55. The Thorn Hedge

The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. Proverbs 15:19
IT has been said that the shrewdness of the Scotch nation is owing to the pretty general study of the Book of Proverbs in that country. Of this I am not a judge; but certainly, if carefully followed, the Proverbs of Solomon make men wise for this world with a high order of prudence. God would have his people wise. There is no credit in being a fool, even if you have the grace of God in your heart. To me it seems a duty to make as much of myself as I can, since I am a servant of the Lord: I do not want everybody to think that all my Lord's children are short of wit. In meditating upon this two-leaved proverb, we shall:

I. TAKE THE TEXT IN ITS TEMPORAL BEARINGS.

1. It is clear from the apposition that a slothful man is the opposite of righteous. Certainly he is so. His sins of omission abound. He breaks his word, he vexes others, Satan finds him mischief to do; he is, in fact, ready for every bad word and work.

2. It is not enough to be diligent unless we are righteous; for though the curse is to the idle, the blessing is not to the active, but to the righteous. It is diligence in the service of God, under the Holy Spirit, which wins the reward of God.

3. A slothful man's way is not desirable: "A hedge of thorns."

• It is difficult in his own apprehension: a rough and thorny road, and he cannot have too little of it. He would sooner look at it a month than run in it an hour.
• It becomes really thorny ere long. His neglects hedge him up, involve him in difficulties, bring losses, and create hindrances.
• It becomes painful: he is poor, mistrusted, harshly dealt with by weary creditors, and at last without a livelihood.
• It becomes blocked up: he does not know where to turn; he cannot dig, and he tries begging. Laziness gets little pity, and charity itself repels it.

4. A righteous man's way is under a blessing.

• It becomes plain as he proceeds in it diligently.
• God makes it so.
• He makes it so himself.
• Other people become willing to aid him, or, at least, to trust him, employ him, and recommend him.

II. TAKE THE TEXT IN ITS SPIRIRUAL BEARINGS.

1. The spiritual sluggard.

• Takes the way of indifference, carelessness, indecision, and unbelief; and this, though it may seem easy, is as full of sorrow as a thorn-hedge is full of pricking points.
• He will have his own way; and self-will and obstinacy are briar hedges indeed: besides, his frowardness provokes others to oppose him, and the thorns thicken.
• He chooses the way of sin, and he soon finds it full of sorrows, difficulties, perplexities, entanglements, and snares.
• By his evil ways, and the inevitable consequences of his sins, he is shut out from God and heaven.

2. The righteous man.
His way is that of faith and obedience.

• It has its impediments: these are swept away.
• It is frequently mysterious; but it is cleared up.
• It is sometimes hilly; but it is the King's highway,
• Wherein we are right.
• Wherein we are protected.
• Wherein we are secured of a blessed end.
• Are you wonderfully easy in religion, taking things as they come, in a slovenly way? Then your way will soon become a hedge of thorns. Neglect is quite sufficient to produce an immense crop of thorns and briars.
• Do you seek to be righteous? Do you love holiness? Do you know Christ as your Way? Then go on without fear; for your way will be made plain, and your end will be peace (Ps. 37:37).

Confirmations

"The way of the slothful man," the course which the sluggard taketh in going about his affairs,"is as a hedge of thorns," is slow and hard; for he goeth creeping about his business, yea, his fears and griefs prick him and stay him like thorns and briars. "But the path of the righteous is as a paved causeway." The order which the godly man taketh is most plain and easy, who so readily and lustily runneth on in the works of his calling as if he walked on a paved causeway. — P. Muffet

Who can tell the pains which lazy people take? the muddles into which they bring themselves? They are driven to falsehood to excuse their sloth, and one lie leads on to more. Then they scheme and plot, and become dishonest. I knew one who fell out with hard work, and soon he fell in with drink and lost his position. Since then, to earn a scanty livelihood he has had to work ten times as much as was required of him in his better days, and he has hardly had a shoe to his foot. Meanwhile, a simple, plodding man has gone onward and upward, favored, as he confesses, by Providence; but, best of all, upheld by his integrity and industry; to him there has been success and happiness. He works hard, but his lot is ease itself compared with the portion of the sluggard.

Nobody rides to heaven on a feather-bed. Grace has made a road to heaven for sinners, but it does not suit sluggardS. Those who reach the Celestial City are pilgrims and not lie-a-beds. Neglect is a sure way to hell; but we must strive to enter in at the straight gate, and so run that we may obtain. If you let your farm alone it will be overrun with weeds, and if your heart be let alone it will be eaten up with sins. Nothing comes of sloth but rags and poverty here, and damnation hereafter. Let idlers in Zion note this.

It is wonderful how difficulties vanish from the path of the righteous! In traveling up the Rhine you appear to be landlocked, but as the steamer proceeds you perceive a clear passage; a sudden bend enables you to see the opening between the hills. The road of Israel seemed blocked at the Red Sea, and again at the Jordan; but as they were following the Divine Leader, he made a way for them through the waters. Old Roman roads are still visible which were thrown up along the sides of hills and across valleys; these were plain enough to be followed by the least familiar traveler: even so hath the Lord cast up the road-way of his people and they shall not miss it. "The way-faring man, though a fool, shall not err therein."

The spiritually negligent involve themselves in much sorrow. Neglecting prayer and other means of grace, they seek spiritual ease; but if they are God's children they do not find it, but sow for themselves abundant thorns of regret and depression. I know of a surety that the diligent Christian is the only happy Christian. True religion is above all other things a business which is not only worth doing but is worth doing well. High farming in the fields of the soul is the only farming which pays.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

55. 荊棘籬笆

「懶惰人的道像荊棘的籬笆，正直人的路是平坦的大道。」
——箴言 15:19 (19懶惰人的道像荊棘的籬笆；正直人的路是平坦的大道。)
有人說，蘇格蘭民族的精明，源於他們普遍研讀《箴言》。這一點我無從判斷；但可以確定的是，若人仔細遵行所羅門的箴言，必能在今世獲得極高層次的實際智慧與謹慎。神要祂的百姓有智慧；即便心中有神的恩典，作個愚昧人也毫無榮耀可言。在我看來，既然我是主的僕人，就當盡力把自己塑造成最好的人；我不願世人以為我主的兒女都是缺乏見識的。在默想這節「對句式」的箴言時，我們將：

一、從今生實際層面來看這節經文

1. 從對比可見，懶惰人正是義人的反面。的確如此。他滿了不作為的罪：
他失信於人，使人煩惱；撒但為他預備各樣惡事；實際上，他隨時預備行出各樣惡言惡行。

2. 僅有勤奮仍不夠，若沒有義；因為咒詛臨到懶惰人，但祝福並非給積極的人，而是給義人。唯有在聖靈引導下、為神而作的殷勤，才能得著神的賞賜。

3. 懶惰人的道路不可羨慕——「像荊棘的籬笆」。

• 在他自己看來，這條路艱難難行：又粗糙又扎人，他巴不得能少走一步。他寧可看一個月，也不願跑一小時。
• 不久之後，這條路真的變成荊棘：他的疏忽把自己圍困起來，使他陷入困境、遭受損失、處處受阻。
• 這條路變得痛苦：他貧窮、被人不信任，被疲憊的債主苛刻對待，最終甚至失去生計。
• 最後，這條路完全堵死：他不知該往哪裡去；不會挖土，只好乞討。然而懶惰得不到同情，連施捨都會拒絕他。

4. 義人的道路卻在祝福之下：

• 當他殷勤行走時，路就漸漸平坦。
• 神使這路平坦。
• 他自己也使道路變得順直。
• 別人也樂意幫助他，或至少願意信任他、僱用他、推薦他。

二、從經文的屬靈意義來加以思想

1. 屬靈上的懶惰人

. 他走的是冷淡、漫不經心、猶豫不決、不信的道路；這條路看似輕鬆，實際卻像荊棘籬笆一樣充滿痛苦。
. 他要行己意；而任性與固執本身就是滿是荊棘的籬笆。不僅如此，他的乖僻還激起他人反對，使荊棘越長越密。
. 他選擇罪惡之路，很快就發現那路滿是憂愁、困難、疑惑、纏累與網羅。
. 因他惡行及罪的必然後果，他被隔絕在神與天國之外。

2. 義人

他的道路是信心與順服之路。

• 這路有阻礙，但阻礙被清除。
• 有時顯得神祕，但終會明朗。
• 有時高低起伏，但它是君王的大道：
• 在其上我們站立得正；
• 在其上我們得蒙保護；
• 在其上我們確信有蒙福的終局。
• 你在信仰上是否過於輕鬆，隨隨便便、馬馬虎虎地過日子？那麼，你的道路很快就會變成荊棘籬笆。單是忽略，就足以長出滿地的荊棘與蒺藜。
• 你是否追求成為義人？是否愛慕聖潔？是否認識基督為你的道路？那麼，不必懼怕，繼續前行吧！你要細查那完全人(blamesless)，觀看那正直人(upright)；因為和平人有好結局(future await)。（詩 37:37 ）。

印證與補充

「懶惰人的道路」，也就是懶漢處理事務的方式，「好像荊棘籬笆」——遲緩而艱難；因他做事拖拖拉拉，恐懼與憂愁像荊棘一樣刺痛並攔阻他。「義人的路卻像鋪好的大道」，他按著秩序、迅速而有力地履行呼召，好像行走在平坦的官道上。
——P. Muffet

誰能說清懶惰人付出的「辛苦」？他們把自己弄得一團亂，為掩飾懶惰而說謊，一個謊言引出更多謊言；接著他們開始算計、圖謀，甚至變得不誠實。我認識一個人厭惡辛勞，不久便染上酗酒，失去職位；此後為了糊口，他所付出的勞力比從前多十倍，卻仍衣衫襤褸。與此同時，一位踏實勤奮的人卻一步步向前，蒙神眷顧，更重要的是，他被誠實與勤勞托住，享有成功與喜樂。與懶漢相比，他的辛勞反而成了安逸。

**沒有人躺在羽毛床上進天國。**恩典為罪人開了一條天路，但不適合懶漢。到達天城的人是朝聖者，不是賴床者。忽略是通往地獄的捷徑；我們卻要努力進窄門，奔跑得獎賞。田地若放任不管，必長滿雜草；心若放任不管，必被罪吞噬。懶惰只結出貧窮與破敗，今生如此，來世更甚。錫安中的懶人，當留心此事！

義人的道路上，困難往往奇妙地消失！就像溯萊茵河而上，看似被群山封鎖，船行轉彎後卻豁然開朗。以色列人在紅海與約旦河前似乎無路可走，但跟隨神的引領，水中便開出道路。古羅馬的大道橫跨山谷、沿山而建，連最陌生的旅人也不致迷失；同樣，主已為祂的百姓修築大道，「行路的人，雖愚拙，也不至失迷」。

屬靈上疏忽的人，必自招許多憂愁。忽略禱告與恩典的管道，以為能得輕省；但若他真是神的兒女，反而會收割悔恨與低沉。我確知：**殷勤的基督徒，才是喜樂的基督徒。**真正的信仰是一門值得投入、而且值得全力以赴的事業；靈田若不精耕細作，決不結果。
查爾斯．哈登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

56. Things Are Not What They Seem

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Proverbs 16:2
OCCASIONALLY in seasons of collapse and disaster great discoveries are made concerning those who appeared to be commercially sound but turn out to be rotten. Then the whole machinery of financing is laid bare, and things which directors and managers
have thought to be right have been seen to be utter robbery. All looked solid and substantial until the inevitable crash came, and then no man felt that he could trust his neighbor. No doubt these schemers thought their ways "clean;' but the event discovered their dirty hands.
Spiritual failures of like kind occur in the church. Great reputations explode, high professions dissolve. Men readily cajole themselves into the belief that they are right, and are doing right. They misapply Scripture, misinterpret providence, and in general turn things upside down, but the inexorable judgment overtakes them. A weighing time comes, and their professions are exposed. Niagara is at the end of the fatal rapid of self-deception: the self-satisfied pretender descends with a plunge to sure destruction.
Let us practically consider some of the "ways" which appear to be "clean;" but are not so, when the Lord comes to weigh the spirits.

I. THE WAYS OF THE OPENLY WICKED. Many of these are "clean" in their own eyes.

To effect this self-deception:

• They give pretty names to sin.
• They think ill of others, making them out to be much worse than themselves, and finding in this an excuse for themselves,
• They claim to have many admirable qualities, and fine points.
• They urge that if imperfect they cannot help it.
• They also seriously resolve to amend; but never do so. Men do with themselves as financiers do with companies:
• They put down doubtful assets as certain property.
• They reckon expectations as receipts.
• They tear out pages from the account-book.
• They conceal damaging facts, and ruinous entanglements.
• They cook the accounts in all sorts of ways, and make groundless promises.

The Lord's trial will be thorough and decisive. He weighs with accurate balances and weights; and he looks not only to the open way but to the inner spirit.

II. THE WAYS OF THE GODLESS.

• These often boast that they are better than the religious.
• They pretend that their superior intellects prevent their being believers: they must doubt because they are clever.
• They extol regard to the second table of the Law as being far more important than any service rendered to God himself.
• They will not be held accountable for their creed, or be judged for rejecting a few crabbed dogmas.

But all these shall be weighed in the balances and found wanting.

III. THE WAYS OF THE OUTWARD RELIGIONIST. These seem "clean,"

• His observance of ceremonies.
• His regular attendance at worship.
• His open profession of religion.
• His generosity to the cause, and general interest in good things.

