7月30日清晨甘露


七月三十日

思想起來,就哭了。(可1472

有人認爲彼得終生一想到他不認主的事,泪泉就涌流如注。其實幷不一定這樣,因爲他的罪雖然很大,可是他所得的恩赦也是完全的。一切被救贖的人都有相同的經驗,便是要看神的靈把他的石心除去了多少。我們,像彼得一樣,也曾誇口說:衆人雖然跌倒,我總不能。我們常是把我們的話和悔改的苦菜同食。當我們想到我們的誓願和行動時,我們的心不能不難受得泪下如雨。

他想到他怎樣不承認主。他在什麽地方不承認主,他犯這可惡之罪的原因是多麽渺小,他怎樣發誓幷褻瀆,爲的是要證實他幷不認識主,幷且可怕的情景又怎樣地一再刺痛著他的心。當我們得知我們的罪,是多麽罪大惡極的時候,我們能若無其事地照舊硬立著心腸嗎?我們不願使我們的家成爲波金(士25)向神痛悔,求神再使我們得到赦罪之愛嗎?我們每逢看罪,眼裏不能不含著泪,不然我們的舌頭必受地獄之火的烤炙。

彼得也想到主他的愛。主在鶏叫以後用憂傷、憐憫和慈愛的眼光看彼得,那一看是彼得終生所不會忘記的,那一看比千萬沒有靈力的講章有力量得多。悔罪的使徒在想到救主完全的赦免使他恢復原來的地位之時,不能不痛哭流泪;每逢想到我們怎樣背弃和頂撞這樣恩慈善良的主,便不能不流泪哭泣。主啊!擊打我們的石心,使水流出來。


July 30

“And when he thought thereon, he wept.” —
Mark 14:72

It has been thought by
some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow
whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so,
(for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This
same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in
which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter,
remember our boastful promise: “Though all men shall forsake Thee, yet
will not I.” We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance.
When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been, we may
weep whole showers of grief. He thought on his denying his Lord. The place in
which he did it, the little cause which led him into such heinous sin, the
oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the
dreadful hardness of heart which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can
we, when we are reminded of our sins, and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid
and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for
renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin,
lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also
thought upon his Master’s look of love. The Lord followed up the cock’s warning
voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never
out of Peter’s mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten
thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would
be sure to weep when he recollected the Saviour’s full forgiveness, which
restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and
good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord,
smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow.

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