21. Clinging to the Altar

Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar .... And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. — 1 Kings 2:28-30
Joab's conscience pricks him when he hears that Solomon is dealing with other offenders.
Joab was a remorseless warrior, yet when his own turn comes he flies from death.
Joab had little enough of religion, yet he flies to the altar when the sword pursues him.
Joab refuses to quit his shelter, and falls slain at the altar.
Many are for running to the use of external religion when death threatens them. Then they go to greater lengths than Scripture prescribes; they not only go to the tabernacle of the Lord, but they must needs cling to the altar.

I. AN OUTWARD RESORT TO ORDINANCES AVAILS NOT FOR SALVATION.

• If a man will rest in external rites he will die there.
• Sacraments, in health or in sickness, are unavailing as means of salvation. They are intended only for those saved already, and will be injurious to others (1 Cor. 11:29).
• Religious observances: such as frequenting sermons, attending prayer-meetings, joining in Bible-readings, practicing family-prayer: all these put together cannot save a man from the punishment due to his sins. They are good things, but the merely formal practice of them cannot save.
• Ministers. These are looked upon by some dying persons with foolish reverence. In the hour of death resort is made to their prayers at the bedside. Importance is attached to funeral sermons, and ceremonials. What superstition!
• Professions. These may be correct, long, reputable, and eminent; but yet they may not be proofs of safety. Connection with the most pure of churches would be a poor ground of trust.
• Orthodoxy in doctrine, ordinances, and religious practices is much thought of by some; but it is terribly insufficient.
• Feelings. Dread, delight, dreaminess, despondency: these have, each in its turn, been relied upon as grounds of hope; but they are all futile.

What an awful thing to perish with your hand on the altar of God! Yet you must, unless your heart is renewed by divine grace.
The outward altar was never intended to be a sanctuary for the guilty. Read Exodus 21:14, where it is said of the criminal, "Thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die."

II. A SPIRITUAL RESORT TO THE TRUE ALTAR AVAILS FOR SALVATION. 

We will use Joab's case as an illustration.
  1. His act: he "caught hold on the horns of the altar."

• We do this spiritually by flying from the sword of Justice to the person of Jesus.
• And by taking hold upon his great atoning work, and thus through faith uniting ourselves to his propitiation.

  2. The fierce demand of his adversary: "Thus saith the king, Come forth!" This is the demand of:

• Unbelieving Pharisees who teach salvation by works.
• Accusing Conscience within the man.
• Satan, quoting Holy Scripture falsely.

  3. The desperate resolve of Joab, — "Nay, but I will die here:"
    This is a wise resolution, for we:

• Must perish elsewhere.
• Cannot make our case worse by clinging to Christ.
• Have nowhere else to cling. No other righteousness or sacrifice.
• Cannot be dragged away if we cling to Jesus.
• Receive hope from the fact that none have perished here.

4. The assured security. "He that believeth on the Son hath ever lasting life" (John 3:36).

• If you perished trusting in Jesus your ruin would
• Defeat God.
• Dishonor Christ.
• Dishearten Sinners from coming to Jesus
• Discourage Saints, making them doubt all the promises.
• Distress the Glorified, who have rejoiced over penitents, and would now see that they were mistaken.

Come, then, at once to the Lord Jesus, and lay hold on eternal life.
  You may come; he invites you.
  You should come; he commands you.
  You should come now; for now is the accepted time.

Cases in Point, etc.

During an epidemic of cholera, I remember being called up, at dead of night, to pray with a dying person. He had spent the Sabbath in going out upon an excursion, and at three on Monday morning I was standing by his bed. There was no Bible in the house, and he had often ridiculed the preacher; but before his senses left him he begged his servant to send for me. What could I do? He was unconscious; and there I stood, musing sadly upon the wretched condition of a man who had wickedly refused Christ, and yet superstitiously fled to his minister.

"Will you put it down in black and white what I am to believe?" wrote a lady to the Rev. Robert Howie. "I have been told of many different texts; and they are so many that I am bewildered. Please tell me one text, and I will try to believe it." The answer came, "It is not any one text, nor any number of texts that saves, any more than the man who fled to the City of Refuge was saved by reading the directions on the finger-posts. It is by believing on the person and work of the Lord Jesus that we are brought into life; and, once born again, are kept in that life."

When a man goes thirsty to the well, his thirst is not allayed merely by going there. On the contrary, it is increased by every step he goes. It is by what he draws out of the well that his thirst is satisfied. Just so it is not by the mere bodily exercise of waiting upon ordinances that you will ever come to peace, but by tasting of Jesus in the ordinances, whose flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed. — M'Cheyne

The Lord Jesus is well pleased that poor sinners should fly to him, and lay hold upon him; for this is to give him due glory as a gracious Savior, and this is to fulfill the purpose for which he has set himself apart. He claims to be a Deliverer; let us use him as what he professes to be, and so do him that honor which he most esteems. A Pilot loves to get the helm in his hand, a Physician delights to be trusted with hard cases, an Advocate is glad to get his brief; even so is Jesus happy to be used. Jesus longs to bless, and therefore he says to every sinner, as he did to the woman at the well, "Give me to drink." Oh to think that you can refresh your Redeemer! Poor sinner, haste to do it.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

21. 抓住祭壇

一、僅僅外在地倚靠宗教禮儀，不能使人得救

• 若一個人把盼望寄託在外在的宗教儀式上，他就會死在那裡。
• 聖禮——無論在健康或疾病中，都不能成為得救的途徑。聖禮本是為已經得救的人而設，對其他人反倒有害（林前 11:29 29因為人吃喝，若不分辨是主的身體，就是吃喝自己的罪了。）。
• 宗教活動——如常聽講道、參加禱告會、查經、實行家庭禱告；這一切加在一起，也不能救人脫離罪所當受的刑罰。這些都是好事，但僅僅形式化地實行，不能使人得救。
• 傳道人——有些臨終之人以愚昧的敬畏看待傳道人，在死亡時刻請他們到床邊禱告，並對喪禮講道與儀式賦予極大重要性。這是何等迷信！
• 信仰告白——即使正確、歷久、受人尊敬、聲名顯赫，也不一定是得救的證據。即便與最純正的教會有所連結，也是一個極不可靠的倚靠。
• 正統信仰——在教義、禮儀與宗教實踐上的正統，被許多人高度重視，但它遠遠不夠。
• 感覺——恐懼、喜樂、迷惘、沮喪，這些情緒輪流被人當作盼望的根據，但全都是虛空的。
  雙手抓著神的祭壇卻仍然滅亡，是何等可怕的事！然而，若你的心沒有被神的恩典更新，這正是你必然的結局。
  
  外在的祭壇從來不是為有罪之人作避難所的。請讀出埃及記 21:14：「你要把他從我壇那裡拉開，叫他死。 14人若任意用詭計殺了他的鄰舍，就是逃到我的壇那裏，也當捉去把他治死。
  」

二、屬靈地投奔真正的祭壇，才能使人得救

我們以約押的例子來說明。

1. 他的行動：「抓住祭壇的角」

• 在屬靈上，這就是逃離公義之劍，奔向耶穌基督。
• 並且抓住祂偉大的贖罪工作，藉著信心與祂的挽回祭聯合。

2. 仇敵猛烈的要求：「王如此說：你出來吧！」

這樣的呼聲來自：

• 教導靠行為得救的不信派法利賽人；
• 人心中的控告良心；
• 撒但錯誤地引用聖經。

3. 約押的絕望決心：「不然，我要死在這裡」

這是一個明智的決定，因為我們：

• 在別處必定滅亡；
• 緊緊抓住基督，不會使情況更糟；
• 再無別處可抓，沒有其他義，也沒有別的祭；
• 若抓住耶穌，就無法被拖走；
• 並且因為從未有人在這裡滅亡，而得著盼望。

4. 確實的保障

「信子的人有永生。」（約翰福音 3:36 36信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不着永生（原文是不得見永生），神的震怒常在他身上。」）

• 若有人因信靠耶穌而滅亡，那將會：
• 使神失敗；
• 羞辱基督；
• 使罪人喪膽，不敢再來就主；
• 使聖徒疑惑一切應許；
• 使榮耀中的聖徒憂傷——他們曾為悔改的人歡喜，如今卻發現自己錯了。

所以，現在就來到主耶穌面前，抓住永生吧！
你可以來，因為祂邀請你；
你應該來，因為祂命令你；
你現在就該來，因為現在正是悅納的時候。

實例

在一次霍亂流行期間，我記得曾在深夜被叫起來，去為一位臨終之人禱告。他主日整天外出遊玩，週一凌晨三點，我站在他的床邊。屋裡沒有聖經，他生前也常譏諷傳道人；然而在失去知覺之前，他卻請僕人來找我。我能做什麼呢？他已昏迷不醒，我只能悲傷地思想：一個邪惡地拒絕基督，卻又迷信地逃向傳道人的人，是何等淒慘。

一位女士寫信給羅伯特・豪伊牧師說：「請你清楚告訴我，我到底該信什麼？我被告知太多經文，已經完全困惑了。請告訴我一節經文，我就試著去信。」回信說：「不是一節經文，也不是許多經文使人得救，正如逃進逃城的人，不是因為讀了路標上的指示而得救；人得生命，是因為信靠主耶穌的位格與工作；而重生之後，也是在這生命中被保守。」

一個口渴的人走到井旁，並不因走到那裡就止渴；反而每走一步，渴得更厲害。唯有汲取井中的水，才能解渴。同樣，僅僅在外在禮儀上操練身體，永不能使你得平安；唯有在禮儀中嚐到耶穌——祂的肉真是可吃的，祂的血真是可喝的。（——麥琴）

主耶穌喜悅貧乏的罪人奔向祂、抓住祂；因為這正是把祂當作滿有恩典的救主，將當得的榮耀歸給祂，也成就了祂分別自己所要完成的目的。祂自稱為拯救者，就讓我們按祂所宣稱的來使用祂，這正是祂最看重的尊榮。
領航員喜歡握住舵柄，醫生樂於處理重症，律師樂於接到訴狀；照樣，耶穌也喜悅被人倚靠。祂渴望施恩，因此對每一個罪人說，正如祂對井旁的婦人所說：「請你給我水喝。」
想一想，你竟然可以使你的救主得安慰！可憐的罪人啊，快快來吧！
查爾斯・海登・司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

22. Consulting With Jesus

And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. I Kings 10:1
We may profitably consider the Queen of Sheba in her visit to Solomon, for she is given as a sign to us (Matt. 12:42). Surely she came from Arabia the Happy; but it is to be feared that many around us are dwellers in Arabia the Stony, for their hearts are hard as rocks. Jesus is greater than Solomon in wisdom, for he knows the Father himself, and all the riches of wisdom and knowledge are treasured up in him. It will be to our advantage to go to Jesus with all our doubts and troubles, and prove his love and wisdom.

