十二月二十八日

我如今在肉身活著，是因信神的兒子而活。（加2：20）

當恩典的主經過時，看到我們滾在血中，他就先說：要“存活”。（見結16：6）這是他首先所作的事，因爲生命在屬靈的事上是很要緊的，我們若沒有得到生命就不能參預神國度的事。當聖徒活過來的時候便得了恩典所賜的生命，這生命不是別的，乃是基督的生命，正像樹幹的汁水輸送到樹枝一樣；在我們的靈魂和耶穌之間也建立了一種活的關係。神所賜恩的信心便能領悟到這種聯合，幷且這也是信心的初熟的果子。信心乃是連結教會——身體和基督——榮耀之頭的頸項。

信心用强健而堅定的手抓住主耶穌。它知道他的崇高和優美，因此不論什麽試探都不能使它舍此就彼；基督耶穌也因這屬天的恩賜大得歡喜，幷用他永遠膀臂的慈愛懷抱，以全能的支持來加力量給她，扶持她。在此便建立了一種活的，可知覺，可歡樂的聯合，由此流出愛、信、同情、滿足和快樂的溪水，是新郎和新婦所樂飲的。當心靈清楚知道它與基督是一體的時候，就脉脉相關，可以彼此感到脉搏的跳動，血液的交流。那末，心雖在地，也如在天，從此便能享受最高超而屬靈的交通了。

“我平時當靠救主，遇患難求主救護；

我信心雖還不足，惟要靠我主領路。

靠耶穌渡過今世，靠耶穌能行萬事。

我不論走何險路，惟要信靠我救主。”

December 28

"The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God."—Galatians 2:20

When the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our blood, he first of all said, "Live"; and this he did first, because life is one of the absolutely essential things in spiritual matters, and until it be bestowed we are incapable of partaking in the things of the kingdom. Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head.

"Oh Faith! thou bond of union with the Lord,

Is not this office thine? and thy fit name,

In the economy of gospel types,

And symbols apposite-the Church's neck;

Identifying her in will and work

With him ascended?"

Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and determined grasp. She knows his excellence and worth, and no temptation can induce her to repose her trust elsewhere; and Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace, that he never ceases to strengthen and sustain her by the loving embrace and all-sufficient support of his eternal arms. Here, then, is established a living, sensible, and delightful union which casts forth streams of love, confidence, sympathy, complacency, and joy, whereof both the bride and bridegroom love to drink. When the soul can evidently perceive this oneness between itself and Christ, the pulse may be felt as beating for both, and the one blood as flowing through the veins of each. Then is the heart as near heaven as it can be on earth, and is prepared for the enjoyment of the most sublime and spiritual kind of fellowship.