Thus ministers, deacons, members, etc., may boast, and yet when the Lord weighs their spirits they may be castaways.

IV. THE WAYS OF THE COVETOUS PROFESSOR. His ways are specially "clean."

• His greed keeps him from expensive sins, and therefore he gives himself credit for self-denial.
• He stints the cause of God and the poor.
• He oppresses his workmen in their wages.
• He makes hard bargains, drives debtors to extremes, takes undue advantage, and is a skinflint to all around him.

The Lord says of him, "covetousness which is idolatry."

V. THE WAYS Of THE WORLDLY PROFESSOR. He thinks himself "clean." Let him honestly consider whether he is "clean"—

• In his secret life? In his private and hidden indulgences?
• In his pleasures and amusements?
• In his company and conversation?
• In his forsaken closet, forgotten Bible, lukewarm religion, etc.

What a revelation when the weighing of his spirit comes!

VI. THE WAYS OF THE SECURE BACKSLIDER. He dreams that his way is "clean;" when a little observation will show him many miry places:

• Decline in private prayer (Job 15:4).
• Sin gradually getting the upper hand (Jer. 14:10).
• Conversation scantily spiritual (Eph. 5:4)
• Scriptures little read (Hos. 8:12).
• Heart growing hard (Heb. 3:13).
• Religion almost destitute of life (Rev. 3:1).
• Pride cropping up in many directions (Deut. 8:14).

The Lord gives him a weighing in trial and temptation; then there follows an opening up of deceit and hypocrisy.

VII. THE WAYS Of THE DECEIVED MAN. He writes pleasant things for himself, and yet all the while he is a spiritual bankrupt.

• Failed in true faith in Jesus.
• Failed in real regeneration.
• Failed in heart-work and soul-service for the Lord.
• Failed for ever. Will our hearer do this?

Comparisons

How beautiful all things look when winter has bleached them! What a royal bed is to be seen in yonder corner! The coverlet is whiter than any fuller on earth could white it! Here might an angel take his rest, and rise as pure as when he reclined upon it. Pshaw! It is a dunghill, and nothing more.

All the ships that came into the harbor were claimed by one person in the city. He walked the quay with a right royal air, talked largely about owning a navy, and swaggered quite sufficiently had it been so. How came he to be so wealthy? Listen, he is a madman. He has persuaded himself into this folly, but in truth he has not a tub to call his own. What absurdity! Are not many the victims of even worse self-deception? They are rich and increased in goods according to their own notion; yet they are naked, and poor, and miserable.

"This must be the right way, see how smooth it is! How many feet have trodden it!" Alas, that is precisely the mark of the broad road which leadeth to destruction.

"But see how it winds about, and what a variety of directions it takes! It is no bigot's unbending line." Just so; therein it proves itself to be the wrong road; for truth is one, and unchanging.

"But I like it so much." This also is suspicious; for what an unrenewed man is so fond of is probably an evil thing. Hearts go after that which is like themselves, and graceless men love graceless ways

"Would you have me go that narrow and rough road?" Yes, we would; for it leadeth unto life; and though few there be that find it, yet those who do so declare that it is a way of pleasantness. It is better to follow a rough road to heaven than a smooth road to hell.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

56. 事情並非表面所見

一、明顯邪惡之人的道路

這些人在自己眼中往往是「清潔的」。為了達成這種自我欺騙，他們：

• 給罪取好聽的名字；
• 對別人存惡念，把別人說得比自己更壞，藉此為自己辯解；
• 誇耀自己有許多可取的品格與優點；
• 辯稱若有缺點也是身不由己；
• 鄭重其事地立志悔改，卻從未真正改變。
• 人對待自己，正如金融家對待公司一樣：把可疑資產記作確實產業；
• 把期望當作實際收入；
• 撕掉帳簿中的某些頁；
• 隱瞞致命的事實與破產的糾葛；
• 用各樣方式做假帳，並作出毫無根據的承諾。

主的審判將是徹底而決定性的；祂用準確的天平與法碼衡量，不只看外在的行為，也察驗內在的靈。

二、不敬虔之人的道路

• 他們常誇口自己比敬虔的人更好。
• 他們聲稱因為自己聰明，所以不能信；必須懷疑，因為他們有才智；
• 他們高舉律法第二條（對人的責任），認為這比任何對神的事奉都重要；
• 他們拒絕為自己的信仰負責，也不願因拒絕某些「刻板的教義」而受審判。

然而，這一切都要放在天平上衡量，結果必顯出虧欠。

三、只有外表宗教的人之道路

這些看起來「清潔」：

• 他遵守儀式；
• 他固定參加聚會；
• 他公開承認自己是信徒；
• 他對事工慷慨，對善事普遍關心。

因此，牧師、執事、會友等都可能自誇；然而當主衡量他們的心靈時，卻可能成為被棄絕的人。

四、貪婪的自稱信徒之道路

他的道路特別顯得「清潔」。

• 他的貪心使他遠離花錢的罪，因此便自以為克己；
• 他在神的事工和窮人身上斤斤計較；
• 他在工價上欺壓工人；
• 他做苛刻的交易，把債務人逼到絕境，佔人便宜，對所有人都極其吝嗇。

主論到他說：「貪婪就是拜偶像。」

五、屬世的自稱信徒之道路

他自以為「清潔」。讓他誠實地省察自己是否清潔——

• 在隱密生活中？在私下、隱藏的放縱裡？
• 在他的娛樂與消遣上？
• 在他的交往與談話中？
• 在被荒廢的內室、被遺忘的聖經、冷淡的信仰中？

當衡量他靈魂的時刻來臨，將是何等的揭露！

六、自以為安全的退後者之道路

他夢想自己是「清潔的」；但稍加觀察就會發現滿地泥濘：

• 私下禱告衰退（伯 15:4 4你是廢棄敬畏的意，在神面前阻止敬虔的心。）；
• 罪逐漸佔上風（耶 14:10 10耶和華對這百姓如此說：這百姓喜愛妄行（原文是飄流），不禁止腳步，所以耶和華不悅納他們。現今要記念他們的罪孽，追討他們的罪惡。）；
• 言談缺乏屬靈內容（弗 5:4 4淫詞、妄語，和戲笑的話都不相宜；總要說感謝的話。）；
• 聖經少有閱讀（何 8:12 12我為他寫了律法萬條，他卻以為與他毫無關涉。）；
• 心漸漸剛硬（來 3:13 13總要趁着還有今日，天天彼此相勸，免得你們中間有人被罪迷惑，心裏就剛硬了。）；
• 宗教幾乎沒有生命（啟 3:1 1「你要寫信給撒狄教會的使者，說：『那有神的七靈和七星的，說：我知道你的行為，按名你是活的，其實是死的。）；
• 驕傲在多方面冒出來（申 8:14  14你就心高氣傲，忘記耶和華－你的神，就是將你從埃及地為奴之家領出來的，）。

主在試煉與誘惑中衡量他，接著虛假與假冒為善便被揭露。

七、被欺騙之人的道路

他為自己寫下甜美的評語，然而實際上卻是屬靈的破產者：

• 在對耶穌真實的信心上失敗；
• 在真正的重生上失敗；
• 在內心的工作與對主的服事上失敗；
• 永遠地失敗。我們的聽眾是否願意認真面對這些事？

比喻與對照

冬天把一切漂白時，看起來是何等美麗！那邊角落裡似乎鋪著一張皇家臥榻！被單比世上任何漂布工漂出的都要白！天使似乎可以躺在上面休息，起來時仍舊純潔如初。哼！那不過是一堆糞土而已。

城裡有一個人宣稱港口裡所有進港的船都是他的。他在碼頭上神氣活現，大談自己擁有一支海軍，擺出十足的派頭。為何如此富有？聽聽吧——他是個瘋子。他說服了自己相信這個幻想，實際上卻連一個木桶都不屬於他。多麼荒謬！然而，有多少人陷入更嚴重的自我欺騙？他們自以為富足、樣樣都有；其實卻是赤身、貧窮、可憐。

「這一定是正路，看它多麼平坦！多少人走過！」唉，這正是那引向滅亡的寬路的標記。

「可是它彎彎曲曲，方向多變！不像偏執者那樣筆直。」正是如此，這正證明它是錯路；因為真理只有一個，且永不改變。

「但我很喜歡這條路。」這同樣令人警惕；未重生的人所喜愛的，多半是邪惡的。心追隨與自己相似的事物，沒有恩典的人也愛沒有恩典的道路。

「你真要我走那又窄又難的路嗎？」是的，我們要；因為那路引向生命。雖然找著的人少，但凡走過的人都見證，那是喜樂的道路。走一條通往天堂的崎嶇路，遠勝過走一條通往地獄的平坦路。
——查爾斯・哈登・司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

57. Pondering Hearts

The Lord pondereth the hearts. Proverbs 21:2
THE heart among the Hebrews is regarded as the source of wit, understanding, courage, grief, pleasure, and love. We generally confine it to the emotions, and especially the affections, and, indeed these are so important and influential that we may well call them the heart of a man's life. —
Now we cannot read the heart, much less ponder or weigh it. We can only judge our fellow men by their actions; but of motive, and actual condition before God, we cannot form a true estimate, nor need we do so. This, however, the Lord can do as easily as a goldsmith judges silver and gold by weight. He knows all things, but he is pleased to show us the strictness of his examination by the use of the metaphor of weighing. He takes nothing for granted, he is not swayed by public opinion, or moved by loud profession; he brings everything to the scale, as men do with precious things, or with articles in which they suspect deception. The Lord's tests are thorough and exact. The shekel of the sanctuary was double that which was used for common weighings, so at least the Rabbis tell us; those who profess to be saints are expected to do more than others. The sanctuary shekel was the standard to which all common weights ought to be conformed. The law of the Lord is the standard of morals. The balances of God are always in order, always true, and exact.

I. THE WEIGHING OF HEARTS.

1. God has already performed it. Every man's purpose, thought, word, and action is put upon the scale at the first moment of its existence. God is not at any instant deceived.
2. The law under which we live daily weighs us in public and in private, and by our disobedience discovers the short weight of our nature, the defect of our heart.
3. Trials form an important order of tests. Impatience, rebellion, despair, backsliding, apostasy, have followed upon severe affliction or persecution.
4. Prosperity, honor, ease, success, are scales in which many are found wanting. Praise arouses pride, riches create worldliness, and a man's deficiencies are found out (Prov. 27:21).
5. Great crises in our own lives, in families, in religious thought, in public affairs, etc., are weights and scales. A man's heart can hardly be guessed at when all goes on steadily.
6. Truth is ever heart-searching. Some left Jesus when he preached a certain doctrine. Hearts are weighed by their treatment of the truth. When they refuse God's word, that word condemns them.
7. The moment after death, and specially the general judgment, will be heart-weighing times.

II. THE HEARTS WHICH ARE WEIGHED.

They greatly vary, but they may be divided roughly into three classes, upon which we will dwell, hoping that our hearers will judge themselves.

1. Hearts which are found wanting at once.

• The natural heart. All who have been unchanged come under this; even "the good-hearted man at bottom."
• The double heart. Undecided, double-minded, false. "their heart is divided, now shall they be found faulty" (Hos. 10:2).
• The heartless heart. No decision, energy, or seriousness. He is "a silly dove without heart" (Hos. 7:7?).
• The perverse heart. Rebellious, willful, sinful.
• The unstable heart. Impressions forgotten, promises broken, etc.
• The proud heart. Self-righteous, confident, arrogant, defiant.
• The hard heart. Unaffected by love or terror. Obstinate. Resisting the power of the Holy Ghost.
  

2. Hearts which turn out to be wanting on further weighing.

• "Another heart," such as Saul had. A new phase of feeling, but not a new nature.
• A humbled heart, like that of Ahab when Elijah had prophesied his ruin. Humbled, but not humble; turned, but not turned from iniquity.
• A deceived heart. Thinks itself good, but is not.

3. Hearts which are of good weight.

• The trembling heart: penitent, afraid of sin, etc.
• The tender heart: sensitive, affectionate, longing.
• The broken heart: mourning, pining, humble, lowly.
• The pure heart: loving only that which is good and clean, mourning sin in itself and others, sighing for holiness.
• The upright heart: true, just, sincere, etc.
• The perfect heart: earnest, honest, resolute, consecrated, intent, united, etc.
• The fixed heart: resting firmly, abiding steadfastly, etc.
• Is your heart ready for the weighing? Have you no fear of the final trial? Is this confidence well founded.
• Is Jesus enthroned therein by faith? If so, you need not fear any weighing.
• If not, what will you do when the King sets up the final scales?

Sundry Helps

Heaven's Sovereign saves all beings, but himself, That hideous sight, a naked human heart.— Young

In the reign of King Charles I. the goldsmiths of London had a custom of weighing several sorts of their precious metals before the Privy Council. On this occasion, they made use of scales, poised with such exquisite nicety, that the beam would turn, the master of the Company affirmed, at the two-hundredth part of a grain. Noy, the famous Attorney General, replied, "I shall be loath, then, to have all my actions weighed in these scales." "With whom I heartily concur," says the pious Hervey, "in relation to myself; and since the balances of the sanctuary, the balances in God's hand, are infinitely exact, oh what need have we of the merit and righteousness of Christ, to make us acceptable in his sight, and passable in his esteem."

