94. Better than at your Beginning

I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 36:11
WHEN other nations fall they rise no more, but to the covenanted people future still remains.
Even the land given by covenant has an entailed blessing on it, for these words are to the "mountains of Israel."
To hypocrites and formalists an end cometh; but true children of God rise again after decays and declensions. As saith the prophet, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me" (Mic. 7:8).
A greater blessing than that which they have lost may yet be granted to restored wanderers.
The text contains a great promise. Oh, that we may enjoy it!

I. WHAT WAS THERE SO GOOD IN OUR BEGINNINGS?

As Israel's land in the beginning flowed with milk and honey, so our first estate had a singular richness about it. Oftentimes, in looking back, we sing,—
"Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus, and his Word?"

1. We enjoyed a vivid sense of free and full forgiveness.
2. We had a delicious proof of the joy of true religion.
3. We gained repeated victories over sinful inclinations, and outward temptations; and this made us jubilant in Christ.
4. We felt great delight in prayer, the Word, communion, etc.
5. We abounded in zeal and service, and the joy of the Lord was our strength.
6. We were in our first love, and everything was lively, intense, hopeful, wonderful, to our humble, happy mind. We were simplehearted and confiding, had not yet found out the imperfections of our brethren, and were too humble to look for them. We have not gained much by losing that confidence if in its room we have received suspicion.

We read of the "first ways of David" (2 Chron. 17:3). We are bidden to do our "first works" (Rev. 2:5).

II. CAN WE ENJOY SOMETHING BETTER THAN OUR BEGINNINGS?

Assuredly we shall if the Lord will fulfill this promise; and that he is sure to do if we walk more closely with him.
1. Our faith will be stronger, more steadfast, and intelligent.
2. Our knowledge will be fuller and deeper.
3. Our love will be more constant, practical, enduring.
4. Our prayer will be more prevalent.
5. Our usefulness will be more extended, more abiding.
6. Our whole being will be more mature.
We are to shine more and more unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18).
Growth in grace brings with it many good things.

III. HOW CAN WE SECURE THIS BETTERNESS?

There must be a re-settlement according to our old estates in our own souls, and then there will be a renewed settlement by the act of God.

1. We must return to our first simple faith in Jesus.
2. We must quit the sins which alienated us from God.
3. We must be more thorough, and earnest.
4. We must seek after closer fellowship with Christ.
5. We must more resolutely strive to advance in divine things.

Admire the liberality of our God! He promises to do better unto us than at our beginnings. What more can he do?
See the constancy of his love-how he maintains ancient settlements, and restores old estates! Covenant heritages are entailed upon their holders by the unchanging grace of God.
Mark with what tenderness he woos us to return to his fellowship: he draws, he allures, he wins by greatness of love!
Let us, in the power of his Holy Spirit, return to him!

Doors of Hope

God's dealings with his people are best at last; they may have much kindness and mercy in the morning, but they shall have more in the evening. "I will settle you after your old estates;' etc. The Jews had the best wine at last; they had milk and honey before, but the feast of fat things full of marrow, and of wines on the lees well-refined, were at the latter end of their day given in; they had Christ and the Gospel at last. Abraham had much of the world at first, and his Isaac afterward. "God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning." Simeon in his latter days saw Christ, and had him in his arms. — Wm. Greenhill

No instance of backsliding can be More aggravated than that of the apostle Peter, and yet no recovery was more signal. While that stands upon record, no traitor to his Lord and Master is justified in saying, "The door of hope is closed against my return." The Scriptures contain several instances in which the lamentable and disgraceful lapses of God's people are shown to be followed by their recovery and restoration. Frequently such characters, after they have been corrected and chastened of the Lord, have risen to stations of great eminence in his church. David in the Old Testament, and Peter in the New, while both illustrating the shame and sorrow of a backsliding state, stand forth as monuments of that sovereign grace which can forgive the penitent wanderer, and once more infuse into his heart the "peace that passeth all understanding." — Leifchild

Fractures well cured make us more strong. — Herbert

The joy of conversion is great:
Earth has a joy unknown to heaven,
The new-born peace of sins forgiven!
Tears of such pure and deep delight,
Ye angels! never dimmed your sight:
but there are wondrous joys as yet unknown to the inexperienced soul, and concerning which the most advanced believer has to sing—
I have a heritage of joy
That yet I must not see:
The hand that bled to make it mine,
Is keeping it for me.
Those that will not return to the duties they have neglected, cannot expect to return to the comforts they have lost. — G. S. Bowes