I. LET US ADMIRE THE QUEEN'S MODE OF PROCEDURE.

  1. She would prove the king's wisdom by learning from him. The best way of knowing Christ is by becoming his disciple.
  2. She would prove him with many questions. Many are the knots in the line of life. "If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God."
  3. Those she asked were hard questions.

• Beyond herself.
• Beyond her wise men.
• But not beyond the capacious mind of Solomon.

  To ask such questions was to use the rare opportunity before her.
    Great wisdom deserves hard questions.
    Use Jesus as he is."An Interpreter, one among a thousand."
  To be asked such questions would please Solomon.

• Would show her belief in the report of his glory and learning.
• Would also ease her own mind; for many a perplexity would be removed for ever. The same is true of Jesus.

II. LET US IMITATE HER EXAMPLE, AND PROVE OUR GREATER SOLOMON WITH HARD QUESTIONS: 

Here are a few of them to begin with:—
  1. How can a man be just with God?
  2. How can God be just and the Justifier of him that believeth?
  3.How can a man be saved by faith alone without works, while yet it is true that a saved man must have good works?
  4.How can a man be born when he is old?
  5.How is it that God sees all things and yet no more sees the sins of believers?
  6.How can a man see the Father, who is invisible?
  7.How can it be true that that which is born of God sinneth not, and yet men born of God daily confess sin?
  8.How can a man be a new man, and yet have to sigh because of the old man?
  9.How can a man be sorrowful yet always rejoicing?
  10.How can a man's life be in heaven while yet he lives on the earth?
We read that Solomon told her all her questions, and we may rest assured that Jesus will teach us all that we need to know, for "in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3).

III. LET US ATTEND TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF A TRULY PRACTICAL CHARACTER.

• How can we come to Christ?
• How can we ask hard questions of Christ?
• How can he reply to us? By his Word, his Spirit, his Providence.
• How is it that none can come but those whom Jesus draws, and yet him that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out? Try both truths in your own experience, and they will prove themselves.
• How is it that there is a set time and a limited day, and yet the Lord bids us come to Jesus at once? Come and see.
• How is it that we have not come long ago?
• Why should we not come at this very moment?

Apples of Gold for Baskets of Silver

Philosophy was born a Pagan; but she may become a Christian, and should be christened "Mary." She may be proud to sit at Jesus' feet. Hellas coming to Judea's Messiah is a rarely beautiful sight. — Dr. Duncan

Questioners must be teachable. When Haydn was in London, a nobleman came to him for lessons in music, but found fault with all that Haydn said. At last, out of patience, the musician exclaimed, "I see, my lord, that it is you who are so good as to give lessons to me, and I am obliged to confess that I do not merit the honor of having such a master."

Do not suppose that Wisdom is so much flattered at having you for a pupil that she will set you easy lessons and yet give you the gold medal — T. T. Lynch

An example of the strange riddles of Christian experience is given in one of Ralph Erskine's "Gospel Sonnets": —
I'm sinful, yet I have no sin;
All spotted o'er, yet wholly clean;
Blackness and beauty both I share,
A hellish black, a heavenly fair.

The pilgrims when staying in the house of Gaius spent their time in asking and answering such riddles.
Those who lose their way because they will not ask are rather to be blamed than pitied. Men pay a great deal to obtain the opinion of a great physician; what shall we say of sick persons who will not consult the infallible Healer, though his cures are without fee? Jesus waits to be enquired of; but the most of men had rather follow their own crude thoughts than accept his infallible teachings. Let us not be among these; but having the golden opportunity of intercourse with such a Teacher, let us bring before him every difficulty, and, like Mary, sit at Jesus' feet, and learn of him.

The hard questions of life prove us, and make us see our own ignorance and folly. Yet we would not be without them, for they also prove Jesus, and display to us his knowledge and wisdom. We can remember hard questions in Providence which we could not answer, but he has made them clear as noonday; hard questions of inward conflict, which he has fully resolved; hard questions as to apparently unfulfilled promises, which we now comprehend; and hard questions of gospel doctrine, which we now see to be the truth in himself. Let us go on proving our Lord, but yet never tempting him. Every fair test, though it be far more stringent than those which Sheba's Queen imposed upon Solomon, Jesus is more than able to endure.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

22. 與耶穌商議（向耶穌求問）

示巴女王聽見所羅門因耶和華之名所得的名聲，就來用難題試問他。 ——列王紀上 10:1 (1示巴女王聽見所羅門因耶和華之名所得的名聲，就來要用難解的話試問所羅門。）
我們可以從示巴女王拜訪所羅門的事上得著極大的益處，因為她被賜給我們作為一個記號（太 12:42 42當審判的時候，南方的女王要起來定這世代的罪；因為她從地極而來，要聽所羅門的智慧話。看哪，在這裏有一人比所羅門更大！」）。她確實是從「幸福的阿拉伯」而來；但令人憂心的是，在我們周圍，卻有許多人彷彿住在「石頭般的阿拉伯」，因為他們的心硬如磐石。
耶穌在智慧上遠勝所羅門，因為祂親自認識父神，一切智慧和知識的豐富都藏在祂裡面。我們若把所有疑惑與困難都帶到耶穌面前，來試驗祂的愛與智慧，必定對我們大有益處。

一、讓我們敬佩示巴女王的行事方式

1. 她藉著向王學習來試驗他的智慧：認識基督最好的方法，就是成為祂的門徒。
2. 她用許多問題來試驗他：人生的道路上有許多打結的地方。「你們中間若有缺少智慧的，應當求那厚賜與眾人、也不斥責人的神。」
3. 她所問的是難題：

• 超過她自己的能力
• 超過她身邊的智慧人
• 卻沒有超過所羅門廣闊的心思

問這樣的問題，正是善用她眼前難得的機會：
大智慧配得難題
要按祂所是的來使用耶穌——「在千人中作解釋的那一位」

這樣的提問會使所羅門喜悅：

• 顯明她確實相信所聽見有關他榮耀與學問的報告
• 也能使她自己的心靈得釋放，許多困惑將永遠被解開。這一切，同樣適用於耶穌。

二、讓我們效法她的榜樣，用難題來試驗我們偉大的所羅門

以下是一些可以開始的問題：

1. 人怎能在神面前稱義？
2. 神怎能既是公義的，又稱信祂的人為義？
3. 人既然因信心而非行為得救，為何又必須有好行為？
4. 人老了，怎能重生？
5. 神既看見萬事，為何又不再看見信徒的罪？
6. 人怎能看見那不可見的父？
7. 為何經上說「從神生的就不犯罪」，而從神生的人卻天天認罪？
8. 人既成了新人，為何仍要因舊人而歎息？
9. 人怎能憂愁，卻又常常喜樂？
10. 人的生命怎能在天上，而他仍活在地上？

我們讀到所羅門把她一切所問的都告訴她；同樣，我們可以確信，耶穌必教導我們一切所需知道的事，因為「所積蓄的一切智慧知識，都在祂裡面藏著」（西 2:3 3所積蓄的一切智慧知識，都在他裏面藏着。）。

三、讓我們留意一些真正實際的問題

• 我們要如何來到基督面前？
• 我們如何向基督提出難題？
• 祂如何回答我們？——藉著祂的話語、祂的靈、祂的護理
• 為何「若不是耶穌吸引，人就不能來」，而「到祂那裡來的，祂總不丟棄」又同時為真？
  ——你在自己的經歷中同時實踐這兩個真理，它們就會彼此印證。
• 為何有定期、有日子，而主卻仍催促我們立刻來到耶穌面前？
  ——你來看看就知道。
• 為何我們早先沒有來？
• 為何我們現在不立刻來？

《銀網中的金蘋果》

哲學原是從異教中出生的；但她可以成為基督徒，並且應當受洗，取名為「馬利亞」。她可以自豪地坐在耶穌腳前。希臘來到猶大的彌賽亞面前，是一幅極其美麗的景象。——鄧肯博士（Dr. Duncan）

提問的人必須存可受教的心。海頓在倫敦時，有一位貴族來向他學音樂，卻對海頓所說的一切吹毛求疵。最後，音樂家忍無可忍地說：「我看出來了，閣下，原來是您屈尊來教導我；而我必須承認，我實在不配有這樣一位老師。」

不要以為智慧因你願意作學生就受寵若驚，以至於給你容易的課題，卻還頒給你金牌。
——T. T. 林奇

拉爾夫・厄斯金在《福音十四行詩》中，舉了一個基督徒經歷中奇妙謎語的例子：
我是罪人，卻沒有罪；
滿身斑點，卻全然潔淨；
黑暗與美麗，我同時擁有，
地獄般的黑，天國般的榮。

天路客住在該猶家中時，正是以彼此發問、解答這類謎語來度過時光。
那些因不肯發問而迷失方向的人，比起值得同情，更應當被責備。人們願意花重金請名醫診斷；那麼，對於拒絕向這位永不錯誤、且免費醫治的醫師求診的病人，我們還能說什麼呢？
耶穌正等候人來求問；但多數人寧可追隨自己粗糙的思想，也不肯接受祂毫無錯誤的教導。讓我們不要成為這樣的人；既然有與這位偉大教師相交的黃金機會，就把一切難處帶到祂面前，像馬利亞一樣，坐在耶穌腳前，向祂學習。

人生的難題試驗我們，使我們看見自己的無知與愚昧；然而我們也不願失去這些難題，因為它們同時也試驗耶穌，向我們顯明祂的知識與智慧。我們能記得：在神護理中的難題，當時無法解答，祂卻使之如正午般明亮；內心爭戰的難題，祂已完全解開；看似未應驗的應許，如今已能明白；福音教義中的難題，如今看見它們在祂自己身上全然為真。讓我們繼續試驗我們的主，卻永不試探祂。每一個公正的考驗，即便遠比示巴女王對所羅門的試驗更嚴格，耶穌也完全能夠承受。
查爾斯・海登・司布真

23. Heart-Communing

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. I Kings 10:2
It is not generally a wise thing to tell out all your heart. Samson reached the climax of folly when he did this to Delilah. Yet if we could meet with a Solomon who could solve all our difficulties, we might wisely do so.
We have a greater than Solomon in Jesus, who is incarnate Wisdom. The mischief is, that with him we are too silent, and with worldly friends, too communicative. This evil should be rectified.