My balances are just, My laws are equal weight; The beam is strong, and thou mayst trust, My steady hand to hold it straight.
Were thine heart equal to the world in sight, Yet it were nothing worth, if it should prove too light. But if thou art asham'd
To find thine heart so light, And art afraid thou shalt be blam'd, I'll teach thee how to set it right. Add to my law my gospel, and there see My merits thine, and then the scales will equal be.
— Christopher Harvey, "Schola Cordis"

In the mythology of the heathen, Momus, the god of fault-finding, is represented as blaming Vulcan, because in the human form, which he had made of clay, he had not placed a window in the breast, by which whatever was done or thought there might easily be brought to light. We do not agree with Momus, neither are we of his mind who desired to have a window in his breast that all men might see his heart. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

57. 省察人心

「耶和華衡量人心。」——箴言 21:2 (2人所行的，在自己眼中都看為正；惟有耶和華衡量人心。)
在希伯來人的觀念中，**「心」**被視為機智、悟性、勇氣、憂傷、喜樂與愛的泉源。我們通常把「心」限定在情感，特別是愛慕之情；而事實上，這些確實如此重要、如此有影響力，以致我們完全可以稱它們為一個人生命的核心。
然而，我們無法讀懂人心，更不用說去衡量或秤量它。我們只能根據人的行為來判斷同伴；至於動機，以及人在神面前真正的光景，我們既無法作出正確的估計，也不需要如此行。**但主卻能做到這一切，就像金匠用重量來判斷金銀一般容易。**祂知道萬事，卻樂意用「衡量」這個比喻來向我們顯明祂審察的嚴格。祂不憑假設行事，不受輿論左右，也不被高調的宣稱所感動；祂把一切都放在天平上，正如人對待貴重之物，或對懷疑有詐的物件一樣。
主的試驗是徹底而精確的。照拉比的說法，聖所的舍客勒比日常使用的重量要重一倍；那些自稱為聖徒的人，理當比別人有更高的要求。聖所的舍客勒，是一切常用重量應當符合的標準；同樣，耶和華的律法是道德的標準。神的天平始終正確、真實、毫無差錯。

一、衡量人心

1. 神早已在進行這樣的衡量。
   每個人的目的、思想、言語與行為，在產生的第一瞬間，就已被放在天平上。神從不會在任何時刻被欺騙。
2. 我們每天所活在其中的律法，也在公開與私下衡量我們。
   藉著我們的悖逆，它顯明了我們本性的分量不足，顯露了我們內心的缺陷。
3. 試煉是一種重要的衡量方式。
   忍耐的缺乏、悖逆、絕望、退後、離道，常常緊隨著嚴厲的患難或逼迫而來。
4. 順境、尊榮、安逸與成功，也是不少人被顯出虧欠的天平。
   讚美激發驕傲，財富催生屬世之心，人的不足便因此暴露出來（箴 27:21 21鼎為煉銀，爐為煉金，人的稱讚也試煉人。）。
5. 人生中的重大關口——無論是個人、家庭、宗教思想，或公共事務上的危機——都是重量與天平。當一切平順時，人心幾乎無法被真正看透。
6. 真理本身不斷地鑒察人心。
   有些人因耶穌講論某些真理而離開祂。人心如何對待真理，就在其中被衡量；當人拒絕神的話，那話本身就定了他的罪。
7. 死亡之後的瞬間，尤其是最後的審判，都是衡量人心的時刻。

二、被衡量的心

人心多有不同，但我們可以大略分為三類，盼望聽眾能自己審察自己。

1. 立刻被顯為虧欠的心

• 天然的心：一切未被更新的人，包括那位「本質上好心的人」。
• 兩樣的心：猶豫不定、三心二意、虛假不實。「他們心懷二意， 現今要定為有罪。」（何 10:2）。
• 無心的心：沒有決斷、沒有力量、沒有認真；「以法蓮好像鴿子愚蠢無知； 他們求告埃及，投奔亞述。」（何 7:11）。
• 悖逆的心：反叛、任性、犯罪。
• 不穩定的心：感動容易消失，承諾屢屢破裂。
• 驕傲的心：自義、自信、狂妄、抗拒。
• 剛硬的心：不被愛或恐懼所感動，頑固，抗拒聖靈的能力。

2. 經進一步衡量後顯為虧欠的心

• 「另一個心」，如掃羅所得的——情感有改變，性質卻未更新。
• 自卑卻不謙卑的心，如亞哈在以利亞宣告審判後的反應；被壓服，卻未離開罪。
• 被欺騙的心：自以為良善，其實並非如此。

3. 分量充足的心

• 戰兢的心：悔改、懼怕罪。
• 柔軟的心：敏銳、有愛、渴慕。
• 破碎的心：憂傷、謙卑、降服。
• 清潔的心：只愛良善與純潔，為自己與他人的罪哀痛，渴望聖潔。
• 正直的心：真誠、公義、無偽。
• 完全的心：認真、誠實、堅定、奉獻、專一。
• 堅定的心：安息、持守、不動搖。
• 你的心準備好被衡量了嗎？
• 你對最後的試驗毫無懼怕嗎？這樣的把握是否站得住腳？
• 耶穌是否因信而坐在你心中為王？若是如此，你不必懼怕任何衡量。
• 若不是——當君王設立最後的天平時，你將如何面對？

雜項助益

「天上的君王拯救一切受造之物，惟獨不拯救那赤裸、可憎的人心。」——楊（Edward Young）

在查理一世統治期間，倫敦的金匠們有一項慣例：他們會在樞密院（Privy Council）面前秤量各類貴金屬。當時所使用的天平精巧到一個地步，據工會會長說，那橫梁能因二百分之一格令的重量而傾斜。著名的總檢察長諾伊（Noy）回應說：「那麼，我可不願意讓我一切的行為都放在這樣的天平上衡量。」 虔誠的赫維（Hervey）說：「在這一點上，我完全同意他；並且既然聖所的天平、也就是神手中的天平，是無限精確的，噢，我們何等需要基督的功勞與義，好使我們在神眼中蒙悅納，在祂的評價中被視為合格。」

我的天平公正， 我的律法分量相等； 橫梁堅固，你可以信靠， 我穩定的手必使它保持筆直。 縱然你的心在世人眼中重如全世界， 若實際一秤卻顯得太輕，仍然毫無價值。 但若你因發現自己心的分量不足而羞愧， 又因恐怕被責備而戰兢， 我必教你如何校正它： 在我的律法之外，加上我的福音； 在那裡你會看見——我的義成了你的義， 於是天平便得平衡。 ——克里斯多福．哈維 《心之學院》（Schola Cordis）

在異教的神話中，吹毛求疵之神莫摩斯（Momus）被描寫為責怪火神伏爾甘（Vulcan）：因為他用泥土造人時，沒有在人的胸膛上開一扇窗，使人所做、所想的一切都能輕易顯露出來。 我們並不同意莫摩斯；也不贊成那位希望在自己胸前開一扇窗、讓眾人都能看見他內心的人。若我們真有這樣一扇窗，我們恐怕會祈求裝上百葉窗，並且把它緊緊關上。
——查爾斯・哈登・司布真

58. To Heavenly Merchantmen

Buy the truth, and sell it not. Proverbs 23:23
WHEN describing the pilgrims passing through Vanity Fair, Mr. Bunyan says: "That which did not a little amuse the merchandisers was, that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares; they cared not so much as to look upon them; and if they called upon them to buy, they would put their fingers in their ears and cry, 'Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity'; and look upwards, signifying that their traffic was in heaven.
"One chanced, mockingly, beholding the carriage of the men, to say unto them, 'What will ye buy?' But they, looking gravely upon him, said, 'We buy the truth.'"
The true Christian is like the merchantman who sought goodly pearls: he sought them to buy them; he bought the? with all that he had.
Let us carefully consider

I. THE COMMODITY: "the truth."

1. Doctrinal Truth. The Gospel. The three R's — Ruin, Redemption, and Regeneration. The doctrines of grace.

• These are the genuine articles, but counterfeits are in the market.
• A gospel buyer must learn to discriminate, so as to reject
• Salvation without Christ as God.
• Pardon without an atoning sacrifice.
• Life without the new birth.
• Regeneration without faith.
• Faith without works.
• Safety without perseverance in holiness

2. Experimental Truth. The new birth and the heavenly life are real gems. But of these there are base imitations.

• Discriminate between true religion and
• Faith without repentance.
• Talk without feeling.
• Life without struggles.
• Confidence without examination.
• Perfection without humility.

3. Practical Truth. Truth as a matter of act and deed.

• Take care not to seem what you are not.
• Never do what you are ashamed of.
• Never be willfully ignorant of what you should know.

II. THE PURCHASE: "buy the truth." Here let us at once:

1. Correct an Error. Strictly speaking, truth and grace cannot be either bought or sold. Yet Scripture says, "Buy wine and milk without money and without price."

2. Expound the word. It is fitly chosen; for in order to be saved we should be ready to buy truth if it were to be bought:

• To give up every sin, fulfill all righteousness, and give that which we have, if such were the price.
• To be right with God by earnest watchfulness as much as if everything depended upon ourselves.
• To be ready to endure every test, make every search, etc.
• To run every risk, bear every cross, give up every worldly pleasure in order to be true to Jesus.

3. Paraphrase the Sentence.

• Buy what is truly the Truth
• Buy all the Truth
• Buy only the Truth.
• Buy the Truth at any price.
• Buy now the Truth.

4. Give reasons for the Purchase.

• It is in itself most precious.
• You need it at this moment for a thousand useful purposes.
• You will need it in time and in eternity.

5. Direct you to the Market.

"Buy of Me," saith Christ.
The Market-day is now on; "Come, buy."

6. Repeat the Text: "Bray the Truth."

• Not merely hear about it.
• Nor rest content with commending it to others.
• Nor satisfied just to know about it.
• Nor content with heartily wishing for it.
• Nor be content with intending to buy it.

But, "Buy the Truth": down with the cash, conclude the bargain, secure the estate.

III. THE PROHIBITION: "sell it not." Purchase it as a permanent investment, not to be parted with.

• Some sell it for a livelihood; for respectability; for repute of being scientific and thoughtful; to gratify a friend; for the pleasure of sin; for nothing at all but mere wantonness; but you must hold to it as for life itself.
• Buy it at any price and sell it at no price.
• You still need it.
• It has well repaid you hitherto.
• You cannot better yourself by bartering it for the whole world.
• You are lost without it. Sell it not!

Hints to Buyers

Solomon bids us "buy the truth," but doth not tell us what it must cost, because we must get it though it be never so dear. We must love it both shining and scorching. Every parcel of truth is precious as the filings of gold; we must either live with it, or die for it.

As Ruth said to Naomi, "Whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge, and nothing but death shall part thee and me" (Ruth 1:16-l7); so must gracious spirits say, Where truth goes I will go, and where truth lodges I will lodge, and nothing but death shall part me and truth.

A man may lawfully sell his house, land, and jewels, but truth is a jewel that exceeds all price, and must not be sold; it is our heritage: "Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever (Ps. 119:l 1). It is a legacy which our forefathers have bought with their blood, which should make us willing to lay down anything, and to lay out anything, that we may, with the- wise merchant in the gospel (Matt. 13:45) purchase the precious pearl, which is more worth than heaven and earth, and which will make a man live happy, die comfortably, and reign eternally. — Thomas Brooks

"Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this town where this lusty fair is kept; and he that would go to the City, and yet not go through this town, must needs go out of the world. The Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this town to His own country, and that upon a Fair-day too. Yea, and as I think, it was Beelzebub, the chief Lord of this Fair, that invited Him to buy of its vanities: yea, would have made Him Lord of the Fair, would he but have done him reverence as He went through the town; yea, because He was such a person of honor, Beelzebub had Him from street to street, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that he might, if possible, allure that blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his vanities; but he had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the town, without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities. This Fair, therefore, is an ancient thing, of long standing, and a very great Fair." — Bunyan

Charles Hadden Spurgeon

58．致天上的商人

一、商品：「真理」

1．教義上的真理

就是福音；三個「R」——敗壞（Ruin）、救贖（Redemption）、重生（Regeneration）；恩典的教義。

• 這些是真品，但市場上也充斥著假貨。
• 一個購買福音的人，必須學會分辨，以便去拒絕：
• 沒有承認基督為神的救恩
• 沒有贖罪祭的赦免
• 沒有重生的新生命
• 沒有信心的重生
• 沒有行為的信心
• 沒有聖潔堅忍的安全感

2．經歷上的真理

重生與屬天的生命是真正的寶石，但這些也有低劣的仿冒品。

• 要分辨真正的信仰與：
• 沒有悔改的信心
• 沒有感受的言談
• 沒有爭戰的生命
• 沒有省察的把握
• 沒有謙卑的「完全」

3．實踐上的真理

真理必須落實在行為與生活中。

• 不要裝成不是你本來的樣子
• 不要做你自己都感到羞愧的事
• 不要故意忽略你應當知道的事

二、購買：「買真理」

在此我們立刻：

1．糾正一個錯誤

嚴格來說，真理與恩典既不能買，也不能賣；然而聖經卻說：「你們來，買酒和奶，不用銀錢，不用價值。」

2．解釋這句話

這個用詞非常恰當；因為若真理可以用代價換取，為了得救，我們也應當願意去買：

• 若代價是捨棄一切罪、成全一切義、交出我們所有的，我們也當如此
• 以極其儆醒的態度與神和好，好像一切都取決於我們自己
• 願意承受各樣考驗、作各樣查驗
• 為了忠於耶穌，甘願冒任何風險、背負任何十字架、放棄一切屬世的享樂

