與人立約的大德，而非他絕對的神性。他看到神的良善，而非他的偉大，更看到他的慈愛，而非他的威嚴。于是我們的心靈仍像原先一樣的謙恭，樂享基督的代求所賜我們的神聖自由；當我們俯拜在無限大神的榮面之前時，我們便因著感到是在無限憐憫、無量慈愛之前，幷因得知我們“在愛子裏”已蒙悅納，而感到平安穩妥。因此信徒被召得進入更高的境界，得以在神裏面使用快樂的特權，存信就近他，呼叫“阿爸，父！”

“我們可力上加力，天天使恩典長進，直到主親自顯現，我們便可面對面。”

December 23

"Friend, go up higher."—Luke 14:10

When first the life of grace begins in the soul, we do indeed draw near to God, but it is with great fear and trembling. The soul conscious of guilt, and humbled thereby, is overawed with the solemnity of its position; it is cast to the earth by a sense of the grandeur of Jehovah, in whose presence it stands. With unfeigned bashfulness it takes the lowest room.

But, in after life, as the Christian grows in grace, although he will never forget the solemnity of his position, and will never lose that holy awe which must encompass a gracious man when he is in the presence of the God who can create or can destroy; yet his fear has all its terror taken out of it; it becomes a holy reverence, and no more an overshadowing dread. He is called up higher, to greater access to God in Christ Jesus. Then the man of God, walking amid the splendours of Deity, and veiling his face like the glorious cherubim, with those twin wings, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, will, reverent and bowed in spirit, approach the throne; and seeing there a God of love, of goodness, and of mercy, he will realize rather the covenant character of God than his absolute Deity. He will see in God rather his goodness than his greatness, and more of his love than of his majesty. Then will the soul, bowing still as humbly as aforetime, enjoy a more sacred liberty of intercession; for while prostrate before the glory of the Infinite God, it will be sustained by the refreshing consciousness of being in the presence of boundless mercy and infinite love, and by the realization of acceptance "in the Beloved." Thus the believer is bidden to come up higher, and is enabled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God, and drawing near to him in holy confidence, saying, "Abba, Father."

"So may we go from strength to strength,

And daily grow in grace,

Till in thine image raised at length,

We see thee face to face."