I. WE OUGHT TO COMMUNE WITH HIM OF ALL THAT IS IN OUR HEART.

  1. Neglect of intercourse with Jesus is very unkind; for he invites us to talk with him, saying, "Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely" (Song of Sol. 2:14). Shall our heavenly Bridegroom be deprived of the fellowship of our souls?
  2. To conceal anything from so true a Friend betrays the sad fact that there is something wrong to be concealed.
  3. It shows a want of confidence in his love, or his sympathy, or his wisdom, if we cannot tell Jesus all that is in or upon our hearts. Between bride and Bridegroom there should be no secrets, or love will be wounded.
  4. It will be the cause of uneasiness to ourselves if we withhold anything from him. The responsibility will all rest with us, and this will weigh heavily.
  5. It will involve the loss of his counsel and help; for when we unbosom ourselves to him, he meets our case. If we hide our trouble, he may leave us to fret until we confide more fully in him.
  6. Reticence towards Jesus is greatly aggravated by our usual eagerness to tell our troubles to others. Will we make a confidant of man, and hide the matter from our God?

II. WE NEED NOT CEASE COMMUNING FOR WANT OF TOPICS.

   l. Our sorrows. He knows what they are, will comfort us under them, help us to profit by them, and in due time remove them.
  2. Our joys. He will sober and salt them. Joy without Jesus is the sun without light, the essence of it is gone. Joy without Jesus would be as evil as the golden calf which provoked the Lord to jealousy.
  3. Our service. He was a Servant, and therefore he knows our heart, and will sympathize with our difficulties. Let us speak freely.
  4. Our plans. He had zeal and ardor, and was quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord: he will gladly commune with us concerning all that is in our hearts to do for the Father.
  5. Our successes and failures should be reported at head-quarters. The disciples of the martyred John took up the body, and went and told Jesus (Matt. 14:12). Our Lord's own evangelists returned and told what had been done (Luke 9:10).
  6. Our desires. Holiness, usefulness, heaven: all these awaken the sympathy of Jesus: he prays for us about these things.
  7. Our fears: fears of falling, needing, failing, fainting, dying. To mention these to Jesus is to end them.
  8. Our loves. Of earth and of heaven, towards others and to himself. That love which we dare not tell to Jesus is an evil lusting.
  9. Our mysteries: incomprehensible feelings, undefinable uneasinesses, and complex emotions, will be all the better for being ventilated in Jesus's presence.

III. NOR SHALL WE CEASE COMMUNING FOR WANT OF REASONS.

  1. How ennobling and elevating is intercourse with the Son of God!
  2. How consoling and encouraging is fellowship with him who has overcome the world!
  3. How sanctifying and refining is union with the perfect One, who is the Lord our righteousness!
  4. How safe and healthy is a daily walk with the ever-blessed Son of man!
  5. How proper and natural for disciples to talk with their Teacher, and saints with their Savior!
  6. How delightful and heavenly is rapturous converse with the Beloved of our souls!

• Warning to those who never speak with Jesus. Will he not say at the last, "I never knew you"?
• Complaint of those who seldom commune with him. "Is this thy kindness to thy friend?"
• Hint to those who usually live in communion with him. Be sure: to keep up the holy intercourse; and to this end be very thorough, unlock every room in your house, and let Jesus enter.
• Congratulation of those who have long enjoyed his fellowship.

A workman in time of need would part with everything before his tools for to lose them would be to lose all. Reading the Word of God and prayer are the tools of the Christian's craft: without them he is helpless. How is it, then, that when time presses, he so often foregoes these, or shortens them? What is this but to sell his tools?
If there be anything I do, if there be anything I leave undone, let me be perfect in prayer. — Henry Martyn

Blessed be God that I may pray. — David Brainerd
He oft finds help who cloth his grief impart,
  And to tell sorrow halfens sorrow's smart. —Spenser

What would be said of a member of a family who refused to speak with his father or his brother? What a source of unhappiness to have such a person in the house! What, then, must be thought of a professed spouse of Jesus who has had no personal intercourse with him by the month together? Lack of holy communion is a very grievous thing. True love is communicative; it cannot bear to keep its secrets from its Beloved, nor to be restrained in its converse with him. Let the believer see to it that he is not like one of whom we asked, "How long is it since you had fellowship with Jesus?" and he answered, "It is so long ago that I have almost forgotten it." Was not this an evil sign?
Let us be simple with him then,
Not backward, stiff, or cold;
As though our Bethlehem could be
What Sinai was of old.

The believer should be familiar in the house over which Christ is set, and draw near with full assurance of faith. Come and tell him all your wants and desires freely, without concealing anything from him, for that would argue distance and distrust. The stronger faith is, the more wants it tells, and the more fully it tells them. Do you want anything of which you cannot tell your Lord? It argues either no real need, or else little faith. Strong faith hath free communion with heaven, and conceals nothing, but tells all (Eph. 3:12). "In whom we have boldness." The word translated boldness is "telling all." — Thomas Boston

Sing a hymn to Jesus, when the heart is faint;
Tell it all to Jesus, comfort or complaint:
If the work is sorrow, if the way is long,
If thou dread's" the morrow, tell it him in song;
Though thy heart be aching for the crown and palm,
Keep thy spirit waking with a faithful psalm.
— E. Paxton Hood
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

23. 心靈相通（與主傾心而談）

一、我們當把心中一切的事都與祂相通

1. 忽略與耶穌的交通是極其不仁的事：因為祂邀請我們與祂交談，說：「求你容我得見你的面貌，得聽你的聲音；因為你的聲音柔和，你的面貌秀美。」（歌 2:14 14又塗抹了在律例上所寫、攻擊我們、有礙於我們的字據，把它撤去，釘在十字架上。）難道我們要剝奪這位天上的新郎與我們靈魂相交的喜樂嗎？
2. 對這樣一位真誠的朋友有所隱瞞，顯明其中必有不正當之處：若有事必須隱藏，那件事本身就已說明問題。
3. 若不能把心中一切告訴耶穌，便顯出我們對祂的愛、同情或智慧缺乏信心：新婦與新郎之間不該有秘密，否則愛必受傷。
4. 向祂隱瞞事情，終將使我們自己不安：所有的責任都落在我們身上，這重擔必使心靈沉重。
5. 這也會使我們失去祂的指引與幫助：當我們向祂敞開心懷時，祂就親自處理我們的難處；若我們掩藏憂患，祂可能任憑我們焦躁，直到我們更完全地信靠祂。
6. 我們對耶穌的緘默，因我們慣常向人傾吐苦情而顯得更加嚴重：難道我們要以人為知己，卻對我們的神隱瞞嗎？

二、我們不會因缺乏話題而停止與祂相通

1. 我們的憂傷：祂知道這一切，會安慰我們，使我們從中得益，並在適當時候除去它們。
2. 我們的喜樂：祂會使喜樂純正而有分寸。沒有耶穌的喜樂，就像沒有光的太陽，本質已失；這樣的喜樂，反倒如同金牛犢，使主發怒。
3. 我們的服事：祂自己曾作僕人，因此明白我們的心，體恤我們的難處；讓我們坦然無懼地述說。
4. 我們的計畫：祂滿有熱心，並在敬畏耶和華上極有聰明；祂樂意與我們談論一切為父而行的心願。
5. 我們的成功與失敗：都當向總部回報。施洗約翰的門徒收殮他的屍體，就去告訴耶穌（太 14:12 12約翰的門徒來，把屍首領去埋葬了，就去告訴耶穌。）；主自己的傳道者回來，也向祂述說一切所行的（路 9:10 10使徒回來，將所做的事告訴耶穌，耶穌就帶他們暗暗地離開那裏，往一座城去；那城名叫伯賽大。）。
6. 我們的渴望：成聖、有用、進天國——這些都能喚起耶穌的同情，祂也為我們這些事代求。
7. 我們的恐懼：怕跌倒、怕缺乏、怕失敗、怕疲乏、怕死亡；把這些告訴耶穌，就是終結這些恐懼。
8. 我們的愛：對地上的、對天上的、對人的、對祂自己的。若有一種愛不敢告訴耶穌，那就是邪情私慾。
9. 我們的奧祕：那些難以理解的感受、說不出的不安、複雜的情緒，在耶穌面前傾吐出來，必大有益處。

三、我們也不會因缺乏理由而停止與祂相通

1. 與神的兒子相交，是何等尊貴、何等提升人心！
2. 與那已勝過世界的主交通，是何等安慰、何等鼓舞！
3. 與完全者——我們的義主——聯合，是何等成聖、何等煉淨！
4. 每日與那永遠蒙福的人子同行，是何等安全、何等健康！
5. 門徒與師傅交談，聖徒與救主相交，是何等合宜、何等自然！
6. 與靈魂所愛者親密交談，是何等甘甜、何等屬天！