3．意譯這句話

• 買真正屬於真理的
• 買全部的真理
• 只買真理
• 不惜任何代價買真理
• 現在就買真理

4．給出購買的理由

• 真理本身極其寶貴
• 此刻你就需要它，因為它有千百種實際用途
• 在今生與永恆中，你都離不開它

5．指引你到市場

基督說：「向我買。」如今正是市集開放之時：「來吧，買吧。」

6．重複經文：「買真理」

• 不是僅僅聽見它，
• 不是滿足於向別人稱讚它，
• 不是只知道關於它的知識，
• 不是只在心中渴望它，
• 也不是僅僅打算將來去買它。
  
  
而是——「買真理」：付出代價，完成交易，確保產業。

三、禁令：「不可出賣」

要把真理當作永久投資，絕不可轉手。

• 有些人為了謀生、體面、名聲、被視為博學理性、討好朋友、縱情犯罪，甚至毫無理由地輕率出賣真理；但你必須像保全性命一樣持守它。
• 不惜任何代價買它，絕不以任何代價賣它
• 你仍然需要它。
• 它至今已經豐富地報答了你。
• 即使得著全世界，也無法用來交換它。
• 沒有它，你就滅亡。不可出賣！

給買主的提醒

所羅門吩咐我們「買真理」，卻沒有告訴我們代價是多少，因為無論多麼昂貴，我們都必須得到它。我們必須在真理光照人時愛它，在真理灼燒人時也愛它。每一分真理都像金屑一般寶貴；我們不是與它同生，就是為它而死。

正如路得對拿俄米說：「你往哪裡去，我也往哪裡去；你在哪裡住宿，我也在哪裡住宿；除非死，什麼都不能使你我分離」（得 1:16–17  16路得說：「不要催我回去不跟隨你。你往哪裏去，我也往那裏去；你在哪裏住宿，我也在那裏住宿；你的國就是我的國，你的神就是我的神。 17你在哪裏死，我也在那裏死，也葬在那裏。除非死能使你我相離！不然，願耶和華重重地降罰與我。」）；照樣，蒙恩的心靈也當說：真理往哪裡去，我也往哪裡去；真理住在哪裡，我也住在哪裡；除非死，什麼都不能使我與真理分離。

人可以合法地賣掉房屋、土地和珠寶，但真理是一顆超越一切價值的寶石，絕不可出售；它是我們的產業：「我以你的法度為永遠的產業」（詩 119:111 我以你的法度為永遠的產業，因這是我心中所喜愛的。）。這是一份我們祖先用鮮血買來的遺產，這應當使我們願意付上一切、捨下一切，好像福音中的智慧商人（太 13:45 45天國又好像買賣人尋找好珠子，），買下那顆無價的珍珠——它的價值勝過天地，使人活得喜樂、死得安然、並且永遠作王。
——湯瑪斯・布魯克斯

「正如我所說，通往天城的道路，正是穿過這座舉辦熱鬧市集的城鎮；若有人想去天城，卻不經過這城，就必須離開這個世界。萬王之王親自來到世上時，也曾經過這城，而且正是在市集開張之日。那市集的主宰——別西卜——還邀請祂來購買虛浮之物；甚至願意使祂作整個市集的主人，只要祂在經過城時向他下拜。因為祂是尊貴的人，別西卜帶祂走遍街道，在極短的時間內向祂展示世上的萬國，企圖引誘那蒙福者去議價、購買他的虛榮之物；但祂對這些貨物毫無興趣，因此一文錢也未花就離開了那城。這市集歷史悠久，規模宏大。」
——班揚

查爾斯・哈登・司布真

59. Wisdom's Request to Her Son

My son, give me thine heart. Proverbs 23:26
It is wisdom that here speaks. Wisdom is but another name for God, or, better still, for the Lord Jesus, who is incarnate wisdom. The request is for the heart, the affections, the center of our being. "Give me thine heart" is the first, the daily, the chief, the ultimate demand of the good Spirit.

I. LOVE PROMPTS THIS REQUEST OF WISDOM.

1. Only love will thus seek love. What cares indifference for the love of others? If it can serve its turn by their hands, their hearts may go where they choose.
2. Only for love would wisdom seek the hearts of such poor things as we are. What service can we render to him whom angels adore? What matters our love or hate to him?
3. Yet wisdom gains a son when the heart is given to it; for no one is a true son who does not love. "He that loveth is born of God."
4. If a son already, God's love bids us become yet more wise by a more complete yielding of the heart to God, to Christ, to wisdom. We cannot push this precept too far.

II. WISDOM PERSUADES US TO OBEY THIS LOVING REQUEST.

It is for our lasting good to love the Lord and his wisdom.
1. Evil lovers will seek us, and our hearts will be given to one or other. To our ruin or our ennobling the choice will be. He who has the heart has the man.
2. It is well to be engaged with the highest love that we may overcome the lower. God's servant cannot be Satan's slave.
3. It will please God for us to love him; a father is charmed with the love of his little child. What an honor, a heritage, a heaven to be allowed to love the Lord!
4. Nothing else can please him. Whatever we do without our hearts will grieve him; it will be an empty formality. Fish were never offered to God, for they could not come to the altar alive. The heathen reckoned it to be a fatal omen when the heart of the victim was not sound.
5. He deserves our heart, for he made it, he keeps it beating, he cheers it, he bought it, he prepares it for heaven; he gives heart for heart — his own love for ours.
6. There is no getting wisdom without giving the heart to it. God will not give himself to the heartless. Nothing can be done well unless the heart is thrown into it.

III. LOVE WOULD HAVE US OBEY THE REQUEST WISELY.

• At once-give God your heart. Delay is wicked and injurious.
• Freely-give God your heart; it cannot be done else. Force cannot compel love; the gift must be spontaneous.
• Altogether give God your heart. Half a heart is no heart. A divided heart is dead. "God is not the God of the dead."
• Once for all give him your heart, and let it remain in his keeping: for ever.
• Where is your heart now?
• What state is it in? Is it not cold, worldly, restless?
• Come and believe in Jesus, that you may receive power to become a son of God, and serve him with loving heart.

Choice Quotations

Of all the suitors which come unto you, it seems there is none which hath any title to claim the heart but God, who challengeth it of you, calling you by the name of a son (Mai. 1:6), as if he should say, Thou shalt give it to thy Father, which gave it to thee. Art thou my son? My sons give me their hearts, and by this they know that I am their Father, if I dwell in their hearts, for the heart is the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:16); therefore, if thou be his son, thou wilt give me thy heart.

Canst thou deny him anything, whose goodness created us, whose favor elected us, whose mercy redeemed us, whose wisdom converted us, whose grace preserved us, whose glory shall glorify us? Oh, "if thou knewest," as Christ said to the woman of Samaria,"If thou knewest who it is that saith unto thee" give me thy heart, thou wouldst say unto him, as Peter did when Christ would wash his feet (John 13:9),"Lord, not my feet only, but my hands and my head"; not my heart only, but all my body, and my thoughts, and my words, and my works, and my goods, and my life; take all that thou hast given.

If ye ask me why you should give your hearts to God, I do not answer like the disciples which went for the ass and colt,"The Lord hath need" (Matt. 21:3), but you have need. If ever the saying were true (Acts 20:35),"It is more blessed to give than to take," more blessed are they which do give their hearts to God than they which take possession of the world. — Henry Smith

"My son, give me thine heart." For two reasons: Because, (1) unless the heart be given, nothing is given (Hos. 7:14; Matt. 15:8-9); (2) if the heart be given, all is given (2 Chron. 30:13-20). — Hugh Stowell

No possible compromise. Now, most people think, if they keep all the best rooms in their hearts swept and garnished for Christ, that they may keep a little chamber in their heart's wall for Belial on his occasional visits; or a three-legged stool for him in the heart's countinghouse; or a corner for him in the heart's scullery, where he may lick the dishes. It won't do! You must cleanse the house of him, as you would of the plague, to the last spot. You must be resolved that as all you have shall be God's, so all you are shall be God's. — John Ruskin

"My guilt is damnable," exclaimed a humble saint, "in withholding my heart; because I know and believe his love, and what Christ has done to gain my consent — to what? — my own happiness." — C. Bridges

Give thee mine heart? Lord, so I would,
And there's great reason that I should,
If it were worth the having:
Yet sure thou wilt esteem that good
Which thou hast purchased with thy blood,
And thought it worth thy craving.
Lord, had I hearts a million,
And myriads in every one
Of choicest loves and fears;
They were too little to bestow
On thee, to whom I all things owe,
I should be in arrears.
Yet, since my heart's the most I have,
And that which thou dost chiefly crave,
Thou shalt not of it miss.
Although I cannot give it so
As I should do, I'll offer it though:
Lord, take it; here it is.
— Christopher Harvey, "Schola Cordis"

It is said that during the persecution of the Papists by Queen Elizabeth, certain of the wealthy Catholics desired to save their lives by an open compliance with her intolerant laws, though they remained Romanists at heart. To their enquiry for direction it is reported that the Pope of that day replied, "Only let them give me their hearts, and they may for this time do as they are compelled to do." Whether the story is true or not, we may be sure that if the evil one can but keep the heart, he cares little what outward religion is practiced.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

59．智慧向她兒子的請求

一、愛促使智慧提出這樣的請求

1．唯有愛，才會這樣尋求愛。冷漠之心哪裡會在乎別人的愛？只要能使用別人的雙手，它就任由他們的心隨意向何方。
2．唯有出於愛，智慧才會向像我們這樣卑微的人索求心。那被天使敬拜的主，我們能為祂作什麼呢？我們的愛或恨，對祂又有何重要呢？
3．然而，當心歸給智慧時，智慧便得著了一個兒子。因為不愛的，不能算是真兒子。「凡有愛心的，都是由神而生。」
4．若我們已是兒子，神的愛仍呼召我們更加智慧，就是更完全地把心交給神、交給基督、交給智慧。這條誡命，我們無論如何都不可能遵行得太過分。

二、智慧勸勉我們順服這充滿愛的請求

愛主並愛祂的智慧，對我們有長久的益處。
1．邪惡的愛必定來尋找我們，我們的心終究會交給某一方；這選擇要麼帶來毀滅，要麼帶來尊貴。得著人心的，就得著那個人。
2．讓至高的愛佔據我們的心，是極其有益的，因為這樣才能勝過低下的愛。神的僕人，不能同時作撒但的奴隸。
3．我們愛神，能討祂喜悅。父親會因幼小孩子的愛而滿足。能被允許去愛主，這是何等的尊榮、產業與天堂！
4．除此之外，沒有什麼能討祂喜悅。凡不出於心的事奉，都會使祂憂傷，只是空洞的形式。魚從未被獻給神，因為牠們不能活著上祭壇；異教徒甚至認為，若祭牲的心不健全，便是極不祥的預兆。
5．祂配得我們的心。因為祂造了這顆心，使它跳動，安慰它，用重價買贖它，並預備它進入天堂；祂以心換心——用祂自己的愛，來換取我們的愛。
6．若不把心交出來，就無法得著智慧。神不會把自己交給一顆無心的心。任何事，若不投入心力，都不能做好。

三、愛要求我們以智慧來回應這個請求

• 立刻——現在就把心交給神；拖延既邪惡又有害。
• 甘心——必須自願把心交給神；愛不能被強迫，這份奉獻必須出於自然。
• 完全——要把整個心交給神；半顆心就不是心，分裂的心是死的。「神不是死人的神。」
• 一次而永遠——把心交給祂，並永遠留在祂的保守之中。
  
  • 你的心現在在哪裡？
    
  • 它的狀態如何？ 是否冷淡、屬世、不安？
  • 來吧，信靠耶穌，使你得著權柄，成為神的兒女，用一顆愛祂的心來事奉祂。

精選引言

在所有向你求愛的追求者中，似乎只有一位真正有權索取你心的，就是神；祂稱你為兒子，向你要你的心（瑪 1:6 6「藐視我名的祭司啊，萬軍之耶和華對你們說：兒子尊敬父親，僕人敬畏主人；我既為父親，尊敬我的在哪裏呢？我既為主人，敬畏我的在哪裏呢？你們卻說：『我們在何事上藐視你的名呢？』 ），好像在說：你應當把心交給賜給你生命的父親。你是我的兒子嗎？我的兒子都把心給我；我住在他們心裡，這就證明我是他們的父，因為心是神的殿（林前 6:16  16豈不知與娼妓聯合的，便是與她成為一體嗎？因為主說：「二人要成為一體。」）。所以，若你是祂的兒子，你就必把心給我。

你怎能拒絕那位——祂的良善創造了我們，祂的恩寵揀選了我們，祂的憐憫救贖了我們，祂的智慧歸正了我們，祂的恩典保守了我們，祂的榮耀將要榮耀我們？
噢，若你知道是誰對你說「把你的心給我」，正如基督對撒瑪利亞婦人所說的那樣；你必像彼得一樣回應：「主啊，不但洗我的腳，連手和頭也要洗！」不但把心給你，連我的身體、思想、言語、行為、財物、生命，都一併交上；凡你所賜的，我都交還給你。

若你問我，為何要把心交給神？我不回答說「主需要」，而是說：你需要。
若「施比受更為有福」這話何時最真，那便是：把心交給神的人，比佔有世界的人更為有福。
——亨利．史密斯

「我兒，將你的心歸我。」理由有二：（1）若心未交出，其實什麼都沒有交出（何 7:14；太 15:8–9）；（2）若心交出了，一切也都交出了（代下 30:13–20）。
——休．斯托威爾

毫無妥協的餘地。許多人以為，只要把心中最好的房間打掃乾淨留給基督，就可以在心牆角落留一間小室給彼列偶爾造訪，或在心中的帳房給他一張三腳凳，或在廚房留個角落讓他舔盤子——不行！
你必須像除瘟疫一樣，把他徹底清除，一點不留。你必須立定心志：不但你所有的屬於神，連你所是的，也全然屬於神。
——約翰．羅斯金

一位謙卑的聖徒呼喊說：「我不肯交出我的心，這罪是該死的；因為我知道並相信祂的愛，也知道基督為贏得我的同意所付出的代價——為了什麼？——為了我自己的幸福。」——C．布里奇斯

「要我把心給你？主啊，我真願意，
因為我確有充分理由如此行；
雖然這顆心本不配被珍惜，
但既是你用寶血買來的，
你必看它為寶，並向我索取。
主啊，縱使我有百萬顆心，
每一顆都盛滿最純的愛與敬畏，
仍不足以奉獻給你；
因我凡事都虧欠於你。
然而，我的心既是我所有中最寶貴的，
也是你最渴望的，
我便將它獻上。
雖不能如我所願地完全奉獻，
仍願獻上：
主啊，請收下吧——就在這裡。」
——克里斯多福．哈維，《心靈學校》

據說，在伊麗莎白女王迫害天主教徒期間，一些富有的天主教徒為保全性命，表面順從她嚴苛的法律，內心卻仍持守羅馬教信仰。他們向教宗請示時，教宗回答說：「只要他們把心交給我，其餘暫時照被迫的去做也無妨。」
不論這故事是否屬實，有一件事可以確定：只要惡者能掌控人的心，他並不在乎外在的宗教形式是什麼。
查爾斯・哈登・司布真

60. God's Glory In Hiding Sin

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2
WE will first give the usual interpretation. It is God's glory to conceal many things and the honor of kings to search them out.