He is a skillful physician indeed who, finding a man sorely afflicted, not only succeeds in restoring him to health, but actually causes him to be better than he was before, dealing with his medicine, not only with the disease which caused pain, but with some other which lay deeper, but had scarcely been perceived by the patient. Such is the medicine of mercy. Thus graciously doth God deal with repenting sinners. He must be worse than a brute beast who would turn this into an argument for sinning. A true child of God feels the water standing in his eyes when he thinks of such superabounding love.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

94. 比起初更美好

「我必照著你們從前的地業安置你們，並且賜福與你們，比先前更多；你們就知道我是耶和華。」
——以西結書 36:11 (11我必使人和牲畜在你上面加增；他們必生養眾多。我要使你照舊有人居住，並要賜福與你比先前更多，你就知道我是耶和華。)
當別的國家一倒下便不再興起，但對於立約的百姓而言，未來仍然存在。
甚至那因立約而賜下的土地，也帶著承襲的祝福，因為這些話是對「以色列的山嶺」說的。
對假冒為善的人與形式化的宗教徒而言，結局終將來到；但真正的神兒女，在衰退與退後之後，仍必再度興起。正如先知所說：「我的仇敵啊，不要向我誇耀；我雖跌倒，卻要起來；我雖坐在黑暗裡，耶和華卻作我的光。」
——彌迦書 7:8
恢復的浪子，仍可能得著比所失去的更大的祝福。
這段經文包含了一個偉大的應許。噢，願我們能親身享受它！

一、我們起初有什麼那樣美好？

正如以色列地在起初流奶與蜜，我們最初的屬靈光景也帶著一種非凡的豐盛。
我們回顧過去時，常會唱道：
「我初見主時所嘗的福樂，今在何處？
那使靈魂得滋潤的異象，
那耶穌與祂話語的甘甜，如今何在？」

1. 我們曾深刻體驗白白而完全的赦罪之恩。
2. 我們嚐過真信仰所帶來的甘甜喜樂。
3. 我們屢次勝過罪性的傾向與外在的試探，因此在基督裡歡欣。
4. 禱告、讀經、團契等，都使我們滿心喜樂。
5. 我們滿有熱心與服事，而主的喜樂成了我們的力量。
6. 我們活在起初的愛中，一切都是那樣鮮活、強烈、充滿盼望與奇妙；我們單純、信任，尚未察覺弟兄的缺點，也因謙卑而不去尋找。若失去這份信任，只換來猜疑，我們並未真正得著什麼。

經上提到「大衛起初所行的道」（歷代志下 17:3 3耶和華與約沙法同在；因為他行他祖大衛初行的道，不尋求巴力，），
我們也被吩咐要行「起初所行的事」（啟示錄 2:5  5所以，應當回想你是從哪裏墜落的，並要悔改，行起初所行的事。你若不悔改，我就臨到你那裏，把你的燈臺從原處挪去。）。

二、我們能否得著比起初更好的光景？

當然可以。
若主成就這應許——而只要我們更親近祂，祂必定成就——

1. 我們的信心將更剛強、更穩固、更有見識。
2. 我們的知識將更豐富、更深刻。
3. 我們的愛將更恆久、更實際、更能持守。
4. 我們的禱告將更有能力。
5. 我們的服事將更廣泛、更長久。
6. 我們整個生命將更成熟。

我們應當越照越明，直到日午（箴言 4:18 18但義人的路好像黎明的光，越照越明，直到日午。）。
在恩典中的成長，必然帶來許多美善的果效。

三、我們如何得著這「更美好」？

我們的靈魂必須先照著「從前的地業」重新安定，然後神就會親自為我們再次立定根基。

1. 我們必須回到起初那單純對耶穌的信心。
2. 我們必須離棄使我們與神疏遠的罪。
3. 我們必須更徹底、更迫切。
4. 我們必須追求與基督更親密的交通。
5. 我們必須更堅定地向屬靈生命的長進邁進。

讚嘆我們神的慷慨吧！祂應許要賜給我們比起初更好的福分。祂還能為我們做得更多嗎？
看看祂愛的恆常！祂維持古老的產業，恢復失落的地業；立約的產業，因神不變的恩典而世代承襲。
看看祂溫柔的呼喚！祂吸引、引誘、以浩大的愛贏得我們回轉。
讓我們在聖靈的大能中歸向祂！

