GRACE的珍貴角落

「……存心忍耐，奔那擺在我們前面的路程。」（來12:1）

『…存心忍耐，奔…』是一件非常困難的事情。『奔』的時候，常是缺乏『忍耐』的時候；因為『奔』的時候，常是急急想達到目的的時候，我們平常說起『忍耐』，立刻就會聯想到『靜止』－一幕天使守護病榻的圖畫。然而我以為靜止的忍耐，並不是最難作到的忍耐。

我相信有一種忍耐，更難做到－就是那同時能『奔』的忍耐。固然，在悲傷的時候不動，在不幸的時候不言需要極大的忍耐；可是我知道一件事，需要更大的忍耐：就是在襲擊之下繼續工作－心中負著重壓，仍不停止往前『奔』；靈裡深感痛苦，仍然勉力盡職，這才是基督的忍耐！

許多時候，上帝要我們學習忍耐，不是在床上，乃是在街上。上帝要我們埋葬我們的悲哀，不是在寂靜中，乃是在活動中－在貿易中、在工場中、在交際的時候、在幫助別人的時候。沒有一種埋葬比這種埋葬更難；可是這就是所謂『…存心忍耐，奔…』。

哦，人子啊，這就是忍耐！這就是又等又奔的忍耐！雖然沒有一刻不背負著極大的憂傷，可是祂仍在迦拿變水為酒，在野地變餅濟眾。人們都求雲中的虹；我要求更大的：求叫我作一條雲中的虹－一條叫別人喜樂的虹！－馬得勝（Geo. Matheson）

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(另一版本)

『我信神祂怎樣對我說，事情也要怎樣成就。』（徒二十七章二十五節）

幾年前我乘船到美國去。這船上的船主，是一個很熱心的基督人。當船離開鈕方蘭海岸（Newfoundland）的時候，他對我敘述下面一段事實：

『上一次我經過此地，是在五星期前，船上發生了一件事，這件事情是我靈程上的一個大革新，在我們的乘客中間，有一位別立斯脫城的莫勒先生。那時因為霧，大輪船已經停頓了二十四小時。莫勒來對我說：「船主，我來告訴你：星期六下午我是一定要到魁北克（Quebec）的。」我說：「這是作不到的事。」他說：「很好，如果你的船不能叫我按時到達，神有別的方法的。五十七年以來，我從來沒有對人失過約。讓我們下去禱告。」

『我呆望著這位信神的人，心中在想：這個人不知道從那一家瘋人院裏出來的？我從來沒有聽見過這樣的話。我就對他說：「莫勒先生，你知不知道霧是多麼厚？」他答道：「不，　我的眼睛並不看霧的厚薄，我的眼睛只看見活的神，祂是管理我一生的環境的。」

『他跪下來作了一個很簡單的禱告，當他作完了，我正想接下去作的時候，他放他的手在我肩背上，叫我不要作。他說：「第一，你不相信神會答應你；第二，我相信神已經答應了，用不著你再求了。」  

『我呆呆地望著他，他對我說：「船主，我已經認識我的主五十七年了；在這五十七年中，神從來沒有一次不聽我過。起來，船主，把門打開，你要看見霧已經全消了。」我立起身來，霧果然已經全消了。星期六下午，莫勒如約到了魁北克。』－選

"I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."(Acts 27:25.)

I WENT to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, "The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, "Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon. "It is impossible," I said. "Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray."

I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this. "Mr. Mueller," I said, "do you know how dense this fog is?" "No," he replied, "my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life."

He knelt down and prayed one of the most simple prayers, and when he had finished I was going to pray; but he put his hand on my shoulder, and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will answer; and second I BELIEVE HE HAS, and there is no need whatever for you to pray about it."

I looked at him, and he said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the king. Get up, Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog gone." I got up, and the fog was indeed gone. On Saturday afternoon, George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement. --- Selected.

"If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word;
And our lives would be all sunshine
, In the sweetness of our Lord."