But this must be taken in a limited sense. It is not absolutely for God's glory to conceal, or why a revelation at all? Many things it would not be to his glory to conceal. Most mysteries are not so much concealed by any act of God, as hidden from their very nature and from our want of capacity to understand them. The Divine nature, the filiation of the Son of God, the complex person of Jesus, the proc?sion of the Holy Ghost, the eternal decrees, and so forth, are not so much to be understood as believed.

But it is true that what is concealed it is for God's glory to conceal.
His eternal purpose as to individuals, who as yet abide in sin.
The future, and especially the day of the second coming.
The connecting link in doctrine between predestination and free agency, and a thousand other matters. These are concealed, and there is wisdom in the concealment; therefore, we need not wish to know.
But to me this seems not to be the meaning.
The antithesis is not complete. It is rather for wise men than kings to search out the secrets of nature and grace. Moreover, the following verse would not allow the antithetical sense.
We will therefore go upon another tack, and first ask, What things ought kings to search out? Here is the pith of the matter.

When justice is baffled, hoodwinked by bribes, or misled by prejudice, or puzzled by falsehood, it is to a king's damage, and dishonor, and he is bound to search the matter to the bottom. A magistrate's honor lies in the discovery of crime, but the glory of God lies in his graciously and justly hiding guilt from view.
With God no search is needful, for he sees all; his glory is to cover that which is plain enough to his eye, to cover it justly and effectually.

I. THAT IT IS GOD'S GLORY TO COVER SIN.

1. The guilt, aggravations, motives, and deceits of a life, the Lord is able to remove for ever by the atoning blood.
2. Sin which is known and confessed, he yet can cover so that it shall not be mentioned against us any more for ever.
3. He can do this justly through the work of Jesus.
4. He can do this without compensation from the offender himself, because of what the Substitute has done.
5. He can do this without any ill effect on others; no man will think that God connives at sin, seeing he has laid its punishment on Jesus.
6. He can do this without injury to the man himself. He will hate sin none the less because he escapes punishment; but all the more because of the love of the atoning Lamb.
7. He can do this effectually and for ever. Sin once put out of sight by the Lord shall never be seen again. Glorious Gospel, this, for guilty ones.

II. THIS SHOULD BE A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO SEEKING SOULS.

l. Not to attempt to cover their own sin, since it is God's work to hide their iniquities, and they may leave it with him.
2. To give God glory by believing in, his power to conceal sin, eves their own crimson sin.
3. To believe that he is willing to do it at this moment for them.
4. To believe at once, so as to have sin covered once for all.

III. THIS SHOULD BE A MIGHTY STIMULUS TO SAINTS.
1. To glorify God in covering their sin. Let them talk of pardon with exultation, and tell how the Lord casts sin behind his back, casts it into the depths of the sea, blots it out, and puts it where if it be sought for it cannot be found. Jesus "made an end of sin."
2. To aim at the covering of the sins of others by leading them to Jesus, that their souls may be saved from death.
3. To imitate the Lord in forgetting the sins of those who repent. We are to put away for ever of any wrong done to ourselves, and to treat converts as if they had not disgraced themselves aforetime. When we see a prodigal let us "bring forth the best robe and put it on him," that all his nakedness may be concealed and his rags forgotten.
Come and lay bare your sin that the Lord may conceal it at once.

Studs of Silver

Thomas Brooks discussing the question whether the sins of the saints shall be publicly declared at the judgment-day, argues that they will not. His fifth argument is this: It is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression:

"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression" (Prov. 19:11) or to pass by it, as we do by persons or things we know not, or would take no notice of. Now is it the glory of a man to pass over a transgression, and will it not much more be to the glory of Christ, silently to pass over the transgressions of his people in that great day? The greater the treasons and rebellions are that a prince passes over and takes no notice of, the more is it his honor and glory; and so doubtless, it will be Christ's in that great day, to pass over all the treasons and rebellions of his people, to take no notice of them, to forget them, as well as to forgive them. The heathens have long since observed that in nothing man came nearer to the glory and perfection of God himself than in goodness and clemency. Surely if it be such an honor to man "to pass over a transgression;' it cannot be a dishonor to Christ to pass over the transgressions of his people, he having already buried them in the sea of his blood. Again, said Solomon, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing" (Prov. 25:2). And why it should not make for the glory of divine love to conceal the sins of the saints in that great day, I know not.

Of this truth we may say, what Young says of redemption—
"A truth so strange! 'twere bold to think it true; If not far bolder still to disbelieve"
Mrs. Elizabeth Fry's labors amongst the female prisoners at Newgate owed much of their success to her tenderness in dealing with them. "I never ask their crimes, for we have all come short." was her quiet reproof to someone curious about a prisoner's offense.

German rationalists, discussing the sins of the patriarchs, were designated by Dr. Duncan: "Those Ham-like writers!" He often said, "Let us speak tenderly of the faults of the Old Testament saints."There is no pardon so complete as that of God. He forgets as well as forgives. He restores to favor, and he does not think he has done enough when he withdraws his anger, for he manifests his love. An act of amnesty and oblivion has been passed concerning the believer's transgressions; neither can any of them be justly charged against him any more. The atonement makes it as just for God to pass by iniquity as it would have been to punish it. The wound is so healed that no scar remains. O Jehovah, who is a God like unto thee? In this glorious forgiveness none can compare with thee.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

60．神在遮掩罪中的榮耀

「將事隱藏，乃神的榮耀；將事察清，乃君王的尊榮。」——箴言 25:2 (2將事隱祕乃神的榮耀；將事察清乃君王的榮耀。)
我們先給出通常的解釋：將許多事隱藏，是神的榮耀；而將這些事查明，則是君王的尊榮。

但這種說法必須在有限的意義中理解。若說隱藏本身在一切事上都是神的榮耀，那麼為何還需要啟示呢？其實，有許多事並不適合被神隱藏。大多數的奧祕，並非神刻意遮蔽，而是因其本質深奧，以及我們理解能力的有限而對我們隱藏。神的本性、神子與父的關係、耶穌基督位格的奧祕、聖靈的發出、永恆的揀選旨意等等，這些與其說是要被理解，不如說是要被相信。

然而，有一點確實成立：凡是神所隱藏的，隱藏它本身就是祂的榮耀。例如：
神對仍活在罪中的個人的永恆旨意；
未來的事，尤其是主第二次再來的日子；
教義中「預定」與「自由意志」之間的銜接；以及千百件類似的事情。這些都被隱藏，而其中自有智慧，因此我們也不必渴望知道。
不過，在我看來，這仍不是本節真正的意思。
因為這個對比並不完整；查究自然與恩典的奧祕，更像是智慧人的榮耀，而不僅是君王的榮耀。再者，下一節經文也不允許我們只停留在這樣的對比上。因此，我們換一個角度來看，先問：君王應當查明的是什麼事？這正是問題的核心。

當司法被賄賂所蒙蔽，被偏見所誤導，被謊言所困惑時，這對君王而言就是損害與羞辱；他有責任將事情徹底查清。官長的尊榮，在於揭發罪行；但神的榮耀，卻在於祂以恩典與公義，將罪惡遮掩起來。
對神而言，不需要查驗，因為祂洞悉一切；祂的榮耀就在於：把在祂眼前清楚明白的罪，公義而有效地遮蓋起來。

一、遮掩罪乃是神的榮耀

1．一生的罪責、加重的情節、動機與詭詐，主都能藉著贖罪的寶血永遠除去。
2．即便是已被承認、眾所周知的罪，祂仍能遮蓋，使它永遠不再被提起控告我們。
3．祂能這樣做，且完全合乎公義，因為耶穌已完成救贖之工。
4．祂能這樣做，無須罪人自己補償什麼，因為代替者已經付上了一切。
5．祂能這樣做，且不會對他人造成不良影響；沒有人會以為神縱容罪，因為祂已把刑罰加在耶穌身上。
6．祂能這樣做，且不會傷害罪人本身；蒙赦免的人並不因此更愛罪，反而因贖罪羔羊的愛，更加恨惡罪。
7．祂能這樣做，並且是完全、永遠地遮蓋；一旦被主放在視線之外的罪，就再也不會被看見。這對有罪之人而言，真是榮耀的福音！

二、這應當大大鼓勵正在尋求的心靈

1．不要試圖自己遮掩罪；遮掩罪是神的工作，我們可以完全交託給祂。
2．要藉著相信神遮蓋罪的能力，來榮耀祂——即便是我們朱紅般的罪。
3．要相信，祂此刻就樂意為你這樣行。
4．要立刻相信，使罪一次而永遠地被遮蓋。

三、這應當成為聖徒強而有力的激勵

1．要在神遮掩我們罪的事上榮耀祂。讓我們歡然述說赦免，見證主如何把罪丟在背後、投在深海、塗抹乾淨，放在一個再也找不到的地方。耶穌已「除掉罪」。
2．要努力遮掩他人的罪——不是包庇，而是引他們到耶穌面前，使他們的靈魂得救。
3．要效法主，忘記悔改之人的罪。對於別人得罪我們的事，要永遠放下；對於歸信的人，要像他們從未有過從前的羞辱。當我們看見浪子歸來，就要「把上好的袍子拿出來給他穿上」，遮蓋他一切的赤露，忘記他昔日的破爛。
來吧，把你的罪完全攤開，好叫主立刻把它遮蓋。

銀釘珍語（Studs of Silver）

湯瑪斯・布魯克斯在討論「聖徒的罪是否會在審判日被公開宣告」時，主張不會。他的第五個論據是：饒恕過犯乃是人的榮耀——

「人的明智使他不輕易發怒；饒恕人的過失便是自己的榮耀」（箴 19:11 11人有見識就不輕易發怒；寬恕人的過失便是自己的榮耀。）。既然饒恕對人而言是榮耀，那麼在那大日子，基督默然越過祂百姓的罪，不加提說，豈不更是祂的榮耀？一位君王越是略過重大的叛逆與罪行，他的尊榮就越大；照樣，在那日，基督越過祂子民一切的背叛與悖逆，忘記它們，如同赦免它們一樣，必然顯出極大的榮耀。異教徒早已觀察到：人在良善與憐憫上，最接近神的榮耀與完全。既然饒恕對人是尊榮，那麼基督遮掩祂百姓的罪，也絕非羞辱，因為祂已將這些罪埋在自己寶血的深海中。所羅門又說：「將事隱藏，乃神的榮耀。」（箴言 25:2 2將事隱祕乃神的榮耀；將事察清乃君王的榮耀。）那麼，在那大日子隱藏聖徒的罪，怎會不是神聖之愛的榮耀呢？

關於這真理，我們可以像楊格論救贖時所說的那樣：
「如此奇妙的真理！若非更大膽地不信，幾乎不敢相信它是真的。」
伊麗莎白・弗萊夫人對紐蓋特女子監獄囚犯的服事之所以卓有成效，很大原因在於她的溫柔。有人好奇詢問囚犯的罪行時，她平靜地說：「我從不問她們的罪，因為我們都虧缺了。」

德國理性主義者在批評族長們的罪時，被鄧肯博士稱為「像含一樣的人」。他常說：「讓我們溫柔地談論舊約聖徒的過失。」沒有任何赦免，像神的赦免這樣完全。祂不但赦免，也忘記。祂恢復恩寵，且不以收回怒氣為滿足，反而顯出愛。對信徒的罪，已經頒布了赦免與遺忘的詔令；再沒有任何一項罪能被公義地控告他。贖罪使神越過罪孽，與懲罰罪孽一樣公義。傷口被醫治得如此完全，甚至不留疤痕。
耶和華啊，哪一位神能像你？在這榮耀的赦免上，無人能與你相比。
查爾斯・哈登・司布真

61. Good News
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25
It is only on hot summer days that we can appreciate the illustration here employed; for we dwell in a well-watered country where thirst is readily assuaged. Yet we can imagine ourselves in the condition of Hagar, Ishmael, and Samson; or of a caravan in the desert; or of poor sailors in a boat upon the salt sea, dying for a draught of water.
When separated from friends by their journeying, or by our own, or when we have a trading interest in foreign ports, or a holy concern in missions, good news from a far country is eminently refreshing.
We shall use the text in three ways.

