八月二日
这原是那位随已意行作万事的，照着他旨意所预定的。（弗1：11）
我们信神的大智，必须认爲他在救恩的工作上已经定了一种目的和计划。万物若没有他的设计会成爲什麽样子呢？海里会有鱼，空中会有鸟吗？不，每一块骨头、每一个关节、每一根筋腱、每一种腺体和每一条血管，都是神按着他无限大智所计划，所做成的。在每一处你都可看出神工作的记号。万物都是神的工作，都被他所治理，那末在恩典上他会率尔从事吗？神造物既有计划，那末他在救恩的工作上会不运用他的匠心吗？仰望神的智能吧！一个麻雀落在地上他都晓得，我们的头发他都能数过；神能用秤称你如山岭的悲伤，也能用天平平你如冈陵的灾难。神在一切事上都有他的智能，在恩典上会不用他的智能吗？核既经过神智慧的安派，仁也是不会随便让它瞎逢机遇的。
不，他从开头的时候就知道末了。他爲一切都有合适的安派，不单美丽的房角石、他爱子的血是如此，就是一切被选的石头都按它们的本性，经过他恩典的琢磨，安放在合适的地方；他所看的是整个的，他从房角看到屋檐，从底看到顶，从根基看到屋脊。他的心中清楚知道每一块石头应该安放在爲它所预备的地方，不管这个建筑有多大，当屋顶石安放起来的时候，必欢然高呼：“愿恩典，临到它。”最后在一个被拣选的恩典的器皿里必清楚看到，耶和华乃是按他自己的旨意行事；他恩典工程的每一部分都成全了他的旨意，幷荣耀了他自己的名。
August
2
“Who
worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” — Ephesians 1:11
Our belief in God’s wisdom supposes and necessitates that He has a
settled purpose and plan in the work of salvation. What would creation have
been without His design? Is there a fish in the sea, or a fowl in the air,
which was left to chance for its formation? Nay, in every bone, joint, and
muscle, sinew, gland, and blood-vessel, you mark the presence of a God working
everything according to the design of infinite wisdom. And shall God be present
in creation, ruling over all, and not in grace? Shall the new creation have the
fickle genius of free will to preside over it when divine counsel rules the old
creation? Look at Providence! Who knoweth not that not a sparrow falleth to the
ground without your Father? Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. God
weighs the mountains of our grief in scales, and the hills of our tribulation
in balances. And shall there be a God in providence and not in grace? Shall the
shell be ordained by wisdom and the kernel be left to blind chance. No; He knows
the end from the beginning. He sees in its appointed place, not merely the
corner-stone which He has laid in fair colours, in the blood of His dear Son,
but He beholds in their ordained position each of the chosen stones taken out
of the quarry of nature, and polished by His grace; He sees the whole from
corner to cornice, from base to roof, from foundation to pinnacle. He hath in
His mind a clear knowledge of every stone which shall be laid in its prepared
space, and how vast the edifice shall be, and when the top-stone shall be
brought forth with shoutings of “Grace! Grace! unto it.” At the last
it shall be clearly seen that in every chosen vessel of mercy, Jehovah did as
He willed with His own; and that in every part of the work of grace He
accomplished His purpose, and glorified His own name.