希望之門（Doors of Hope）

神對祂百姓的作為，總是後來更美。清晨固然有慈愛與憐憫，但傍晚卻有更多。「我要照著你們從前的地業安置你們……」猶太人起初有奶與蜜，末後卻得著肥甘的筵席、陳年佳釀；他們最後得著的是基督與福音。亞伯拉罕起初得著許多屬世的祝福，後來才得著以撒。「神賜給約伯後來的福分，比起初更多。」西面在晚年看見基督，並將祂抱在懷中。——威廉．格林希爾（Wm. Greenhill）

彼得的背道，沒有比這更嚴重的例子，然而也沒有比他的復興更顯著的。只要這件事仍記載在聖經中，任何背叛主的人都沒有理由說：「盼望之門已經向我關閉。」聖經中多次記載神子民可悲、羞愧的跌倒，但也同樣記載他們的恢復與重建。許多人在受主管教之後，反而被興起，在教會中擔當更高的職分。舊約的大衛，新約的彼得，
一方面顯明背道的羞辱與痛苦，另一方面也成為主權恩典的紀念碑，見證神如何赦免悔改的浪子，再次將那「出人意外的平安」注入他心中。——雷夫奇爾德（Leifchild）

骨折若醫治得當，反而更強壯。——赫伯特（Herbert）

歸信之初的喜樂固然偉大：
地上有一種喜樂，天上所未曾知；
罪得赦免的新生平安，
那純淨而深刻的喜樂之淚，
天使從未流過；
但仍有更奇妙的喜樂，是初信者未曾認識的，甚至連最成熟的信徒也仍要歌唱：
我有一份喜樂的產業，
至今仍未得見；
為我流血的那雙手，
正為我保守它。
不肯回到所忽略的責任中去的人，也不要指望能回到所失去的安慰中。——G. S. 鮑斯（Bowes）

真正高明的醫生，不僅使重病的人康復，還能使他比從前更健康；他不僅對付顯而易見的病症，也醫治那潛藏甚深、病人尚未察覺的病。這正是憐憫的醫藥。神就是這樣恩待悔改的罪人。若有人因此把恩典當作犯罪的藉口，
那人比走獸還不如。真正的神兒女，一想到這樣浩大的愛，眼中便盈滿淚水。
——查爾斯．哈登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

95. Mistaken Notions About Repentance

And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. (31) Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Ezekiel 36:30-31
THE day of manifested mercy is to be the day of hearty repentance.
"Then." When God loads you with benefits you shall loathe yourselves.
The Lord speaks as one who is supreme in the region of free agency, and able to work his will with human minds: "Then shall ye," etc.
His processes of grace are such as, in the nature of things, lead up to the end which he proposes.
He declares that he will conquer by love — love so wonderful that the objects of it must of necessity yield to its power, and change their minds and their conduct.
Repentance is wrought in the heart by a sense of love divine.
This sets repentance in its true light, and helps us to meet a great many mistakes which have darkened this subject. Many are kept from Christ and hope by misapprehensions of this matter. They have:

I.MISTAKEN IDEAS OF WHAT REPENTANCE IS.

They confound it with:

1. Morbid self-accusation, which is the fruit of dyspepsia, or melancholy, or insanity. This is an infirmity of mind, and not a grace of the Spirit. A physician may here do more than a divine.
2. Unbelief, despondency, despair: which are not even a help to repentance, but tend rather to harden the heart.
3. Dread of hell, and sense of wrath: which might occur even to devils, and yet would not cause them to repent. A measure of this may go with repentance, but it is no part of it.
4. Satanic temptations. These are by no means like to repentance, which is the fruit of the Spirit.
5. A complete knowledge of the guilt of sin; which even advanced saints have not yet obtained.
6. Entire abstinence from all sin — a consummation devoutly to be wished, but by no means included in repentance.

It is a hatred of evil, a sense of shame, a longing to avoid sin, wrought by a sense of divine love.

II. MISTAKEN IDEAS OF THE PEACE WHICH REPENTANCE OCCUPIES.

1. It is looked upon by some as a procuring cause of grace, as if repentance merited remission: a grave error.
2. It is wrongly viewed by others as a preparation for grace; a human goodness laying the foundation for mercy, a meeting of God half way; this is a deadly error.
3. It is treated as a sort of qualification for believing, and even as the ground for believing: all which is legality, and contrary to pure gospel truth.
4. Others treat it as the argument for peace of mind. They have repented so much, and it must be all right. This is to build our confidence upon a false foundation.

Repentance attends faith, and is a precious gift of the Spirit of God.

III. MISTAKEN IDEAS OF THE WAY IN WHICH IT IS PRODUCED IN THE HEART.

It is not produced by a distinct and immediate attempt to repent.
Nor by strong excitement at revival meetings.
Nor by meditating upon sin, and death, and hell, etc.