I. GOOD NEWS FOR SINNERS FROM GOD.

Sin put men into a far country, but here is the good news,—

1. God remembers you with pity.
2. He has made a way for your return.
3. He has sent a messenger to invite you home.
4. Many have already returned, and are now rejoicing.
5. He has provided all means for bringing you home.
6. You may return at once. "All things are ready."

If this good news be received, it will be exceedingly refreshing to thirsty souls. To others it will be commonplace.

II. GOOD NEWS FOR SAINTS FROM HEAVEN.

1. News does come from heaven. By the Spirit's application of the Word, and by the sweet whispers of Jesus' love.
2. To keep up this intercourse is most refreshing, and it is very possible; for Jesus delights to commune with us, the Father himself loveth us, and the Holy Spirit abideth with us for ever.
3. If for a while suspended, the renewal is sweeter than ever, even as cold water is doubly refreshing to a specially thirsty soul.
4. The news itself may thus be summarized:

• The Father on the throne of Providence works all things for your good.
• The Lord Jesus is interceding, preparing a place for you, and representing you before God.
• He will shortly come in his glory.
• Many like yourself are with him in the Father's house above.
• You are wanted there: they cannot be a perfect family till you are brought home.
• Receive this, and feel the attractions of heaven drawing you above the distractions of earth.

III. GOOD NEWS FOR HEAVEN FROM EARTH. It gives joy to the home circle to hear that,—

1. Sinners are repenting.
2. Saints are running their race with holy diligence.
3. Churches are being built up and the Gospel is spreading.
4. More saints are ripening and going home.

Let us accept the message of love and be happy in the Lord.
Let us tell the glad tidings to all around.

Scraps of News

The Hawaiian notions of a future state, where any existed, were peculiarly vague and dismal, and Mr. Ellis says that the greater part of the people seemed to regard the tidings of ora loa ia Jesu (endless life by Jesus) as the most joyful news they had ever heard, "breaking upon them," to use their own phrase, "like light in the morning." "Will my spirit never die? and can this poor weak body live again?" an old chieftain exclaimed, and this delighted surprise seemed the general feeling of the natives. — From "Six Months in the Sandwich Islands, "by Miss Bird

Thirst is a blessed thing, if cold water be at hand; cold water is a blessed thing to those who thirst. Needy sinners get; a gracious Savior gives. When thirst drinks in cold water, when cold water quenches thirst, the giver and the receiver rejoice together. While the redeemed obtain a great refreshment in the act, the Redeemer obtains a greater; for himself was wont to say, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." — W. Arnot

The words remind us of the scanty intercourse in the old world between wanderers and the home they had left. The craving for tidings in such a case must be as a consuming thirst, the news that quenched it as a refreshing fountain. — Speaker's Commentary

Dr. Field, in his "Journey through the Desert," speaks of being upon Mount Sinai and writes, "Here in a pass between rocks under a huge granite boulder is a spring of water, which the Arabs say never fails. It was very grateful in the heat of the day, especially as we found snow in a cleft of the rocks, which, added to the natural coldness of the spring, gave us ice-water on Mount Sinai."
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

61．好消息

一、從神而來、給罪人的好消息

罪使人進入了「遠方之地」，但如今有好消息傳來——

1. 神仍以憐憫記念你。
2. 祂已為你預備歸回的道路。
3. 祂差遣使者邀請你回家。
4. 已經有許多人回轉，如今正在歡喜快樂中。
5. 祂已預備一切使你能回家的所需。
6. 你現在就可以回來——「樣樣都齊備了。」

若這好消息被接受，對乾渴的靈魂而言，必是極大的清涼與甦醒；但對另一些人來說，卻可能只是平淡無奇。

二、從天而來、給聖徒的好消息

1. 確實有消息從天而來——藉著聖靈對聖言的應用，並藉著耶穌愛的溫柔低語。
2. 維持這樣的交通極其甘甜，而且完全可能；因為耶穌喜愛與我們相交，天父自己愛我們，聖靈也永遠與我們同住。
3. 若這交通暫時中斷，其後的恢復將比從前更加甘美，正如涼水對極其乾渴的人更加清爽。
4. 這些消息可總結如下：

• 坐在護理寶座上的父神，叫萬事都互相效力，使你得益處。
• 主耶穌正在為你代求，為你預備地方，並在神面前代表你。
• 祂不久就要在榮耀中再來。
• 許多像你一樣的人，已在父的家中與祂同在。
• 那裡正在等候你；在你回家之前，他們還不能成為完全的一家。
• 領受這些信息吧，讓天上的吸引力勝過地上的紛擾。

三、從地而來、給天上的好消息

天上的家因聽見以下消息而歡喜——

1. 罪人正在悔改。
2. 聖徒正以聖潔的殷勤奔跑天路。
3. 教會被建立，福音正在擴展。
4. 更多聖徒生命成熟，歸回天家。

讓我們領受這愛的信息，在主裡喜樂；
也讓我們把這喜訊傳給身邊所有的人。

消息片段（Scraps of News）

夏威夷人對來世的觀念（若有的話）極其模糊而陰暗。艾利斯先生說，大多數人把「ora loa ia Jesu」（靠耶穌得永生）的信息，視為他們一生中所聽過最喜樂的消息；正如他們自己所說：「像晨光一樣照進來。」一位年老的酋長驚呼：「我的靈魂真的不會死嗎？這軟弱的身體真的能再活過來嗎？」這種喜樂的驚訝，似乎是當地人的普遍反應。
——摘自 Miss Bird《在三明治群島的六個月》

口渴若有涼水在旁，便是蒙福的；涼水臨到口渴的人，也是蒙福的。有需要的罪人得著，滿有恩典的救主施予。當口渴飲下涼水，當涼水止住乾渴，施與受便一同歡喜。被救贖的人在其中得著極大的甦醒，而救贖主得著更大的喜樂；因為祂曾說過：「施比受更為有福。」——W．阿諾特（W. Arnot）

這節經文使我們想起古代漂泊之人與故鄉之間稀少的聯繫。在那樣的情境下，對消息的渴望如同焚燒的乾渴，而解除這渴望的消息，便如清泉一般甘甜。——《講道者註釋》（Speaker’s Commentary）

菲爾德博士在《穿越沙漠的旅程》中記述，他在西奈山時寫道：「在岩石之間的一條隘口下，有一處泉水，藏在巨大的花崗岩下，阿拉伯人說它從不乾涸。在炎熱的白日，這水格外甘美；尤其是我們在岩石的裂縫中找到積雪，與泉水的天然清涼相加，使我們在西奈山上喝到了冰水。」
——查爾斯．海登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

62. The Best Friend

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not. Proverbs 27:10
MAN may have many acquaintances, but he will have few friends; he may count himself happy if he has one who will be faithful to him in time of trouble. If that person has also been kind to his father before him, he should never be slighted, much less alienated. Real friends are to be retained with great care, and, if need be, with great sacrifice. The wisdom of the world teaches this, and inspiration confirms it.
If we rise into a higher sphere, it is much more so. There we have one Friend — the Friend of sinners, who in infinite condescension has called us friends, and has shown that greatest of all love-laying down his life for his friends. To him we must cleave in life and death. To forsake him would be horrible ingratitude.

I. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE. "Thine own friend and thy father's friend."

1. "Friend": this implies kindness, attachment, help.
2. "Father's friend": one who has been faithful, unchanging, patient, wise, and tried, and this in the experience of our own father, on whose judgment we can depend. In many cases the best medical man you can have is the family physician, who knows your parents' constitutions as well as your own. The friend of the family should ever be a welcome guest.
3. "Thine own friend;" with whom you have enjoyed converse, in whom you can safely place confidence; with whom you have common objects, to whom you have made private revelations.
4. Do not forget the other side of friendship: thou must be a friend to him whom thou callest thy friend. "He that hath friends must shew himself friendly."

In all these points our Lord Jesus is the best example of a friend, and it is well for us to set him in the forefront, as a "Friend that sticketh closer than a brother." "This is my beloved, and this is my friend."

II. SUGGESTIVE ADVICE. "Forsake not."

1. What it does not suggest. It gives no kind of hint that he will ever forsake us. Hath he not said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee"?
2. In what sense can we forsake him? Alas, some professed friends of Jesus become traitors, others follow afar off, grow cold, turn to the world, lose fellowship, do not defend his cause, etc.
3. What seasons tempt us to it? Both prosperity and adversity. Times of spreading heresy, worldliness, infidelity, etc.
4. What is the process of forsaking? Gradual cooling down leads on to utter turning away. By degrees we see his poor people despised, his doctrine doubted, his ways forgotten, his cause no longer aided, and at last, profession given up.
5. What are the signs of this forsaking? They can be seen in the heart, heard in the conversation, marked in the absence of zeal and liberality, and at length detected in actual sins.
6. What reasons cause forsaking? Pride, deadness of heart, neglect of prayer, love of the world, fear of man, etc.
7. What arguments should prevent it? Our obligations, his faithfulness, our vows, our danger apart from him, etc.
8. What in the end comes of such forsaking?
All manner of evils follow, to ourselves, to his cause, to other friends, to the worldlings around us.

III. CONSEQUENT RESOLVE. I will cleave to him.

Let us cling to Jesus.

• In faith, resting alone in him.
• In creed, accepting his every teaching.
• In confession, declaring our loyalty to him.
• In practice, following his footsteps.
• In love, abiding in fellowship with him.

Forsake not Christ when he is persecuted and blasphemed.
Forsake him not when the world offers gain, honor, ease, as the price of your defection.
Forsake him not when all men seem to desert him, and the church is decaying and ready to die.

Good Words

He hath the substance of all bliss,
To whom a virtuous friend is given;
So sweet harmonious friendship is,
Add but eternity, you'll make it heaven.
— John Norris

Hewitson writes: "I think I know more of Jesus Christ than of any earthly friend." Hence one who knew him well remarked, "One thing struck me in Mr. Hewitson: he seemed to have no gaps, no intervals in his communion with God." — G. S. Bowes

The Prime Minister of Madagascar presiding at a missionary meeting, July 11th, 1878, said, "I don't like to speak about my own father here before you all, but I remember one young woman whom my father taught to read the Bible, and trained to be a Christian. When the persecution came again she was accused, convicted, and sentenced to death for being a Christian. She was brought here to be thrown over this rock, and at the last moment was offered her life if she would recant. But she refused, crying out, 'No, throw me over, for I am Christ's.'" — Chronicle of the London Missionary Society

We must not forsake our own friend, for that would be to forsake our second self; and we must not forsake our father's friend, for that would make us guilty of a double ingratitude of the basest sort that we can practice towards men. Our fathers' friends, if they are honest, are the best possessions that they can leave us; and if Naboth would not sell, for any price, the inheritance left him by his father, but kept it in spite of an Ahab and a Jezebel, till he was stoned, shall we show such irreverence to the memory of our fathers, as to give up, without any price, the most precious possessions which they have bequeathed us? Solomon carried on his father's friendly intercourse with Hiram, and spared a traitor to his crown and dignity, because he had shared with his father in all his afflictions. Rehoboam would have been a wiser and happier man if he had followed the example and precept of his father. — Dr. G. Lawson

Old family friends. I. Consider some of our father's old friends: (1) the Sabbath, (2) the Sanctuary, (3) the Savior, (4) the Scriptures. II. Consider some reasons for being true to them: (1) because of what they have done for those who are dear to us, (2) because of what they promise to do for us, (3) because of what they have already done for some of us. — Biblical Museum

One day the pulpit of the Rev. G. Cowie, of Huntley, was occupied by a minister who spoke as if the Holy Spirit was not needed either by saints or sinners. After the sermon, Mr. Cowie stood on the pulpit stairs, and said: "Sirs, haud in wi' your auld freen, the Holy Ghost; for if ye ance grieve him awa', ye'll nae get him back sae easy."
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

62．最好的朋友

「你的朋友，和你父親的朋友，你都不可離棄。」——箴言 27:10 （10你的朋友和父親的朋友，你都不可離棄。你遭難的日子，不要上弟兄的家去；相近的鄰舍強如遠方的弟兄。）
人可以有許多熟人，卻只有極少數真正的朋友；若在患難之時，有一位始終忠心的朋友，便可稱為有福了。若這人也曾在你父親之前以恩慈待他，那麼你就更不該輕忽他，更不可與他疏離。真正的朋友，必須極其謹慎地加以珍惜，必要時甚至不惜付上極大的代價。世上的智慧如此教導，而聖經的啟示也予以印證。
若我們進入更高的屬靈層面，這個真理就更加確切。那裡有一位朋友——罪人的朋友；祂在無限的謙卑中稱我們為朋友，並以最大的愛顯明這一點：為朋友捨命。我們在生與死中都當緊緊依附祂；離棄祂乃是極其可怕的忘恩負義。