• 對從不與耶穌交談者的警告

  到末日，祂豈不會說：「我從來不認識你們」嗎？

• 對很少與祂相通者的歎息

  「你向朋友所顯的慈愛，豈是這樣嗎？」

• 對常與祂相交者的提醒

  務要保持這聖潔的交通；為此，要徹底敞開你屋中的每一個房間，讓耶穌進來。

• 對長久享受祂同在者的祝賀

人在急需時，寧可捨棄一切，也不會丟棄工具，因為失去工具，就等於失去一切。讀神的話與禱告，正是基督徒工作的工具；沒有它們，人便毫無能力。那麼，為何在時間緊迫時，我們卻常常省略或縮短這些呢？這不正是把工具賣掉嗎？
若我有什麼該做的，或有什麼不該做的，願我在禱告上完全。——亨利・馬丁

感謝神，我可以禱告。——大衛・布雷納德

人若能傾吐心中憂傷，憂傷的痛楚便減去一半。——斯賓塞

若家中有一個成員，拒絕與父親或弟兄說話，人們會怎樣看他？這對全家而言，豈不是極大的痛苦？那麼，一位自稱為基督新婦的人，若連續數月都未曾與祂有親密的個人交通，又當如何看待？缺乏聖潔的相交，是極其嚴重的事。真正的愛必定是願意交通的；它不能忍受對所愛者保留秘密，也不能忍受被限制與祂交談。願信徒自省，不要成為那種人——當被問到：「你多久沒有與耶穌交通了？」卻回答說：「太久了，久到幾乎忘了。」這豈不是一個可怕的徵兆嗎？
讓我們在祂面前單純吧，
不退縮、不僵硬、不冷淡；
彷彿我們的伯利恆
仍是昔日的西奈山。

信徒當在基督掌權的家中自由出入，憑著充足的信心親近祂；把一切需要與渴望坦然告訴祂，毫不隱藏，因為隱藏顯出距離與不信。信心越強，告訴主的需要就越多、越完全。你是否有一樣不能告訴主的需要？那不是表示你並無真實的需要，就是信心微弱。強而有力的信心，與天有自由的交通，毫不隱瞞，凡事傾訴（弗 3:12 12我們因信耶穌，就在他裏面放膽無懼，篤信不疑地來到神面前。）：「我們在祂裡面放膽無懼。」這裡「放膽」一詞，意思就是「毫無保留地傾訴」。——湯瑪斯・波士頓

心靈疲乏時，向耶穌唱詩；
無論安慰或抱怨，都告訴耶穌；
若工作滿是憂傷，若道路漫長，
若你懼怕明日，就以詩歌告訴祂；
即使你心切慕冠冕與棕櫚，
仍要以忠信的詩歌，使靈警醒。
——E. Paxton Hood
查爾斯・海登・司布真 Charles Haddon Spurgeon

24. Elijah Fainting

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. I Kings 19:4
We may learn much from the lives of others Elijah himself is not only a prophet but a prophecy. His experience is our instruction.
Sometimes we enter into a strange and mysterious state of depression, and it is well to learn from Scripture that another has been in that Valley of Deathshade. Weary, and sick at heart, sorely tried ones are apt to faint. At such a time they imagine that some strange thing has happened unto them; but, indeed, it is not so. Looking down upon the sands of time they may see the print of a man's foot, and it ought to comfort them when they learn that he was no mean man, but a mighty servant of the Lord. Let us study:

I. ELIJAH'S WEAKNESS. "He requested for himself that he might die."
 
1. He was a man of like passions with us (James 5:17).

• He failed in the point wherein he was strongest; as many other saints have done. Abraham, Job, Moses, Peter, etc.
• This proved that he was strong not by nature, but in divine strength. He was no unfeeling man of iron, with nerves of steel. The wonder is not that he fainted, but that he ever stood up in the fierce heat which beat upon him.

  2. He suffered from a terrible reaction. Those who go up go down. The depth of depression is equal to the height of rapture.
  3. He suffered grievous disappointment, for Ahab was still under Jezebel's sway, and Israel was not won to Jehovah.
  4. He was sadly weary with the excitement of Carmel, and the unwonted run by the side of Ahab's chariot.
  5. His wish was folly. "O Lord, take away my life."

• He fled from death. If he wished to die, Jezebel would have obliged him, and he needed not to have fled.
• He was more needed than ever to maintain the good cause.
• That cause was also more than ordinarily hopeful, and he ought to have wished to live to see better times.
• He was never to die. Strange that he who was to escape death should cry, "Take away my life!" How unwise are our prayers when our spirits sink!

  6. His reason was untrue. It was not enough: and the Lord had made him, in some respects, better than his fathers.

• He had more to do than they, and he was stronger, more bold, more lonely in witness, and more terrible in majesty.
• He had more to enjoy than most of the other prophets, for he had greater power with God, and had wrought miracles surpassed by none.
• He had been more favored by special providence and peculiar grace, and was yet to rise above all others in the manner of his departure: the chariots of God were to wait upon him.

II. GOD'S TENDERNESS TO HIM.

  1. He allowed him to sleep: this was better than medicine, or inward rebuke, or spiritual instruction.
  2. He fed him with food convenient and miraculously nourishing.
  3. He made him perceive angelic care. "An angel touched him."
  4. He allowed him to tell his grief (verse 10): this is often the readiest relief. He stated his case, and in so doing eased his mind.
  5. He revealed himself and his ways. The wind, earthquake, fire, and still small voice were voices from God. When we know what God is we are less troubled about other matters.
  6. He told him good news: "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel" (verse 18). His sense of loneliness was thus removed.
  7. He gave him more to do-to anoint others by whom the Lord's purposes of chastisement and instruction should be carried on.

Let us learn some useful lessons.

• It is seldom right to pray to die; that matter is best left with God; we may not destroy our own lives, nor ask the Lord to do so.
• To the sinner it is never right to seek to die; for death to him is hell. The willful suicide seals his own sure condemnation.
• To the saint such a wish is allowable, only within bounds. He may long for heaven, but not for the mere sake of getting away from service or suffering, disappointment or dishonor.
• To desire death may be proper under some aspects; but not to pray for it with eagerness.
• When we do wish to die, the reason must not be impatient, passionate, petulant, proud, or indolent.
• We have no idea of what is in store for us in this life. We may yet see the cause prosper and ourselves successful.
• In any case let us trust in the Lord and do good, and we need never be afraid.

Selections

What is this we hear? Elijah fainting and giving up! that heroical Spirit dejected and prostrate! He that durst say to Ahab's face, "It is thou and thy father's house that trouble Israel"; he that could raise the dead, open and shut the heavens, fetch down both fire and water with his prayers; he that durst chide and contest with all Israel; that durst kill the four hundred and fifty Baalites with the sword — doth he shrink at the frowns and threats of a woman? Doth he wish to be rid of his life, because he feared to lose it? Who can expect an undaunted constancy from flesh and blood when Elijah fails? The strongest and holiest saint upon earth is subject to some qualms of fear and infirmity: to be always and unchangeably good is proper only to the glorious spirits in heaven. Thus the wise and holy God will have his power perfected in our weakness. It is in vain for us, while we carry this flesh about us, to hope for so exact health as not to be cast down sometimes with fits of spiritual distemper. It is no new thing for holy men to wish for death: who can either marvel at or blame the desire of advantage? For the weary traveler to long for rest, the prisoner for liberty, the banished for home, it is so natural, that the contrary disposition were monstrous. The benefit of the change is a just motive to our appetition; but to call for death out of a satiety of life, out of an impatience of suffering, is a weakness unbeseeming a saint. It is not enough, O Elijah! God hath more work yet for thee: thy God hath more honored thee than thy fathers, and thou shalt live to honor him.

Toil and sorrow have lulled the prophet asleep under this junipertree; that wholesome shade was well chosen for his repose. While death was called for, the cozen of death comes unbidden; the angel of God waits on him in that hard lodging. No wilderness is too solitary for the attendance of those blessed spirits. As he is guarded, so is he awaked by that messenger of God, and stirred up from his rest to his repast; while he slept, his breakfast is made ready for him by those spiritual hands: "There was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head." Oh, the never-ceasing care and providence of the Almighty, not to be barred by any place, by any condition! When means are wanting to us, when we are wanting to ourselves, when to God, even then cloth he follow us with his mercy, and cast favor upon us, beyond, against expectation! What variety of purveyance cloth he make for his servant! One while the ravens, then the Sareptan, now the angel, shall be his caterer; none of them without a miracle: those other provided for him waking, this sleeping. O God! the eye of thy providence is not dimmer, the hand of thy power is not shorter: only teach thou us to serve thee, to trust thee. — Bp. Hall

Elijah "arose and went for his life." But better he had stood to his task as a prophet, and answered as Chrysostom did when Eudoxia the empress threatened him. "Go tell her;' said he, "I fear nothing but sin"; or as Basil did, when Valens, the Arian emperor, sent him word that he would be the death of him: would he would," said he, "I shall but go to heaven the sooner." Luther had his fits of fear, though ordinarily he could say, "I care neither for the Pope's-favor nor fury." Gregory doubted not to say, that because Elijah began to be tickled with high conceits of himself for the great acts which he had done, he was suffered thus to fear, and to fall beneath himself, for his humiliation. The like we see in Peter, scared by a silly wench: to show us how weak, even as water, we are, when left a little to ourselves. — John Trap?