But the God of all grace produces it:

1. By his free grace, which by its action renews the heart (verse 26).
2. By bringing his great mercy to our mind.
3. By making us receive new mercy (verses 28-30).
4. By revealing himself and his methods of grace (verse 32).

Every gospel truth urges repentance upon the regenerate. Election, redemption, justification, adoption, eternal love, etc., are all arguments for loathing every evil way.
Every gospel privilege makes us loathe sin: prayer, praise, the reading of Scripture, the fellowship of saints, the table of the Lord, etc.
Every gospel hope puriles us from sin, whether it be a hope for more grace in this world, or for glory in the next.
Oh, that we might feel the touch of love, and weep ourselves away for having grieved our Lord! This would work in us a revenge against all our sins, and lead us to entire consecration to our holy Lord.

Rectifications

There are no arguments like those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things Christ hath done for you; and if such will not take such will not take with you, and win upon you, I do not think the throwing of hell-fire in your face will ever do it. — Thomas Brooks

The Roman Catholic definition of penitence is not a bad one, though they draw bad conclusions from it — "Confessio otis, contritio cordis, satisfactio vitae" — that is, for true repentance there should be confession with the mouth, grieving in the heart, and amendment made for our faults as far as possible in our life. — Richard Glover

Repentance — the tear dropped from the eye of faith.
God's loving-kindnesses and mercies do work more with sinners than his judgments do. All the time the Jews were in Babylon, their hearts were never so affected for their sins as after God brought them out, settled them in Canaan, and showed much love unto them; then they should remember their evil ways, before they minded them not; then they should loathe themselves. Mercies in Zion are more efficacious with sinners than judgments in Babylon; God's favor melts hard hearts sooner then the fire of his indignation; his kindness is very penetrative, it gets into the hearts of sinners sooner than his threats and frowns; it is like a small soaking rain, which goes to the roots of things, whereas a dashing rain runs away, and does little good. It was David's kindness that brake the heart of Saul (1 Sam. 24); and it is God's kindness which breaks the hearts of sinners. The milk and honey of the gospel affect the hearts of sinners more than the gall and wormwood of the law; Christ on Mount Zion brings more to repentance than Moses on Mount Sinai. — William Greenhill

Cowper, the poet, in his own memoirs of his early life, describes the time when he reflected on the necessity of repentance. "I knew that many persons had spoken of shedding tears for sin; but when I asked myself whether the time would ever come when I should weep for mine, it seemed to me that a stone might sooner do it. Not knowing that Christ was exalted to give repentance, I despaired of ever attaining it." A friend came to his bed-side, and declared to him the gospel. He insisted on the all-atoning efficacy of the blood of Jesus, and his righteousness for our justification. "Then;' says Cowper,"while I heard this part of his discourse, and the Scriptures on which he founded it, my heart began to burn within me; my soul was pierced with a sense of my bitter ingratitude to so merciful a Savior; and those tears, which I thought impossible, burst forth freely."
"Some people," says Philip Henry,"do not wish to hear much of repentance, but I think it so necessary that, if I should die in the pulpit, I wish to die preaching repentance; and if out of the pulpit, practicing it."
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

95. 對悔改的錯誤觀念

「我必使樹木多結果子，田地多出土產，使你們不再在列國中受饑荒的羞辱。那時，你們必追想自己的惡行和那不善的作為，就因自己的罪孽和可憎的事厭惡自己。」
——以西結書 36:30–31 (30我必使樹木多結果子，田地多出土產，好叫你們不再因饑荒受外邦人的譏誚。 31那時，你們必追想你們的惡行和你們不善的作為，就因你們的罪孽和可憎的事厭惡自己。)
顯明憐憫的日子，正是內心真誠悔改的日子。
「那時。」當神將恩惠厚厚地加在你身上時，你就必厭惡自己。主說這話，是以一位掌管人自由意志之主的身分說的；祂能在人的心思中成就祂的旨意：「那時你們必……」
祂施行恩典的方式，在本質上必然引向祂所預定的結果。
祂宣告自己要用愛來得勝——一種奇妙到令人無法抗拒的愛，使被愛的對象必然降服，心思與行為都被更新。
悔改，是由對神聖之愛的感受，在人心中所生發的。
這樣的認識，使悔改回到它真正的位置，也幫助我們澄清許多長久以來遮蔽此主題的錯誤觀念。
許多人正是因為誤解悔改，而被攔阻在基督與盼望之外。

