六月廿二日

他要建告耶和華的殿，幷擔負尊榮……（亞6：13）

基督自己是靈殿的建造者，他曾在山上建造了他不變的愛，他全能的恩和他無窮的信實。在所羅門的殿中怎樣，這個殿中也怎樣。建築的材料必須先預備好，有“黎巴嫩的香柏木”，但它們在建造前若不經修整，不被砍下、破裂、鋸成木板，他們的香味就不能使樂園裏、主家中的宮殿滿了歡欣。石頭仍在石礦中，必須在那裏鑿好，磨得方方正正的。這一切都是基督的工作。每個信徒都必須經過一番預備，切磋琢磨，好適合他在殿中所居的地位；基督自己的手就能完成這種預備的工作。苦難不能潔淨人，除非他要用苦難來潔淨人。我們的禱告和努力，若離了耶穌使我們的心正直的手，我們就不能上天堂。

所羅門“建殿的時候，錘子、斧子和別樣鐵器的響聲都沒有聽見”，因爲一切建築用材早已準備好，可以完完整整地運來安置在適當的地位上----耶穌所建造的殿也是這樣，準備的工作都是在地上。當我們上了天堂之後，就不用在那裏再經潔淨了，不再用灾難造就我們了，不再用苦痛修整我們了。不，我們必須在這裏預備妥當——基督要預先完成這一切。當他完成之後，我們就被慈愛的手領過死河，到達天上的耶路撒冷，永遠成爲主殿的梁柱。

“你們也靠他同被建造，成爲神藉聖靈居住的所在。”

June 22

"He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory." -- Zechariah 6:13

Christ Himself is the builder of His spiritual temple, and He has built it on the mountains of His unchangeable affection, His omnipotent grace, and His infallible truthfulness. But as it was in Solomon's temple, so in this; the materials need making ready. There are the "Cedars of Lebanon," but they are not framed for the building; they are not cut down, and shaped, and made into those planks of cedar, whose odoriferous beauty shall make glad the courts of the Lord's house in Paradise. There are also the rough stones still in the quarry, they must be hewn thence, and squared. All this is Christ's own work. Each individual believer is being prepared, and polished, and made ready for his place in the temple; but Christ's own hand performs the preparation-work. Afflictions cannot sanctify, excepting as they are used by Him to this end. Our prayers and efforts cannot make us ready for heaven, apart from the hand of Jesus, who fashioneth our hearts aright.

As in the building of Solomon's temple, "there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron, heard in the house," because all was brought perfectly ready for the exact spot it was to occupy--so is it with the temple which Jesus builds; the making ready is all done on earth. When we reach heaven, there will be no sanctifying us there, no squaring us with affliction, no planing us with suffering. No, we must be made meet here--all that Christ will do beforehand; and when He has done it, we shall be ferried by a loving hand across the stream of death, and brought to the heavenly Jerusalem, to abide as eternal pillars in the temple of our Lord.

"Beneath His eye and care,

The edifice shall rise,

Majestic, strong, and fair,

And shine above the skies."