Who told Elijah it was "enough"? God did not; he knew what was enough for Elijah to do and to suffer. It was not enough. God had more to teach him, and had more work for him to do. If the Lord had taken him at his word, and had also said "it is enough," Elijah's history would have wanted its crowning glory. — Kitto

It cannot be denied, that in the expression "it is enough!" we behold the anguish of a soul which, disappointed in its fairest expectations, seems to despair of God and of the world, and is impatient and weary of the cross; a soul which, like Jonah, is dissatisfied with the dealings of the Almighty, and by desiring death, seeks, as it were, to give him to understand, that it is come to such an extremity, that nothing is left but the melancholy wish to escape by death from its sufferings. Nevertheless, a Divine and believing longing accompanied even this carnal excitement in the soul of Elijah, which, thirsting after God, struck its pinions upwards to the eternal light; yes, the key-note of this mournful lamentation was the filial thought that the heart of his Father in heaven would be moved towards him, that his merciful God would again shine forth upon his darkness, and comfort the soul of his servant. Thus we see, in the prayer of our prophet, the elements of the natural and of the spiritual life fermenting together in strange intermixture. The sparks of nature and of grace, mutually opposing each other, blaze up together in one flame. The metal is in the furnace, the heat of which brings impurity to light; but who does not forget the scum and the dross at the sight of the fine gold? —F. W. Krummacher

I. The cause of Elijah's despondency. (1) Relaxation of physical strength. (2) Second cause — Want of sympathy. "I, even I only, am left." Lay the stress on only. The loneliness of his position was shocking to Elijah. (3) Want of occupation. As long as Elijah had a prophet's work to do, severe as that work was, all went on healthily: but his occupation was gone. Tomorrow and the day after, what has he left on earth to do? The misery of having nothing to do proceeds from causes voluntary or involuntary in their nature. (4) Fourth cause — Disappointment in his expectations of success. On Carmel the great object for which Elijah had lived seemed on the point of being realized. Baal's prophets were slain — Jehovah acknowledged with one voice: false worship put down. Elijah's life-aim — the transformation of Israel into a kingdom of God — was all but accomplished. In a single day all this bright picture was annihilated.

II. God's treatment of it. (1) First, he recruited his servant's exhausted strength. Read the history. Miraculous meals are given — then Elijah sleeps, wakes, and eats: on the strength of that, he goes forty days' journey. (2) Next, Jehovah calmed his stormy mind by the healing influences of nature. He commanded the hurricane to sweep the sky, and the earthquake to shake the ground. He lighted up the heavens till they were one mass of fire. All this expressed and reflected Elijah's feelings. The mode in which nature soothes us is by finding meeter and nobler utterances for our feelings than we can find in words — by expressing and exalting them. In expression there is relief. (3) Besides, God made him feel the earnestness of life. What doest thou here, Elijah? Life is for doing. A prophet's life for nobler doing — and the prophet was not doing, but moaning. Such a voice repeats itself to all of us, rousing us from our lethargy, or our despondency, or our protracted leisure, "What doest thou here?" here in this short life. (4) He completed the cure by the assurance of victory. "Yet have I left me seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So, then, Elijah's life had no failure after all. — F. W. Robertson

Charles Hadden Spurgeon

24. 以利亞的灰心

他自己走了一日的路程，來到曠野，坐在一棵羅騰樹下，就求死，說：「耶和華啊，罷了！求你取我的性命，因為我不勝於我的列祖。」——列王紀上 19:4 ( 4自己在曠野走了一日的路程，來到一棵羅騰樹下（羅騰，小樹名，松類；下同），就坐在那裏求死，說：「耶和華啊，罷了！求你取我的性命，因為我不勝於我的列祖。」)
我們可以從他人的生命中學到許多功課。以利亞不只是先知，他本身也是一個預表；他的經歷成了我們的教訓。
有時我們會陷入一種奇異而難以解釋的低潮狀態；此時，從聖經得知「早已有他人走過這死亡蔭影的幽谷」，實在大有幫助。疲乏、心靈憂傷、遭受嚴厲試煉的人，極易灰心。在那樣的時刻，人會以為自己遭遇了前所未有的怪事；其實不然。若俯視時間的沙灘，我們會看到一個人的腳印，而當得知那人並非庸常之輩，乃是主大能的僕人時，心便得安慰。
讓我們來思想——

一、以利亞的軟弱

「他求死。」

1. 他與我們一樣，有同樣的性情（雅 5:17 17以利亞與我們是一樣性情的人，他懇切禱告，求不要下雨，雨就三年零六個月不下在地上。）

• 他正是在自己最剛強之處失敗，正如許多聖徒一樣：亞伯拉罕、約伯、摩西、彼得等。
• 這證明他的剛強並非出於天性，而是出於神的能力。他不是鐵石心腸、鋼鐵神經的人。奇妙的不是他曾灰心，而是他竟能在猛烈的烈日下站立那麼久。

2. 他承受了極大的反彈：人上升之後，往往隨之而下沉；低谷的深度，正與高峰的高度相等。
3. 他遭受了沉重的失望：亞哈仍在耶洗別的掌控之下，以色列並未歸向耶和華。
4. 他身心極度疲憊：迦密山的激烈爭戰，加上非常規地奔跑在亞哈車旁，使他筋疲力盡。
5. 他的祈求是愚昧的：「主啊，取我的性命！」

• 他其實是在逃避死亡；若他真想死，耶洗別早就能成全他，他根本不必逃跑。
• 此時此刻，他比任何時候都更需要活著，來持守善工。
• 那事工也比以往更充滿盼望；他本該渴望活著，看見更好的時代。
• 何等奇怪！這位根本不會死的人，竟呼喊：「取我的性命！」當靈魂下沉時，我們的禱告何其愚昧！

6. 他的理由並不真實
   

• 「夠了」並不是真的；主在某些方面確實使他勝過列祖。
• 他肩負更多使命，更剛強、更勇敢、更孤單地作見證，也更具屬靈威嚴。
• 他享有更大的特權——與神更親近，行了無與倫比的神蹟，並蒙特殊的護理與恩典；而且，他將以無人能及的方式離世——神的戰車要迎接他。

二、神對他的溫柔憐憫

1. 神讓他安睡：這比藥物、責備或屬靈教訓更有效。
2. 神供應合宜、奇妙滋養的食物
3. 神使他感受到天使的看顧：「有一位天使拍他。」
4. 神容許他傾訴憂苦（10 節 10他說：「我為耶和華－萬軍之神大發熱心；因為以色列人背棄了你的約，毀壞了你的壇，用刀殺了你的先知，只剩下我一個人，他們還要尋索我的命。」）：這往往是最迅速的醫治；說出來，心就得釋放。
5. 神向他顯明自己與祂的作為：大風、地震、火、微小的聲音，都是神的聲音。當我們真正認識神，其他事便不再那麼困擾我們。
6. 神告訴他好消息：「我在以色列中為自己留下七千人」（18 節 18但我在以色列人中為自己留下七千人，是未曾向巴力屈膝的，未曾與巴力親嘴的。」），他的孤單感因此被醫治。
7. 神賜給他新的使命去膏立他人，使神的管教與教訓繼續推進。

屬靈教訓

• 通常不應禱告求死；這事當交託神。
• 對罪人而言，求死永遠不對，因為死亡對他就是地獄。
• 對聖徒而言，只能有限度地渴望離世——
• 為天國，不是為逃避責任、痛苦或羞辱。
• 若渴望死亡，動機不可是急躁、驕傲、懶惰或任性。
• 我們並不知道神在今生為我們預備了什麼；或許仍將看見事工興旺、自己蒙用。
• 無論如何，倚靠耶和華、行善，就無須懼怕。

精選評論（節錄翻譯）

選文：以利亞的灰心與神的扶持

我們聽到什麼？以利亞竟然灰心、想要放棄！那位英勇的靈魂，如此憂懼與屈服！他曾敢當面對亞哈說：「是你和你父的家使以色列遭難！」他能使死人復活，開關天門，藉祈禱降火降水；他敢責備整個以色列，敢用刀殺掉四百五十個巴力先知——如今卻因一個女人的怒視與威脅而退縮嗎？他竟然想結束自己的生命，因為害怕失去它？若連以利亞都會動搖，誰還能指望血肉之軀有無畏的恒心呢？即便地上最堅強、最聖潔的聖徒，也難免心生恐懼與軟弱；永遠不變的善良，只屬於天上的榮耀靈魂。於是，智慧而聖潔的神要在我們的軟弱中彰顯祂的能力。我們帶著這血肉之軀，卻希望自己總是心志堅定，不偶爾陷入屬靈低潮，這是徒然的。聖人渴望死亡並非新鮮事；誰能奇怪或責怪他們呢？疲憊的旅人渴望休息，囚徒盼望自由，被放逐者思念故鄉，都是極自然的；若反之，才是怪異。變化的益處是正當的動機，但因厭倦生命、急於擺脫痛苦而求死，是不配聖徒的軟弱。「夠了嗎？以利亞啊！不夠！神還有工作要你完成；你的神已比你的列祖更尊榮你，你仍要活著來尊榮祂。」

勞苦與悲哀使先知在羅騰樹下沉睡；那蔭涼是安眠的好地方。當他呼求死亡時，死亡的騙子卻無聲來臨；神的天使守護在他身邊。在這荒野中，也無處可阻擋神賜福靈的照應。他被看顧，也被天使喚醒，從休息中喚起去吃飯；當他沉睡時，天使已為他準備好早餐：「炭火上有烤餅，頭邊有水壺。」啊，萬有的上帝！祢的看顧不因任何地方或條件而中斷！當我們缺乏手段、缺乏自己、甚至在神面前似乎軟弱時，祂仍以慈愛追隨，出乎我們意料地賜恩！祂為僕人提供各種供應：有時是渡鴉，有時是撒勒法的寡婦，如今又是天使；每一項都伴隨神蹟：醒著時有，睡著時也有。哦，神啊！祢的眼不暗，祢的手不短，只願祢教我們服事祢，倚靠祢。
——主教霍爾（Bp. Hall）