一、對「悔改是什麼」的錯誤觀念

人們常把悔改與下列事物混為一談：

1. 病態的自責——這往往是消化不良、憂鬱或精神失常的結果。這是心智的疾病，而非聖靈的恩典。在此情形下，醫生所能做的，可能比傳道人更多。
2. 不信、沮喪、絕望——這些不但不能幫助悔改，反而容易使心剛硬。
3. 對地獄的恐懼與對忿怒的感受——魔鬼也可能有這樣的感受，卻仍不悔改。這些情緒或許伴隨悔改，卻絕不是悔改本身。
4. 撒但的試探——這與悔改毫不相似；悔改乃是聖靈的果子。
5. 對罪責的完全認識——連最成熟的聖徒至今也未達到這種程度。
6. 完全不再犯罪——這固然是人所切望的終極狀態，但並不包含在悔改的定義之內。

悔改乃是：因感受到神的愛，而生出的對罪惡的憎恨、羞愧之感，以及遠離罪的渴望。

二、對悔改在救恩中地位的錯誤觀念

1. 有人把悔改看成是獲得恩典的原因，彷彿悔改能賺得赦免——這是嚴重的錯誤。
2. 有人把悔改視為得恩典之前的準備，好像人的良善為神的憐憫鋪路，是與神各走一半——這是致命的錯誤。
3. 有人把悔改當作相信的資格，甚至當作相信的根據——這全然是律法主義，與純正的福音真理相違。
4. 還有人把悔改當成心靈平安的理由：「我已經悔改得夠多了，所以一切應該沒問題。」這是在錯誤的根基上建立信心。

悔改是伴隨信心而來的，乃是神的聖靈所賜的寶貴恩典。

三、對悔改如何在心中產生的錯誤觀念

悔改並不是靠以下方式產生的：不是靠立刻、刻意地努力去悔改；
不是靠復興聚會中的強烈情緒激動；
也不是靠反覆思想罪、死亡與地獄等。

悔改乃是由施恩的神親自成就的：

1. 藉著祂白白的恩典，更新人的心（26節 26我也要賜給你們一個新心，將新靈放在你們裏面，又從你們的肉體中除掉石心，賜給你們肉心。）；
2. 藉著使人想起祂浩大的憐憫；
3. 藉著使人實際領受新的恩惠（28–30節 28你們必住在我所賜給你們列祖之地。你們要作我的子民，我要作你們的神。 29我必救你們脫離一切的污穢，也必命五穀豐登，不使你們遭遇饑荒。）；
4. 藉著啟示祂自己，以及祂施恩的法則（32節 32主耶和華說：你們要知道，我這樣行不是為你們。以色列家啊，當為自己的行為抱愧蒙羞。）。

一切福音真理，都催促重生之人悔改。揀選、救贖、稱義、收納、永恆的愛……這一切，都是使我們厭惡一切惡行的理由。
一切福音特權，也都使我們厭惡罪：禱告、讚美、讀經、聖徒相交、主的桌子……等等。
一切福音的盼望，都潔淨我們脫離罪：無論是今生更多恩典的盼望，或來世榮耀的盼望。
噢，願我們能感受到愛的觸摸，因曾使主憂傷而痛哭流淚！這必在我們裡面激起對一切罪的聖潔報復，
並引導我們完全獻身於聖潔的主。

澄清與補充（Rectifications）

沒有任何論證，比從基督為你所成就之偉大榮耀的事上得來的更有力；若這些不能打動你、贏得你，
那我不認為把地獄的火丟在你面前會有任何用處。——湯瑪斯．布魯克斯（Thomas Brooks）

天主教對「懺悔」的定義本身並不壞，只是他們從中推導出錯誤的結論——「口裡的認罪、心中的痛悔、生命中的補償與改正。」也就是說，真正的悔改包含口中的承認、內心的憂傷，以及在生活中盡可能地改正過犯。
——理查．葛洛佛（Richard Glover）

悔改——是信心之眼所流下的一滴眼淚。
神的慈愛與憐憫，比祂的審判更能感動罪人。猶太人在巴比倫被擄期間，心並未因罪而深深被觸動；反倒是在神將他們帶回迦南、重新安置、並厚施慈愛之後，他們才追想自己的惡行，並厭惡自己。錫安的恩典，比巴比倫的刑罰更能使罪人悔改；神的恩惠比忿怒的火更能融化剛硬的心；祂的慈愛如細雨，深入根部；而暴雨則沖刷而過，收效甚微。是大衛的恩慈融化了掃羅的心（撒上 24章）；也是神的恩慈打碎罪人的心。福音的奶與蜜，比律法的苦膽與茵蔯更能觸動人心；錫安山上的基督，比西奈山上的摩西更能引人悔改。
——威廉．格林希爾（William Greenhill）