一、描述性的稱號

「你的朋友，和你父親的朋友。」

1. 「朋友」：這意味著仁慈、親密、扶助。
2. 「父親的朋友」：指那位忠心不變、忍耐、智慧、經過考驗的人；而這些特質已在你父親的經驗中被證實，是你可以信賴其判斷的。許多時候，最好的醫生正是家庭醫師，因為他既了解你父母的體質，也了解你自己的。家族的老朋友，理當永遠受到歡迎。
3. 「你的朋友」：你曾與他談心、可以放心交託、與他有共同目標，並曾向他傾訴隱密之事的人。
4. 不要忘記友誼的另一面：你也必須成為朋友。「濫交朋友的，自取敗壞；但有一朋友，比弟兄更親密。」

在這一切方面，主耶穌基督都是朋友的最佳典範；我們當把祂放在最前頭，視祂為那位「比弟兄更親密的朋友」。
「這是我所親愛的，這是我的朋友。」

二、含蓄而深刻的勸勉

「不可離棄。」

1. 這句話沒有暗示什麼？它絲毫沒有暗示祂會離棄我們。祂豈不是說過：「我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你」嗎？
2. 我們在什麼意義上會離棄祂？可悲的是，有些自稱是耶穌朋友的人，竟成了出賣祂的人；有些人遠遠跟隨，漸漸冷淡，轉向世界，失去交通，不再為祂的真理辯護，等等。
3. 哪些時候最容易受試探？無論是順境或逆境；異端橫行、世俗主義、懷疑與不信盛行的時候。
4. 離棄的過程是什麼？先是漸漸冷淡，最終完全背離。慢慢地，我們看見祂貧窮的百姓被輕視，祂的真理被懷疑，祂的道路被遺忘，祂的事工不再支持，最後甚至連信仰的外表也放棄了。
5. 離棄的徵象是什麼？在心中可察覺，在言談中可聽見，在熱心與奉獻的缺乏中可看出，最終在實際的罪行中暴露無遺。
6. 造成離棄的原因有哪些？驕傲、心靈冷淡、忽略禱告、愛世界、怕人，等等。
7. 哪些理由應當阻止我們離棄？我們所欠祂的恩情、祂的信實、我們所立的誓言、離開祂的危險，等等。
8. 最終會帶來什麼結果？各樣的禍患接踵而至——臨到自己、臨到祂的事工、臨到其他朋友，也臨到周圍的世人。

三、隨之而來的決志

我要緊緊跟隨祂。
讓我們緊緊抓住耶穌——

• 在信心上：單單倚靠祂安息；
• 在信仰上：全然接納祂一切的教訓；
• 在見證上：公開宣告我們對祂的忠誠；
• 在生活實踐上：跟隨祂的腳蹤；
• 在愛中：持續與祂相交。

當基督遭逼迫、被褻瀆時，不可離棄祂；
當世界以利益、榮耀、安逸作為你背離祂的代價時，不可離棄祂；
當眾人似乎都離開祂，教會衰微、奄奄一息時，也不可離棄祂。

金言佳句（Good Words）

有德行的朋友相伴，
便擁有一切幸福的實質；
如此甜美和諧的友誼，
若再加上永恆，便是天堂。
——約翰．諾里斯（John Norris）

休伊森（Hewitson）寫道：「我想，我對耶穌基督的認識，勝過對任何地上朋友的認識。」因此，一位熟識他的人說：「休伊森先生給我最深的印象是——他與神的交通，似乎沒有間斷，沒有空隙。」——G. S. Bowes

1878年7月11日，在馬達加斯加的一場宣教聚會中，首相致詞說：「我不太願意在眾人面前談論我的父親，但我記得有一位年輕女子，是我父親教她讀聖經、訓練她成為基督徒的。當迫害再度臨到時，她因基督徒的身份被控告、定罪、判處死刑，被帶到這裡，要從這塊岩石上推下去。就在最後一刻，她被允諾只要否認信仰就能活命；但她拒絕了，大聲喊著：『不！把我推下去吧，因為我是屬基督的！』」——《倫敦宣道會紀錄》

不可離棄自己的朋友，因為那等於離棄第二個自己；
也不可離棄父親的朋友，否則便是犯下最卑劣的雙重忘恩。
若父親留下的產業極其寶貴，那麼他所留下的忠實朋友更是無價之寶。
——G．勞森博士（Dr. G. Lawson）

老家庭朋友：
一、思想父親的一些老朋友：（1）安息日，（2）聖所，（3）救主，（4）聖經。
二、忠於他們的理由：（1）因他們曾為我們所愛的人做過的事；
（2）因他們應許要為我們做的事；
（3）因他們已為我們中一些人所做成的事。
——《聖經博物館》

有一天，亨特利的考伊牧師（Rev. G. Cowie）講台上來了一位講員，講道時彷彿聖靈對聖徒和罪人都不是必需的。聚會後，考伊牧師站在講台階梯上說：「諸位啊，要緊緊抓住你們的老朋友——聖靈；因為一旦你把祂憂傷趕走了，要再請回來，可就不容易了。」
——查爾斯．海登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

63. The Honored Servant
Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored. Proverbs 27:18
THE general rule is that service brings reward. The man tended the fig tree, and it bore him fruit: faithful service usually brings its recompense. Masters, if at all worthy of their position, will honor those servants who do their duty to them.

I. CHRIST IS OUR MASTER.

1. Our sole master. We serve others, that we may serve him: we do not divide our service. "One is your master, even Christ."
2. Our choice Master. There is not such another in the universe.
3. Our chosen Master. We cheerfully take his yoke: to serve him is to us a kingdom. "I love my master (Exod. 21:5).
4. Our gracious Master: bearing with our faults, cheering us when faint, aiding us when weary, tending us in sickness, instructing us with patience, promising a great reward, etc.
5. Our life Master. Our ear is bored to his door-post: we are his to all eternity.

II. OUR BUSINESS IS TO SERVE HIM.

1. Expressed by the sense of "keeping the fig tree. "We are to see to our Lord as a good body-servant watches over his master.

• Remaining with him. Never quitting his side, or getting out of communion with him.
• Defending him. Allowing none to speak against him, or to injure his honor while we have a tongue in our heads.
• Guarding his interests. Making his cause our own, his business our business.
• Cherishing his family. Loving the least of them, and laboring for the good of all.
• Striving for his objects. Consecrating ourselves to carry out the grand purposes of our Lord, and laying aside everything which would hinder us in this one pursuit.

2. Expressed by the words "waiteth on his master."

• Waiting his word. "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth" (1 Sam. 3:9; Ps. 85:8).
• Seeking his smile. "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant" (Ps. 3 l:l 6).
• Depending upon him for strength "Give thy strength unto thy servant'' (Ps. 86:16).
• Expecting the fulfillment of his promises. "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope" (Ps. 119:49).
• Consecrated to his service — "body, soul, and spirit." Having no private ends (1 Chron. 12:18).
• Acquiescent in his will. Ready either to suffer or to labor as he may appoint (Luke 7:7-10).

The contrary of this is

• Self-seeking. Lusting after honor, wealth, ease, pleasure.
• Self-guiding: doing your own will, and yet pretending to serve the Lord.
• Self-applauding: robbing our Lord of the glory which belongs to him alone.

III. OUR SERVICE WILL BRING HONOR.

l. Among your fellow servants here below.
2. Even among enemies, who will be forced to admire sincerity and fidelity.
3. From our Lord, who will give us a sweet sense of acceptance even here below.
4. At the judgment-day, before the assembled universe.
5. Throughout eternity, among angels and glorified spirits.

• Let us grieve that we have not served him better.
• Let us repent if we have not served him at all.
• Let us pray him to receive us into his service this day.

Concerning the Master

How sweetly doth My Master sound! My Master!
As ambergris leaves a rich scent
Unto the taster:
So do these words a sweet content,
An oriental fragrancy, My Master.
— George Herbert

Two aged ministers met one Saturday at a station in Wales as they were going to preach in their respective places on Sunday. "I hope," said Mr. Harris, of Merthyr, to Mr. Powell, of Cardiff, "I hope the Great Master will give you his face tomorrow." "Well, if he does not," replied Mr. Powell, "I will speak well of him behind his back."

Rutherford, speaking of how his Lord encouraged him with sweet fellowship while he was serving him, says in his quaint way, "When my Master sends me on his errands, he often gives me a bawbee for myself"; by which he meant that as sure as ever God employed him he gave him a penny for reward, as we do to boys who go upon our errands.

An old highlander, Hugh Chisholm, was one of the personal attendants of Prince Charles in his wanderings. Lord Monboddo was much attached to this interesting old man, and once proposed to introduce him to his table at dinner, along with some friends of more exalted rank. On mentioning the scheme to Mr. Colquhoun Grant, one of the proposed party, that gentleman started a number of objections, on the score that poor Chisholm would be embarrassed and uncomfortable in a scene so unusual to him, while some others would feel offended at having the company of a man of mean rank forced upon them. Monboddo heard all Mr. Grant's objections, and then assuming a lofty tone, exclaimed: "Let me relieve you, Mr. Grant: Hugh Chisholm has been in better company than either yours or mine!" The conscience stricken Jacobin had not another word to say. — Memoir of Robert Chambers

There will be a resurrection of credits, as well as of bodies. We'll have glory enough by-and-bye. — Richard Sibbes

A dog which follows anybody and everybody belongs to no one, and no one cares for it. The more it shows its devotion to its master the greater is the man's attachment to it. In domestic service we should not care to keep a body-servant who spent half his time in waiting upon another employer.

Old and faithful servants grow to look upon all their master's property as their own. One such said, "Here comes our carriage, and there are our dear children coming home from school!" Our Lord Jesus loves to see us feel a fellow-ship — a community of interests with himself. He makes such service to be its own reward, and adds heaven besides. He will not cast off his old servants, but he will grant them to be with him in his glory, as they have been with him in his humiliation.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

63．蒙尊榮的僕人

「看守無花果樹的，必得吃樹上的果子；伺候主人的，必得尊榮。」——箴言 27:18 （18看守無花果樹的，必吃樹上的果子；敬奉主人的，必得尊榮。
一般的原則是：服事帶來賞賜。那人照料無花果樹，樹就結出果子給他；忠心的服事通常會得到回報。凡配得其地位的主人，都必尊榮那些盡責事奉他的僕人。

一、基督是我們的主人

1. 我們唯一的主人：我們服事他人，乃是為了服事祂；我們不分心。「你們的師尊只有一位，就是基督。」
2. 我們至高無比的主人： 宇宙中再沒有像祂這樣的主人。
3. 我們甘心揀選的主人：我們樂意負祂的軛；服事祂，對我們而言就是作王。「我愛我的主人。」（出埃及記 21:5  5倘或奴僕明說：『我愛我的主人和我的妻子兒女，不願意自由出去。』）
4. 滿有恩典的主人：祂包容我們的軟弱；在我們灰心時鼓勵我們；疲倦時扶持我們；患病時眷顧我們；耐心教導我們；並應許極大的賞賜。
5. 我們一生的主人：我們的耳朵被鑽在祂的門框上；我們永永遠遠屬於祂。

二、我們的本分是服事祂

1. 以「看守無花果樹」來表達

我們要像忠心的貼身僕人，看顧我們的主——

• 與祂同在：不離開祂，不脫離與祂的交通。
• 為祂辯護：只要我們還有舌頭，就不容人羞辱祂、損害祂的尊榮。
• 守護祂的事工：以祂的事為自己的事。
• 珍愛祂的家人：愛最小的一個，並為全體的益處勞力。
• 追求祂的目標：將自己完全獻上，完成主偉大的旨意，並放下任何妨礙這唯一追求的事。

2. 以「伺候主人」來表達

• 等候祂的吩咐：「耶和華啊，請說，僕人敬聽。」（撒上 3:9 9因此以利對撒母耳說：「你仍去睡吧；若再呼喚你，你就說：『耶和華啊，請說，僕人敬聽！』」撒母耳就去，仍睡在原處。；詩 85:8 8我要聽神－耶和華所說的話；因為他必應許將平安賜給他的百姓－他的聖民；他們卻不可再轉去妄行。）
• 尋求祂的喜悅：「求你使你的臉光照僕人。」（詩 31:16 16求你使你的臉光照僕人，憑你的慈愛拯救我。）
• 倚靠祂得力量：「求你將你的力量賜給僕人。」（詩 86:16 16求你向我轉臉，憐恤我，將你的力量賜給僕人，救你婢女的兒子。）
• 期待祂的應許成就：「求你記念向你僕人所應許的話，叫我有盼望。」（詩 119:49）
• 完全獻身於祂的事奉：身、心、靈全然屬祂，沒有私心（代上 12:18 18那時神的靈感動那三十個勇士的首領亞瑪撒，他就說：大衛啊，我們是歸於你的！耶西的兒子啊，我們是幫助你的！願你平平安安，願幫助你的也都平安！因為你的神幫助你。大衛就收留他們，立他們作軍長。）。
• 順服祂的旨意：無論受苦或勞碌，都甘心接受祂的安排（路 7:7–10 7我也自以為不配去見你，只要你說一句話，我的僕人就必好了。 8因為我在人的權下，也有兵在我以下，對這個說：『去！』他就去；對那個說：『來！』他就來；對我的僕人說：『你做這事！』他就去做。」 9耶穌聽見這話，就希奇他，轉身對跟隨的眾人說：「我告訴你們，這麼大的信心，就是在以色列中，我也沒有遇見過。」 10那託來的人回到百夫長家裏，看見僕人已經好了。）。