以利亞「起來，為了性命而行」。但更理想的是，他應如基利蘇多莫斯（Chrysostom）所行，當尤多西婭皇后威脅時說：「去告訴她吧，我只懼怕罪。」或如巴西流（Basil）對亞流派皇帝瓦倫斯說：「他想害死我？很好，我只會更早上天堂。」路德也有恐懼，但平常能說：「我不在意教皇的好惡或憤怒。」格里高利說，當以利亞因自己偉大的作為而心生驕傲時，神允許他恐懼、低頭，以成謙卑。我們也見彼得因一個愚蠢的少女而受驚：這顯示人若稍稍獨自面對自己，是多麼脆弱如水。——約翰·特拉普（John Trap）

誰告訴以利亞「夠了」？不是神。神知道以利亞所要行與所要受的，並不夠。神還要教導他更多，也有更多工作給他做。若主聽從他求死的話，並說「夠了」，以利亞的歷史就少了它的榮耀冠冕。——基托（Kitto）

無可否認，「夠了！」這句話中，我們看到一顆靈魂的痛苦——當最美好的期望破滅時，似乎絕望於神與世界，對十字架心生急躁與疲倦；如約拿般不滿神的作為，求死彷彿是要告訴神「我已走到極限，只剩下這悲哀的願望，希望透過死亡逃避痛苦」。然而，神聖且信靠的渴望仍伴隨以利亞心中的肉體激動，他渴慕神，心翼高飛向永恆光明；這哀痛的主調，正是他心中對天父的孝心，相信憐憫的神會再次照亮他的黑暗，安慰僕人靈魂。
因此，在以利亞禱告中，我們看到自然生命與屬靈生命的元素奇異交融；自然與恩典的火花相互對立，卻同時燃燒成一個火焰。金屬置於熔爐，熱將不純之物顯出，但誰不會在見到精金時忘記渣滓？——F. W. 克魯馬赫（F. W. Krummacher）

一、以利亞灰心的原因

1. 體力衰弱

2. 缺乏同情與陪伴「只有我自己剩下。」
   ——特別強調「只有」。孤單的處境讓以利亞震驚。

3. 缺乏事工
   當以利亞有先知的工作要做時，雖嚴峻，一切都順利；但工作消失後，他又能做什麼呢？無事可做的痛苦，來自自願或非自願的原因。

4. 期望落空
   迦密山的目標幾乎完成：巴力先知被殺、以色列齊聲認耶和華、假拜偶像被制止；以利亞生命的目標——將以色列轉化為神的國——幾乎實現。然而，一天之內，所有美景化為烏有。

二、神對他的處理

1. 恢復體力
   奇蹟般的食物供應，使以利亞能睡、醒、吃；憑這力量，他行了四十天的路程。

2. 自然界的安慰
   神用風、地震、火來安撫他狂亂的心，這些現象表達並映照他的感受。自然的安慰方式，往往比語言更能表達情感，並將其提升。

3. 讓他感受到生命的重要性
   「以利亞啊，你在這裡做什麼？」生命是用來行事的；先知的生命是為了更崇高的事工，而他只是哀嘆。這聲音也呼喚我們：「你在這短暫的生命中在做什麼？」

4. 給予勝利的保證
   「我在以色列中仍為自己留下七千人，未曾向巴力下拜。」所以，以利亞的一生並未失敗。——F. W. 羅伯遜（F. W. Robertson）

查爾斯・海登・司布真

25. A Frivolous Exercise

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him,
So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. I Kings 20:40
A man must be hard run indeed when he cannot forge an excuse. This is a very common one for the loss of the soul: "I was very busy, and had no time to attend to religion." They say, "a bad excuse is better than none:" this is very questionable. Here is an excuse which condemned the man who made it. The man in the prophet's story was ordered to keep a prisoner, and it became his first duty to do so; but he preferred to follow out his own wishes, and attend to his private concerns, and so the prisoner "was gone." It is clear that he had power to have attended to the king's business, for he attended to his own. His excuse was a confession that he was willfully disobedient.

I. IT IS AN EXCUSE WHICH SOME CANNOT USE.

  1. They have but little to occupy them. They are noblemen, or ladies with no occupation, or persons of large leisure, or invalids who can do nothing for a livelihood, and therefore have ample time for reflection and reading.
  2. They have done all their hard work, and are retired upon their savings, and find it hard to pass their time.
  3. They are never busy, for they are idlers whom nothing could provoke to industry. They kill time.

II. IT IS AN EXCUSE WHICH IS NOT VALID.

  1. There was no absolute need to be so busy. Many people make slaves of themselves with a view to gain, when they could earn enough for their needs, and yet have abundant leisure to care for their souls.
  2. To have believed in the Lord would have lessened the needful care of life, and so the pressure of business would have been lightened. The fact is that no man can afford to neglect his soul, for thus he hinders his own life-work.
  3. You find time for other necessaries,-to eat, drink, dress, converse, and sleep. And have you no time to feed your soul, to drink the living water, to put on the robe of righteousness, to talk with God, and to find rest in Christ?
  4. You have time for diversion. Think of the many hours wasted in idle chat, unprofitable reading, or worse. If offered a holiday, or an evening's entertainment, you make time if you cannot find it. You have, then, time for weightier matters.
  5. You find time for judging others, questioning great truths, spying out difficulties, and quibbling over trifles. Have you no time for self-examination, study of the word, and seeking, the Lord? Of course you have; where is it?

III. IT IS AN EXCUSE WHICH ACCUSES THE PERSON WHO MAKES IT.

  1. You have enjoyed many mercies in your daily work, for you have been able to attend to your business; should not these have won your gratitude?
  2. You have seen many trials while busy here and there; why did they not lead you to God?
  3. You have abilities for business; and these should have been used for God. Did he not give them to you? Why expend them on your own selfish money-getting?

IV. IT IS AN EXCUSE WHICH WILL WOUND THE MEMORY OF SOME.

• To have worked hard for nothing: to live hard, and lie hard, and yet to fail, and die poor at last, will be sad.
• To have to leave all when you have succeeded in accumulating wealth will be wretched work. Yet so it must be.

V. IT IS AN EXCUSE WHICH CANNOT RESTORE THE LOSS.

• If you have lost the time, you certainly had it entrusted to you, and you will be called to account for it: but you cannot regain it, nor make up for its loss .
• How wretched to have spent a life in idly traveling, collecting shells, reading novels, etc., and to have therefore left no space for serving God, and knowing the Redeemer!
• Men do worse than this: they sin, they lead others to sin, they invent ways of killing time, and then say they have no time.
• They give their minds to skeptical thought, to propagating atheism, undermining Scripture, or arguing against the gospel, and yet have no time to believe and live!
• Call to the young to use time while time is theirs.
• Call to the aged to spend the remnant of their days well.
• Call to Christians to look well to their children's souls, lest they slip from under their influence while they are busy here and there.
• Call to experienced believers to see to their own joy in the Lord, lest they lose it in the throng.

In London, such is the hum of business, that the great clock of St. Paul's may strike many times and not be heard. God speaks often, and men hear him not because other voices deafen them. A great earthquake happened when two armies were in the heat of battle, and none of the combatants knew of it. Preoccupation of mind will prevent the most solemn things from having due weight with us.

Nero, when Rome was famishing, sent ships to Alexandria, not to bring corn for the starving people, but to fetch sand for the arena. He fiddled while Rome was burning Are not many thus cruel to themselves? Are they not spending, on fleeting merriments, precious hours, which should be used in seeking after pleasures for evermore?

Whatever negligence may creep into your studies, or into your pursuits of pleasure or of business, let there be one point, at least, on which you are always watchful, always alive: I mean, in the performance of your religious duties. Let nothing induce you, even for a day, to neglect the perusal of Scripture. You know the value of prayer; it is precious beyond all price. Never, never neglect it. — Buxton to his Son

King Henry the Fourth asked the Duke of Alva if he had observed the great eclipse of the sun which had lately happened. "No," said the Duke, "I have so much to do on earth, that I have no leisure to look up to heaven." Ah, that this were not true of professors in these days! It is sad to think how their hearts and time are so taken up with earthly things, that they have no leisure to look after Christ and the things that belong to their everlasting peace. — Thomas Brooks

A treatise on the excellence and dignity of the soul, by Claude, Bishop of Toul, ends thus: "I have but one soul, and I will value it."
Moments seize;
Heaven's on their wing: a moment we may wish,
When worlds want wealth to buy.
— Young

Grotius, the historian, cried in death, "Ah, I have consumed my life in a laborious doing of nothing. I would give all my learning and honor for the plain integrity of John Urick" (a poor man of eminent piety).

A dying nobleman exclaimed, "Good God, how have I employed myself! In what delirium has my life been passed! What have I been doing while the sun in its race, and the stars in their courses, have lent their beams, perhaps only to light me to perdition! I have pursued shadows, and entertained myself with dreams. I have been treasuring up dust, and sporting myself with the wind. I might have grazed with the beasts of the field, or sung with the birds of the woods, to much better purpose than any for which I have lived."
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

25．輕率而虛空的忙碌

「你僕人正在這裡那裡忙亂的時候，那人就不見了。」以色列王對他說：「你這樣的判斷，正是定了自己的罪。」——列王紀上 20:40 (40僕人正在忙亂之間，那人就不見了。」以色列王對他說：「你自己定妥了，必照樣判斷你。」 )
一個人若連藉口都編不出來，那真是走投無路了；然而，這卻是人喪失靈魂時最常用的一個藉口：「我實在太忙了，沒有時間顧到宗教的事。」有人說：「有個爛藉口，總比沒有藉口好。」這話是否成立，大有可疑。因為這裡有一個藉口，正好定了說這話之人的罪。在先知的故事中，那人奉命看守一名囚犯，這是他首要、不可推卸的責任；但他寧可隨從自己的心意，去辦理私事，結果囚犯「逃走了」。顯然，他有能力顧及王的事，因為他確實顧到了自己的事；他的藉口其實就是一種承認——他是故意不順服。

一、這是一個有些人根本不能用的藉口

1. 有些人幾乎沒有什麼事可忙：他們是貴族、闊太太、擁有大量閒暇的人，或是無法工作、無需謀生的病人，因此有充分的時間思想與閱讀。
2. 有些人已完成一生的勞苦，靠積蓄退休，反而覺得日子難以打發。
3. 有些人從不忙碌，因為他們本是懶惰之人，任何事都不能激起他們的勤奮；他們只是消磨時間。