詩人考柏（Cowper）在其自傳中描述自己早年的光景：「我知道許多人談論為罪流淚；但當我問自己是否有一天會為自己的罪哭泣時，我覺得石頭比我更有可能流淚。我不知道基督是被高舉、為要賜人悔改，因此我對自己能否悔改完全絕望。」後來一位朋友來到他床邊，向他宣講福音，強調耶穌寶血完全的贖罪功效，以及祂的義使我們得稱為義。「就在我聽見這些話，並聽見他所根據的經文時，我的心在我裡面火熱起來；我的靈魂因自己對這樣一位滿有憐憫的救主之苦毒忘恩而被刺透；那些我以為不可能流出的眼淚，竟自由地湧流而出。」
「有些人，」腓利．亨利（Philip Henry）說，
「不喜歡多聽悔改；但我認為悔改極其必要，以至於——若我死在講台上，我願意死在講論悔改中；若死在講台下，我願意死在實踐悔改中。」
——查爾斯．哈登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

96. Marshes

But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. Ezekiel 47:11
THE prophet saw in vision the flow of the life-giving river, and marked its wonderful and beneficial effects.
Let the chapter be read, and a brief abstract of it be given.
The prophet also observed that here and there the river carried no blessing: there were marshes which remained as barren as ever.

I. THERE ARE SOME MEN WHOM THE GOSPEL DOES NOT BLESS.

l. It stagnates in them: they hear in vain; learn but do not practice; feel but do not decide; resolve but do not perform.
2. It mingles with their corruptions, as clear water with the mire of the marshes. They see with blinded eye, understand in a carnal manner, and receive truth but not in the power of it.
3. It becomes food for their sins, even as rank sour grass is produced by the stagnant waters of "miry places."

• Their unbelief makes mysteries into apologies for infidelity.
• Their enmity is stirred by the sovereignty of grace.
• Their impenitence takes liberties from grace, and makes excuses out of divine mercy.
• Their carnal security feeds on the fact of having heard the gospel.

4. It makes them worse and worse. The more rain, the more mire.

• The more grace misused, the more wicked the heart.
• The more unsanctified knowledge, the greater the capacity for evil.
• The more false profession, the more treachery.

II. SOME OF THESE WE HAVE KNOWN.

These marshes are at no great distance. They constitute an eye-sore, and a heart-sore, near at hand.

1. The talkative man, who lives in sin: flooded with knowledge, but destitute of love: fluent expression but no experience.
2. Those critics who note only the faults of Christians, and are quick to dwell on them; but are false themselves.
3. Those who receive orthodox truth, and yet love the world.
4. Those who feel impressed and moved, but never obey the word. They delight to hear the gospel, and only the gospel, and yet they have no spiritual life.
5. Those who are mere officials, and attend to religion in a mechanical manner. Judas is both treasurer and traitor, apostle and apostate. His descendants are among us.

III. SUCH PERSONS ARE IN A TERRIBLE PLIGHT.

Their condition is more than commonly dreadful.

1. Because they are not aware of it: they think it is well with them.
2. Because the ordinary means of blessing men have failed in their case. That which is a river of life to others is not so to them.
3. In some instances the very best means have failed. A special river of gracious opportunity has flowed down to them, but its streams have visited them in vain.
4. No known means now remain: "What shall I do unto thee?" What more can be hoped for from the economy of mercy?
5. Their ruin appears certain: they will be given over; left to themselves, to be barren marshes.
6. Their ruin is as terrible as it is sure: much like that of the cities of the plain — given to salt; only their doom will be less tolerable than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

IV. FROM THESE WE MAY LEARN.

1. A lesson of warning, lest we ourselves be visibly visited by gracestreams, and yet never profit thereby.
2. A lesson of arousing, lest we rest in ordinances, which in themselves are not necessarily a saving blessing.
3. A lesson of gratitude: if we are indeed healed by the life-river, let us bless the effectual grace of the Lord our God.
4. A lesson of quickening to ministers and other workers, that they may look well to the results of their labor, and not be making marshes where they wish to create fields rich with harvest.

Apropos

No persons appear less likely to be saved than your religious unbelievers. They wear an armor of proof. You cannot tell them anything new and striking, their heads are helmeted with religious knowledge; you cannot touch their hearts, for they wear the breast-plate of gospel-hardening. They bow assent to every truth, and yet believe nothing; they attend to every religious observance, and yet have no religion. No other suit of plate armor is one half so effective for warding off the strokes of truth as that which is forged in the arsenals of religion. I have more hope of an avowed infidel than of a gospel-proof hearer. — C. H. S.