與此相反的是：

• 自我中心：貪圖尊榮、財富、安逸、享樂；
• 自我主導：行自己的意思，卻假裝是在服事主；
• 自我誇耀：竊取本當歸給主的榮耀。

三、我們的服事必得尊榮

1. 在地上的同作僕人中得尊重；
2. 甚至在仇敵中，也被迫承認其真誠與忠心；
3. 從主而來，即使在今生，也得著甘甜的悅納；
4. 在審判之日，在全宇宙面前；
5. 直到永恆，在天使與得榮耀的聖徒中。

• 讓我們為自己服事祂不夠忠心而憂傷；
• 若我們從未服事過祂，就當悔改；
• 讓我們今日就祈求，求主收納我們進入祂的服事中。

論到「主人」（Concerning the Master）

「我的主人」這稱呼何等甘甜！
如同龍涎香留下濃郁芬芳；
這話語本身就滿有甘美，
帶著東方的馨香——我的主人。
——喬治．赫伯特（George Herbert）

兩位年長的牧師在威爾斯一個車站相遇，準備各自前往不同地方主日講道。梅瑟提的哈里斯先生對卡迪夫的鮑威爾先生說：「我希望那位偉大的主人明天向你施恩。」鮑威爾回答說：「即便祂沒有，我也會在背後好好稱讚祂。」

盧瑟福談到主在他服事時賜下甜美交通，用他特有的幽默說：「當我的主人差我去辦差事時，常常也給我一點零用錢。」他的意思是：神每次使用他，總同時給他獎賞，如同我們差遣孩子跑腿時，順便給他一個銅板。

老高地人休．奇澤姆曾在查理王子流亡時作他的隨從。孟波多勳爵十分敬重這位老人，曾想在宴席上介紹他與尊貴的賓客同席。有人反對，認為他身份卑微，會讓人不自在。孟波多聽完後高聲說：「讓我來為你解惑吧！休．奇澤姆曾在比你我都更尊貴的陪伴中生活過！」反對者無言以對。——《羅伯特．錢伯斯回憶錄》

將來不只有身體復活，連功勞也要復活；榮耀，日後多得很。——理查．西布斯（Richard Sibbes）

一隻到處跟隨任何人的狗，實際上不屬於任何人，也不被人珍惜；牠越專一忠於主人，主人就越疼愛牠。家僕若把一半時間用在服事別的主人，誰會願意留用他呢？

老而忠心的僕人，往往把主人的一切都看作自己的。有一位這樣的僕人曾說：「我們的馬車來了，我們親愛的孩子們放學回家了！」主耶穌喜悅我們與祂有這樣的共同體意識、利益相連的情感。祂使這樣的服事本身就成為賞賜，並且在此之外，還加上天堂。祂不會棄絕年老忠心的僕人，反倒要使他們與祂一同得榮耀——正如他們曾與祂一同受卑微。
——查爾斯．海登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

64. Fear of Man Destroyed by Trust in God

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25
WE have here a double proverb: each half is true by itself; and, put together, the whole is forcible and full of teaching. He who fears man is in great danger from that very fact; he who trusts in the Lord is in no danger of any sort; trusting in the Lord is the great antidote against the fear of man.

I. HERE IS A VERY COMMON EVIL. "The fear of man bringeth a snare:"

1. It is thought by some to be a good; but it is in the best instance doubtful. Even virtue followed through dread of a fellow creature loses half its beauty, if not more.
2. It leads men into great sins at times-, snaring them, and holding them like birds taken by a fowler. Aaron yielded to popular clamor and made the calf. Saul cared more to be honored among the people than to please the Lord. Pilate feared that a charge would reach Caesar, and so he violated his conscience. Peter denied his Master for fear of a silly maid.
3. It keeps many from conversion: their companions would ridicule, their friends would be annoyed, they might be persecuted, and so they are numbered with the "fearful, and unbelieving."
4. It prevents others avowing their faith. They try to go to heaven through a back door. Remember, "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation'' (Rom. 10:10).
5. It lowers the dignity of good men. David was a poor creature before Achish, and even Father Abraham made but a poor figure when he denied his wife.
6. It holds some believers in equivocal positions. Illustrations are far too abundant. Men fail to carry out their principles for fear of men.
7. It hampers the usefulness of very many: they dare not speak, or lead the way, though their efforts are greatly needed.
8. It hinders many in duties which require courage. Jonah will not go to Nineveh because he may be thought a false prophet if God forgives that city. Galatian preachers went aside to false doctrine to be considered wise, etc.
9. It is the cause of weakness in the Church. It is cowardly, shameful, dishonorable to Jesus, idolatrous, selfish, foolish. It should not be allowed by any man in his own case.

II. HERE IS A VERY PRECIOUS SAFEGUARD. "Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."

Not slavish fear of man, but childlike trust in the Lord will be the protection of the believer.

1. The truster is safe from fear of man.

• God is with us, therefore we are strong, and need not fear.
• We are determined, and will not fear.
• We pray, and lose our fear.
• We prepare for the worst, and fear vanishes.

2. The truster is safe from the result of men's anger.

• It often never comes. God restrains the persecutor.
• The loss which it inflicts if it does come is less than that which would be caused by cowardice.
• When we trust in God any such loss is joyfully borne.
• After all, what is there to fear? What can man do unto us? God being with us, our safety is perfect, continuous, eternal, even though the whole human race should besiege us.

III. HERE IS A VERY GLORIOUS DOCTRINE. We may take in the widest sense the doctrine of the second sentence,— "Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe"—

• From the damning and conquering power of sin.
• From the overcoming force of temptation.
• From the deadening effect of sorrow.
• From the destroying force of Satan.
• From death, and hell, and every evil
• From all injury which men can inflict.

Will you fear a worm, or trust your God?
Break the snare in which fear has entangled you.
Enter the palace of safety by the door of trust.

Warnings

The soul that cannot entirely trust God, whether man be pleased or displeased, can never long be true to him; for while you are eyeing man you are losing God, and stabbing religion at the very heart. — Manton

"Fear of man." Grim idol — bloody-mouthed — many souls he has devoured and trampled down into hell! His eyes are full of hatred to Christ's disciples. Scoffs and jeers lurk in his face. The laugh of the scorner growls in his throat. Cast down this idol. This keeps some of you from secret prayer, from worshipping God in your family, from going to lay your case before ministers, from openly confessing Christ. You that have felt God's love and Spirit, dash this idol to pieces. Who art thou, that thou should'st be afraid of a man that shall die? "Fear not, thou worm, Jacob." "What have I to do any more with idols?" — M'Cheyne

The difficulties attending an open confession of Christ are the occasion of multitudes making shipwreck of their souls. In many hopeful characters, that Scripture, "the fear of man bringeth a snare," is verified. Cato and the philosophers of Rome honored the gods of their country though unbelievers in the superstitions of their country. Plato was convinced of the unity of God, but durst not own his convictions, but said,"It was a truth, neither easy to find, nor safe to own." Even Seneca, the renowned moralist, was forced by temptation to dissemble his convictions, of whom Augustus said, "He worshipped what himself reprehended, and did what himself reproved." At the interruption which was given to the progress of the Reformation by the return of the Papists to power, some, as they went to mass, would exclaim, "Let us go to the common error." Thus, conviction is not conversion where there is no confession of Christ. — Salter

One fire puts out another. Nothing so effectually kills the fear of man as abundance of the fear of God. Faith is an armor to the soul, and, clothed with it, men enter the thick of the battle without fear of wounds. Fear of man deadens conscience, distracts meditation, hinders holy activity, stops the mouth of testimony, and paralyzes the Christian's power. It is a cunning snare which some do not perceive, though they are already taken in it.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

64．因信靠神而勝過懼怕人

「懼怕人的，陷入網羅；惟有倚靠耶和華的，必得安穩。」——箴言 29:25
這裡是一則雙重箴言：每一句單獨成立，合在一起更是力量十足、教訓豐富。懼怕人的，正因這懼怕而身處極大的危險；信靠耶和華的，卻毫無任何危險。信靠耶和華，是勝過懼怕人的最大解藥。

一、這裡指出一個極其普遍的惡

「懼怕人的，陷入網羅。」

1. 有人以為這是好事：其實即使在最好的情況下，也值得懷疑。若人因懼怕他人而行善，即便是德行，也至少失去一半的美麗，甚至更多。
2. 它常引人陷入大罪： 如同被捕鳥人設下的網羅。亞倫因順從百姓的呼聲鑄造金牛犢；掃羅寧願在百姓面前得尊榮，也不願討神喜悅；彼拉多因怕被告到凱撒那裡，竟違背良心；彼得因怕一個卑微的使女，就否認了他的主。
3. 它攔阻許多人悔改歸主：因怕同伴譏笑、朋友不悅、甚至遭受逼迫，他們便被列在「膽怯的、不信的」之中。
4. 它使一些人不敢公開承認信仰：他們想從「後門」進天國。然而要記得：「人心裡相信，就可以稱義；口裡承認，就可以得救。」（羅 10:10）
5. 它貶低敬虔之人的尊嚴：大衛在亞吉面前顯得卑微可憐；連亞伯拉罕否認妻子時，也顯得極其失格。
6. 它使一些信徒陷入曖昧的立場：這類例子多得不勝枚舉。人因怕人，而不敢實踐自己所信的原則。
7. 它削弱許多人的功用：他們不敢發聲、不敢帶頭，儘管他們的努力極其需要。
8. 它攔阻人完成需要勇氣的責任：約拿不肯往尼尼微去，因怕若神赦免那城，他會被看作假先知；加拉太的一些傳道人為求被視為有智慧，便偏離了真道。
9. 它是教會軟弱的重要原因：這是怯懦、可恥、羞辱基督、帶有偶像崇拜、自私又愚昧的事；任何人都不該在自己身上容忍這種心態。

二、這裡給出一個極其寶貴的保障

「惟有倚靠耶和華的，必得安穩。」不是奴僕式地懼怕人，乃是兒女般地信靠主，才是信徒的保護。

1. 信靠的人，免於懼怕人

• 神與我們同在，所以我們剛強，不必懼怕。
• 我們立定心志，就不再害怕。
• 我們藉著禱告，懼怕便消散。
• 我們為最壞的情況做好準備，恐懼也隨之消失。

2. 信靠的人，也免於人怒氣的結果

• 許多時候，逼迫根本不會臨到，因為神攔阻了逼迫者。
• 即使臨到，其損失也遠小於因怯懦所造成的損害。
• 當我們信靠神時，任何損失都能喜樂承受。
• 說到底，有什麼好怕的呢？人能把我們怎麼樣呢？既然神與我們同在，我們的安全就是完全的、持續的、永恆的；即使全人類一同圍攻我們，也不能動搖分毫。

三、這裡啟示一個極其榮耀的真理

我們可以用最廣泛的意義來理解這句話：「惟有倚靠耶和華的，必得安穩。」我們在信靠主裡得安全——

• 脫離罪的定罪與轄制；
• 脫離試探的勝過力量；
• 脫離憂傷所帶來的麻木；
• 脫離撒但毀滅性的攻擊；
• 脫離死亡、地獄與一切邪惡；
• 脫離人所能加諸的一切傷害。

你要懼怕一條蟲，還是信靠你的神？
拆毀懼怕所設下的網羅；
藉著「信靠」這道門，進入安全的宮殿。

警語（Warnings）

不能完全信靠神、卻總在意人是否喜悅的靈魂，永遠不可能長久忠於神；因為當你注視人時，你已失去神，也正把宗教刺入心臟。——曼頓（Manton）

「懼怕人」——可怕的偶像！血盆大口，吞噬無數靈魂，踐踏他們下地獄！牠對基督的門徒滿懷仇恨，臉上藏著譏笑與嘲諷，嗤笑者的狂笑在牠喉嚨裡低吼。打倒這偶像吧！正是它，使你不敢暗中禱告，不敢在家庭中敬拜神，不敢向牧者傾訴你的困境，不敢公開承認基督。你們這些嚐過神的愛與聖靈的人，要把這偶像砸得粉碎！「你是誰，竟怕那必死的人呢？」「不要害怕，你這蟲雅各。」「我與偶像還有什麼關係呢？」——麥琴（M’Cheyne）

公開承認基督所伴隨的困難，使無數人靈魂遭遇船破之災。在許多看似有盼望的人身上，「懼怕人的，陷入網羅」這節經文被一再驗證。羅馬的加圖與哲學家們，雖不信自己國家的迷信，卻仍尊崇其神祇。柏拉圖確信神只有一位，卻不敢承認，只說：「這真理既不容易發現，也不安全承認。」連著名的道德家塞內卡，也在試探中掩飾自己的信念；奧古斯都說他：「敬拜自己所責備的，行自己所譴責的。」宗教改革受阻時，有些人走向彌撒，口中喊著：「讓我們去隨從普遍的錯誤吧！」可見，沒有公開承認基督的信念，並不是真正的悔改歸主。——索爾特（Salter）

一把火能熄滅另一把火。最能殺死懼怕人的，就是對神豐盛的敬畏。
信心是靈魂的軍裝，穿戴它的人，能毫無畏懼地衝入戰場。
懼怕人使良心麻木，使默想分心，攔阻聖潔的行動，堵住見證的口，癱瘓基督徒的能力。這是一個狡猾的網羅，有些人甚至在被困住之後，仍未察覺。
——查爾斯．海登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）