二、這是一個站不住腳的藉口

1. 其實沒有非要那麼忙不可。許多人為了多得財利，把自己變成奴隸；其實只要滿足生活所需，仍可有充裕時間顧念靈魂。
2. 若信靠主，生活所需的憂慮反而會減輕，事務的壓力也會變小。事實上，沒有人付得起忽略自己靈魂的代價，因為這正妨礙了他一生真正的使命。
3. 你總有時間吃、喝、穿衣、交談、睡覺；難道就沒有時間餵養靈魂、飲活水、披上義袍、與神交談、在基督裡得安息嗎？
4. 你有時間娛樂——多少小時浪費在閒談、無益的閱讀，甚至更糟的事情上！若有假期或晚間娛樂，你總能「擠出時間」；那麼，你當然也有時間處理更重要的事。
5. 你有時間論斷別人、質疑真理、挑剔難題、在小事上爭辯；難道就沒有時間自省、查考聖經、尋求主嗎？你當然有——只是那時間在哪裡呢？

三、這是一個控告說這藉口之人的藉口

1. 你在日常工作中享受了許多恩典——你能順利做事，這本身就該引你感恩。
2. 你在忙碌中也經歷了不少試煉，為何這些沒有把你帶到神面前？
3. 你有經營事業的才幹，這些能力不是神所賜的嗎？為何只用來滿足自私的求財，而不用來事奉神？

四、這是一個將刺痛某些人記憶的藉口

1. 辛苦一生卻一無所獲；勞碌而活、勞碌而死，最後仍歸於貧乏，這是何等悲哀！
2. 即使成功累積了財富，卻在死時必須全部放下，這同樣令人痛苦；但事實正是如此。

五、這是一個無法彌補損失的藉口

1. 時間既然交託給你，你必要為它交帳；但你不能把失去的時間再拿回來，也不能補償它的浪費。
2. 一生奔波，只為遊歷、收集貝殼、讀小說……結果沒有留下空間來事奉神、認識救主，何等可憐！
3. 人甚至做得更糟：他們犯罪，引人犯罪，發明各樣消磨時間的方法，卻說自己「沒有時間」。
4. 他們把心思放在懷疑主義、傳播無神論、破壞聖經、反對福音上，卻說自己沒有時間去相信、去活出信仰！
5. 呼籲青年人：趁時間還在你手中，要善用它。
6. 呼籲年長者：把餘下的日子用得有價值。
7. 呼籲基督徒：當心你兒女的靈魂，免得你「忙於這裡那裡」，他們卻從你的影響下滑落。
8. 呼籲成熟的信徒：留意自己在主裡的喜樂，免得在人群喧囂中失落。
   
   在倫敦，商業的喧鬧如此之大，以致聖保羅大教堂的大鐘敲響多次，也無人聽見。神也常常說話，但人因其他聲音充耳不聞。兩軍激戰時曾發生大地震，卻無一人察覺；心思被佔據，會使最嚴肅的事也失去分量。
   
   尼祿在羅馬飢荒時，派船去亞歷山大，不是運糧救民，而是運沙供競技場使用；他在羅馬焚燒時拉琴作樂。今日豈不也有許多人如此殘忍地對待自己？把本該用來尋求永恆喜樂的寶貴時光，浪費在轉瞬即逝的娛樂上？
   
   無論在學業、娛樂或事業上多麼疏忽，至少在一件事上要永遠警醒、永遠清醒——就是宗教本分。不要讓任何事，哪怕一天，使你忽略讀經；你知道禱告的價值——它比萬物更寶貴。
   永遠、永遠不要忽略它。——巴克斯頓致其子
   
   法王亨利四世問阿爾瓦公爵，是否注意到最近發生的日食。公爵回答：「沒有，我在地上的事太多了，沒有空抬頭看天。」但願這不是今日許多自稱信徒的寫照！他們的心與時間被地上的事佔滿，竟無暇顧念基督與永恆的平安。——湯瑪斯．布魯克斯
   
   圖爾主教克勞德在其《論靈魂的尊貴與卓越》一書結尾寫道：
   「我只有一個靈魂，我要珍惜它。」
   抓住此刻吧！天堂就在它的翅膀上；
   有一刻，我們願以整個世界的財富來換，卻再也買不到。
   ——楊格（Young）
   
   歷史學家格勞秀斯臨終時呼喊：
   「唉！我一生勞碌，卻是忙於一無所成；我願用我所有的學問與榮耀，換取貧窮卻虔誠的約翰．烏里克的單純正直。」
   
   一位臨終的貴族驚呼：
   「我的神啊！我究竟是怎樣度過一生的！
   我活在何等的癲狂中！
   當日月星辰運行，或許只是照亮我走向滅亡時，我在做什麼？
   我追逐影子，自娛於夢；
   積蓄塵土，與風嬉戲。
   我若與野獸同食，與鳥雀同歌，
   都比我這一生所活的，更有意義！」
   ——查爾斯．哈登．司布真

26. Where Is the God of Elijah?

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? II Kings 2:14
The great object to be desired is God, Jehovah, Elijah's God. With him all things flourish. His absence is our decline and death. Those entering on any holy work should seek for the God who was with their predecessors. What a mercy that the God of Elijah is also the God of Elisha! He will also be with us, for "this God is our God, for ever and ever, he will be our guide even unto death" (Ps. 48:14).
In great difficulties no name will help but that of God. How else can Jordan be divided but by Jehovah, God of Elijah?
Elisha sought first for the Lord, and inquired, "Where is he?" Elijah was gone, and he did not seek him, but his God.
He used Elijah's old mantle, and did not invent novelties; desiring to have the aid of the same God, he was content to wear the mantle of his predecessor. The true is not new.
Still we do not need antiquities from the past, nor novelties of the present, nor marvels for the future; we only want the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we shall then see among us wonders equal to those of Elijah's age. "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" The old mantle, used with faith in the same God, parted the waters hither and thither. The power is where it used to be.

I. THE QUESTION TURNED INTO PRAYER. It is as though he cried, — "O thou, who wast with Elijah, be thou also with me!" At this day our one need is Elijah's God.

  1. The God who kept him faithful must make us stand firm should we be left alone in the truth (1 Cor. 1:8).
  2. The God who heard his prayer must give us also the effectual in-wrought prayer of the righteous man (James 5:16).
  3. The God who provided for him at Cherith and Zarephath, and in the wilderness, must also supply all our needs (Ps. 23:1).
  4. The God who raised the dead by him must cause us to bring men up from their death in sin (1 Kings 17:22).
  5. The God who answered by fire must put life, energy, and enthusiasm into our hearts (I Kings 18:38).
  6. The God who gave him food for a long journey must fit us for the pilgrimage of life, and preserve us to the end (1 Kings 19:8).
  7. The God who gave him courage to face kings must also make us very bold, so as to be free from the fear of man (1 Kings 21:20).
  8. The God who divided Jordan for the prophet will not fail us when we are crossing into our Canaan (2 Kings 2:8).
  9. The God who took him away in a chariot of fire will send a convoy of angels, and we shall enter into glory.

II. THE QUESTION ANSWERED. The Lord God of Elijah is not dead, nor sleeping, nor on a journey.
  1. He is still in heaven regarding his own reserved ones. They may be hidden in caves, but the Lord knoweth them that are his.
  2. He is still to be moved by prayer to bless a thirsty land.
  3. He is still able to keep us faithful in the midst of a faithless generation, so that we shall not bow the knee to Baal.
  4. He is still in the still small voice. Quietly he speaks to reverent minds: by calm and brave spirits he is achieving his purposes.
  5. He is still reigning in providence to overturn oppressors (1 Kings 21:18-19), to preserve his own servants (2 Kings 1:10), and to secure a succession of faithful men (1 Kings 19:16).
  6. He is coming in vengeance. Hear ye not his chariot-wheels? He will bear away his people, but, sorely, O ye unbelievers! shall ye rue the day wherein ye cried in scorn, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?"

• Oh, to be so engaged that we can court the presence of God!
• Oh, to be so consecrated that we may expect his benediction!
• Oh, to have that presence, so as to be girded with his strength!
• Oh, to live so as never more to ask this question!

Auxiliary Extracts

"God of Queen Clotilda," cried out the infidel Clovis I of France, when in trouble on the field of battle,"God of Queen Clotilda! grant me the victory!" Why did he not call upon his own god? Saunderson, who was a great admirer of Sir Isaac Newton's talents, and who made light of his religion in health, was, nevertheless, heard to say in dismal accents on a dying-bed,"God of Sir Isaac Newton, have mercy on me!" Why this changing of gods in a dying hour? — "Addresses to Young Men," by Rev. Daniel Baker

  1. The God of Elijah gave him the sweet experience of keeping warm and lively in a very cold and dead generation; so that he was best when others were worst .... But where is the Lord God of Elijah in these dregs of time, wherein professors generally are carried away, with the stream of impiety, from all their liveliness and tenderness that aforetime have been among them, when the more wickedness set. up its head, the more piety is made to hide its head? It is a sad evidence that God is gone from us, when the standard of wickedness makes advances, and that of shining holiness is retreating, and can hardly get hands to hold it up.

  2. The God of Elijah gave him the sweet experience of the power of prayer (James 5:17). But where is the God of Elijah, while the trade with heaven by prayer is so very low? Alas, for the dead, cold, and flat prayers that come from the lips of professors at this day, so weak and languishing that they cannot reach heaven!

  3. The God of Elijah gave him the experience of the sweet fruits of dependence on the Lord, and of a little going far, with his blessing (I Kings 17:16). But where is the God of Elijah at this day, when what we have seems to be blown upon, that it goes in effect for nothing? Our table is plentifully covered, yet our souls are starved; our goodness sometimes looks as a morning cloud, it blackens the face of the heavens, and promises a heavy shower, but quickly proves as a little cloud, like unto a man's hand, which is ready to go for nothing; yea, this generation is blinded by the means that have a natural tendency to give light. Ah! "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?"