Either the waters came not to these marshes; or if they did, they refused them, and so were given to salt, made like Sodom, barren and accursed. Some places have not the waters of the sanctuary, the doctrine of the gospel, and they are barren, and perish for want of the same, as Tyre and Sidon. Other places have them, and because they are impenitent, and will not receive the truth with the love of it, because they will not drink in these waters, therefore they are given to salt, they are barren, and must perish. So it was with Capernaum and Jerusalem (Matt. 11:23; 23:37-38); and so is it with many places in this nation, I fear.- William Greenhill

Certain persons are to be met with, at revival services, who are the first to enter the inquiry-room, but when full inquiry is made about their history it will be found that they are old practitioners, and have under gone conversion of a sort many times before. These are the plague and disgrace of a religious awakening. Easily affected, their piety itself is an affectation: they are not exactly hypocrites, but yet there is so little depth in them that they are next door to it. We heard of one who had been healed of lameness, so he said, but within a few days he took to his crutches again, and thereby cast grave doubt upon the professed healer. Even thus do these wretched converts raise a cry against admirable movements. They are a sort of people whom even the gospel does not bless — marshes, which even the river of life does not fertilize.
Who is the most miserable man on earth, and whither shall we go to seek him? Not to the tavern; not to the theater; not even to the brothel; but to the church! That man, who has sat, Sabbath after Sabbath, under the awakening and affecting calls of the gospel, and has hardened his heart against these calls, he is the man whose condition is the most desperate of all others. "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell." — Richard Cecil

The Latins used to say, "The corruption of what is best is the worst of all things."
Of all compounds of human weakness and depravity, the most repulsive is a bonfire of religious cant, which is all feeling and no principle, all talk and no character, all prayer and no life, all Sunday and no weekday. Ye whited sepulchers!""Ye generation of vipers? The holiest of men join the indignant outcry of the world against such nauseating hypocrisy. That is a wise and always timely petition of the Church of England: "From the deceits of the world, from the crafts of the devil, good Lord, deliver us!" — Austin Phelps

Charles Hadden Spurgeon

96. 沼澤地（Marshes）

「只是泥濘之地與窪濕之處不得醫治，必交給鹽地。」——以西結書 47:11 (11只是泥濘之地與窪濕之處不得治好，必為鹽地。)
先知在異象中看見那賜生命的河水湧流，並留意到它奇妙而有益的功效。
讓我們讀整章經文，並略作摘要。
先知同時也注意到：在某些地方，河水並未帶來祝福——有些沼澤仍舊荒蕪如初。

一、有些人，福音並不祝福他們

1. 福音在他們裡面停滯不前。他們聽道卻徒然；學習卻不實行；感動卻不決定；立志卻不履行。
2. 福音與他們的敗壞混合在一起，就像清水與沼澤的淤泥混在一處。他們用瞎眼觀看，用屬肉體的方式理解；他們接受真理，卻沒有接受真理的能力。
3. 福音反倒成了他們罪的養料，正如停滯的濁水滋生出粗硬酸臭的野草。
   
   
   • 他們的不信，把神的奧祕變成不信的藉口；
   • 他們的敵意，因恩典的主權而被激動；
   • 他們的不悔改，濫用恩典，從神的憐憫中找藉口；
   • 他們屬肉體的安全感，建立在「我聽過福音」這個事實上。
4. 福音使他們越來越敗壞。雨越多，泥越深；

• 恩典越被濫用，心就越邪惡；
• 未被成聖的知識越多，作惡的能力就越大；
• 虛假的信仰告白越多，背叛就越深。

二、我們當中就有這樣的人

這些沼澤並不遙遠，它們就在我們眼前，既刺眼，又刺痛人心。

1. 口才流利卻活在罪中的人：知識泛濫，卻沒有愛；言語流暢，卻沒有生命的經歷。
2. 只會批評基督徒的人：對別人的錯誤敏銳至極，卻對自己的虛假視而不見。
3. 接受正統真理，卻仍然愛世界的人。
4. 常受感動，卻從不順服的人：他們喜愛聽福音——只聽福音，卻毫無屬靈生命。
5. 只剩宗教職務的人：以機械化方式處理信仰。猶大既是管錢的，也是賣主的；既是使徒，也是背道者。
   他的後代，仍在我們中間。

