二月二十五日

將來的忿怒……（太3:7）

雨過天晴，到田野漫步是一件非常快意的事；風息雨霽，花卉菜蔬更加芬芳鮮豔，它們真好似在日光之下閃爍著的粒粒金剛石。那也是基督徒的地位。他所經過的地方正是救主飽經風雨的地方，若是有幾滴悲哀的雨點落下，它們乃是從恩憐的雲中降下的，耶穌親自撫慰他，使它們不至毀壞了他。但是風暴來臨事多麼恐怖呀！我們看到風雨的警號，天上的飛鳥低垂著它們的雙翼，群牛嚇得垂頭喪氣，長空驟然變黑，太陽也不放光，蒼天正在施威發怒！大雷雨突然到來使多麼可怕呀！狂風怒號，樹木偃倒，岩石崛起，房屋傾塌。罪人哪！這就是你現在的地位。烈火還未降下，不久就要傾盆倒下了。你周圍還不覺得有暴風，但神的風暴都已準備就緒。洪水還被恩憐所阻，但是不久水閘就開啟。霹靂還在神的府庫之中，看哪，霎時間狂風暴雨就臨到了，當神穿著報仇的衣服，忿怒地來臨事多麼可怕的一副景象呀！罪人哪！你要逃到那裡去？那裡是你藏躲之處？現在讓那發憐憫的手領你到基督面前吧！他在福音中大有憐憫地把手伸到你的面前，他被刺透的肋旁便是你的避難所。你知道你需要他；信他，投靠他，那末烈怒必永遠向你止住了。

“現在我們既靠著他的血稱義，就便要藉著他免去神的忿怒。”（羅5:9）“等候他兒子從天降臨，就是他從死裡復活的、那位救我們脫離將來忿怒的耶穌。”（帖前1:10）

February 25

"The wrath to come." --Matthew 3:7

It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon His Saviour's head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to witness the approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane--such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics--to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God's tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in His storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, O sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel: His riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of Him; believe in Him, cast thyself upon Him, and then the fury shall be overpast for ever.