三、這樣的人處境極其可怕

他們的光景，比一般人更加可怕。

1. 因為他們毫無察覺：他們以為自己一切都好。
2. 因為使人蒙福的一般途徑，在他們身上已經失效：對別人是生命之河，對他們卻毫無功效。
3. 甚至最好的途徑也失效了：特別的恩典之河曾流經他們，卻徒然無益。
4. 如今已無已知的方法可用：「我還能為你做什麼呢？」在憐憫的安排中，還能再有什麼指望？
5. 他們的滅亡似乎已成定局：他們將被交付出去，任憑自己，成為荒蕪的沼澤。
6. 他們的滅亡既確定，也極其可怕：如同平原諸城——交給鹽地；
   只是他們的結局，將比所多瑪與蛾摩拉更難忍受。

四、我們可以從中學到的功課

1. 警戒的功課：免得恩典的河流明明臨到我們，我們卻仍毫無得益。
2. 喚醒的功課：免得我們只停留在宗教禮儀中，卻以為那本身就能救人。
3. 感恩的功課：若我們真被生命之河醫治，就當讚美主我們神有效的恩典。
4. 催促事奉者的功課：叫傳道人與工人留意自己事工的結果，免得本想造出良田，卻製造了沼澤。

隨筆（Apropos）

沒有哪一類人，比宗教化的不信者更不像會得救。他們穿著一身防護甲。你無法告訴他們任何新鮮或震撼的事——他們的頭戴著宗教知識的頭盔；你也無法觸及他們的心——因為他們穿著「福音硬化」的胸甲。他們對每一條真理點頭稱是，卻什麼也不信；他們參與每一項宗教活動，卻毫無信仰。再沒有哪一副盔甲，比在宗教兵工廠裡打造出來的這一副，更能抵擋真理的攻擊。我對公開的無神論者，反倒比對「對福音免疫的聽眾」更有盼望。
——C. H. 司布真

要嘛，聖所的水根本沒有流到這些沼澤；要嘛，水流到了，他們卻拒絕接受，因此被交給鹽地，成為如所多瑪般荒涼、被咒詛之地。有些地方沒有福音的水，因此荒涼而滅亡，如推羅、西頓；另一些地方有這水，卻因不悔改、不以愛心接受真理、拒絕喝這活水，所以同樣成為鹽地，必然滅亡。迦百農與耶路撒冷正是如此（太 11:23  23迦百農啊，你已經升到天上（或譯：你將要升到天上嗎），將來必墜落陰；23:37–38 37「耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常殺害先知，又用石頭打死那奉差遣到你這裏來的人。我多次願意聚集你的兒女，好像母雞把小雞聚集在翅膀底下，只是你們不願意。 38看哪，你們的家成為荒場留給你們。）；我恐怕，這國中許多地方也是如此。——威廉．格林希爾（William Greenhill）

在復興聚會中，常會遇見一些人最先進入查詢室；但若仔細追問他們的屬靈歷史，就會發現他們是「老手」，已經「得救」過好幾次。這些人是復興的瘟疫與羞辱。他們容易受感動，甚至連他們的虔誠本身，都是一種表演。
他們不完全是假冒為善，卻因毫無深度，幾乎與假冒無異。有人自稱曾被醫治瘸腿，但幾天後又拄起拐杖，讓人對那位「醫治者」產生嚴重懷疑。這些可憐的「歸信者」，正是這樣敗壞了可貴的屬靈運動。他們是一類人——
連福音都無法祝福的人；是連生命之河也無法滋潤的沼澤。世上最悲慘的人是誰？我們該到哪裡去找他？不是酒館；不是劇院；甚至不是妓院；而是——教會！那個人，一個又一個主日坐在福音呼召之下，卻一次又一次硬著心拒絕，他的處境比任何人都更加絕望。「哥拉汛哪，你有禍了！伯賽大啊，你有禍了！
迦百農啊，你已經升到天上，將來必墜落陰間。」
——理查．西塞爾（Richard Cecil）

拉丁諺語說得好：「最美之物的敗壞，是最可怕的敗壞。」
在人性軟弱與敗壞的一切混合物中，最令人作嘔的，莫過於一堆宗教陳腔濫調的篝火：滿是感情，卻毫無原則；
滿口言談，卻毫無品格；滿是禱告，卻沒有生命；只有主日，沒有平日。「粉飾的墳墓！」「毒蛇的種類！」
連最聖潔的人，也會與世人一同對這樣噁心的假冒為善發出憤怒的控訴。英國國教的一個禱告，既智慧又合時：
「善良的主啊，求你救我們脫離世界的詭詐，脫離魔鬼的詭計。」
——奧斯汀．菲爾普斯（Austin Phelps）

查爾斯．哈登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）