  4. The God of Elijah gave him the experience of a gracious boldness to face the most daring wickedness of the generation he lived in, though it was one of the worst. This eminently appeared in his encounter with Ahab (1 Kings 18:1). But where is the God of Elijah now, while the iniquities of our day meet with such faint resistance, while a brave brow for the cause of God, a tongue to speak for him, and a heart to act, are so much wanting? The wicked of the world, though they have an ill cause in hand, yet they pursue it boldly; but, alas! the people of God shame their honest cause by their cowardice and faint appearing in it. If God give us not another spirit, more fitted for such a day, we shall betray our trust, and bring the curse of the succeeding generation on us.

  5. The God of Elijah gave him the experience of a glorious and powerful manifestation of himself, in a solemn ordinance, even at the sacrifice on Mount Carmel, which was ushered in with the spirit of prayer in Elijah (1 Kings 18:37-39). But where is the God of Elijah, when so little of the Spirit's influences is found in ordinances, even solemn ordinances? Here is the mantle, but where is the God of Elijah? Here are the grave-clothes, in which sometimes the Lord was wrapt up, but where is he himself Communion-days have sometimes been glorious days in, Scotland, and sometimes the gospel hath done much good, so that ministers have had almost as much to do to heal broken hearts as now to get hard hearts broken; but where now is the God of Elijah?

  6. The God of Elijah gave him the experience of being enabled to go far upon a meal (1 Kings 19:8). But where now are such experiences, while there is so little strength in the spiritual meals to which we now sit down? This is a time wherein there is much need of such an experience; the Lord seems to be saying to his people, "Rise and eat, for the journey is long"; and what a hard journey some may have, ere they get another meal, who knows? Oh, for more feeding power in the doctrine preached among us!

  7. The God of Elijah gave him the experience of the Lord's removing difficulties out of his way, when he himself could do nothing at them: Jordan divided. So Peter had the iron gate opened to him of its own accord: for when the Lord takes the work in hand, were it never so desperate as to us, it will succeed well with him. Sure we have need of this experience this day. How is the case of many souls so embarrassed at this day that they cannot extricate themselves, by reason of long and continued departures from God, so that all they can do is that they are fleeing and going backward! Ah! where is the God of Elijah, to dry up those devouring deeps? Enemies have surrounded the church, and brought her to the brow of the hill, ready to cast her over; where is the God of Elijah, to make a way for her escape? — Thomas Boston
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

26. 以利亞的神在哪裡？

「他拾起以利亞身上掉下來的外衣，用以擊打水，說：『以利亞的耶和華神在哪裡呢？』他一擊打水，水就左右分開，以利沙便走過去。」——《列王紀下》2:14 (14他用以利亞身上掉下來的外衣打水，說：「耶和華－以利亞的神在哪裏呢？」打水之後，水也左右分開，以利沙就過來了。)
人所當切切渴慕的，乃是神自己——耶和華、以利亞的神。有祂同在，萬事興盛；失去祂的同在，就是衰敗與死亡。凡投身聖工的人，都當尋求那位曾與前輩同在的神。何等大的恩典！以利亞的神，也是以利沙的神！祂也必與我們同在，因為「這神永永遠遠為我們的神，祂必作我們引導，直到死時」（詩 48:14 14因為這神永永遠遠為我們的神；他必作我們引路的，直到死時。）。
在極大的困境中，除了神的名以外，沒有任何名字能幫助我們。約旦河若不是藉著以利亞的神，又怎能分開呢？
以利沙首先尋求的是主，他問的是：「祂在哪裡？」以利亞已經離去，但他沒有尋找以利亞本人，而是尋找以利亞的神。
他使用以利亞舊日的外衣，沒有發明新奇的事物；他既渴望得著同一位神的幫助，就甘心穿上前輩的外衣。真理不是新的。
然而，我們並不需要過去的古董，也不需要現在的新奇，更不需要將來的奇觀；我們只需要三一神——聖父、聖子、聖靈。如此，我們就必在我們中間看見不亞於以利亞時代的奇事。「以利亞的耶和華神在哪裡呢？」同樣的外衣，憑著對同一位神的信心，再次使河水左右分開。能力仍在原處，絲毫未減。

一、這個問題轉化為禱告

這彷彿是在呼喊：「噢！那位與以利亞同在的神，也與我同在吧！」今日我們唯一的需要，就是以利亞的神。

1. 那位保守以利亞忠心的神，也必在我們孤單持守真理時，使我們站立得穩（林前 1:8 8他也必堅固你們到底，叫你們在我們主耶穌基督的日子無可責備。）。
2. 那位垂聽他禱告的神，也必賜給我們義人迫切而有功效的禱告（雅 5:16 6所以你們要彼此認罪，互相代求，使你們可以得醫治。義人祈禱所發的力量是大有功效的。）。
3. 那位在基立溪旁、撒勒法、曠野中供應他的神，也必供應我們一切所需（詩 23:1 1耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。）。
4. 那位藉他使死人復活的神，也必使用我們，使人從罪中的死裡復活（王上 17:22 22耶和華應允以利亞的話，孩子的靈魂仍入他的身體，他就活了。）。
5. 那位以火應允他的神，也必把生命、能力與熱誠放在我們心中（王上 18:38 38於是，耶和華降下火來，燒盡燔祭、木柴、石頭、塵土，又燒乾溝裏的水。）。
6. 那位賜他食物，使他能走長路的神，也必裝備我們走人生天路，並保守我們到底（王上 19:8 8他就起來吃了喝了，仗着這飲食的力，走了四十晝夜，到了神的山，就是何烈山。）。
7. 那位使他勇敢面對君王的神，也必使我們放膽，脫離懼怕人的心（王上 21:20 20亞哈對以利亞說：「我仇敵啊，你找到我嗎？」他回答說：「我找到你了；因為你賣了自己，行耶和華眼中看為惡的事。）。
8. 那位為先知分開約旦河的神，也必在我們進入屬天迦南時不撇下我們（王下 2:8 8以利亞將自己的外衣捲起來，用以打水，水就左右分開，二人走乾地而過。）。
9. 那位以火車火馬接他升天的神，也必差遣天使迎接我們，使我們進入榮耀。

二、這個問題得著回答

以利亞的神沒有死，也沒有睡覺，更沒有出遠門。

1. 祂仍在天上，看顧祂所保留的子民；他們或許藏在洞中，但主認識屬祂的人。
2. 祂仍然樂意因禱告而被感動，賜福乾渴之地。
3. 祂仍能在不信的世代中保守我們忠心，使我們不向巴力屈膝。
4. 祂仍在微小的聲音中，向敬畏祂的人安靜說話，並藉著沉著勇敢的器皿成就祂的旨意。
5. 祂仍掌權於護理之中，推翻欺壓者（王上 21:18–19  18「你起來，去見住撒馬利亞的以色列王亞哈，他下去要得拿伯的葡萄園，現今正在那園裏。 19你要對他說：『耶和華如此說：你殺了人，又得他的產業嗎？』又要對他說：『耶和華如此說：狗在何處舔拿伯的血，也必在何處舔你的血。』」），保守祂的僕人（王下 1:10  10以利亞回答說：「我若是神人，願火從天上降下來，燒滅你和你那五十人！」於是有火從天上降下來，燒滅五十夫長和他那五十人。），並興起忠心的接棒人（王上 19:16 16又膏寧示的孫子耶戶作以色列王，並膏亞伯‧米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙作先知接續你。）。
6. 祂也將要施行審判。你豈未聽見祂戰車的聲音嗎？祂要接走祂的百姓；但不信的人哪，你們譏誚說「以利亞的神在哪裡？」的日子，必要痛悔！

• 噢！但願我們如此投入事奉，以致能渴慕神的同在！
• 噢！但願我們如此分別為聖，以致能期待祂的祝福！
• 噢！但願我們得著祂的同在，以致披戴祂的能力！
• 噢！但願我們如此生活，再也不必問這個問題！

補充摘錄（Auxiliary Extracts）

「克洛蒂爾達王后的神啊！」——當法國的無神論者克洛維一世在戰場陷入困境時，曾如此呼喊：「克洛蒂爾達王后的神啊，賜我勝利吧！」他為什麼不求告自己的神呢？桑德森一生極其欽佩艾薩克．牛頓爵士的才智，並且在健康之時輕看他的信仰；然而，在臨終的病榻上，人卻聽見他以悲哀的聲音說：「艾薩克．牛頓的神啊，憐憫我吧！」為何人在臨死之際要更換所信的神呢？
——丹尼爾．貝克牧師，《致青年人的講論》

1. 以利亞的神，使他在一個極其冰冷、死氣沉沉的世代中，仍能保持火熱與活潑；因此，當別人最敗壞的時候，他反而最好。……然而，在這樣一個敗壞到渣滓的時代，以利亞的耶和華神在哪裡呢？如今，許多自稱信徒的人，隨著不敬虔的洪流被沖走，失去了從前所有的活力與柔嫩；邪惡越是昂首，敬虔反而越是低頭隱藏。當邪惡的旗幟步步進逼，而發光的聖潔卻節節退卻，甚至幾乎無人能將它舉起時，這正是神離開我們的悲哀證據。
   
   
2. 以利亞的神，使他親身經歷禱告的大能（雅 5:17 17以利亞與我們是一樣性情的人，他懇切禱告，求不要下雨，雨就三年零六個月不下在地上。）。但如今，當藉著禱告與天相通的「交易」如此低落時，以利亞的神在哪裡呢？唉！今日許多出自信徒口中的禱告是何等死氣沉沉、冰冷平淡，虛弱無力，奄奄一息，甚至無法達到天上！
   
   
3. 以利亞的神，使他經歷倚靠主所結出的甘甜果子，也經歷「一點點，在神祝福下走得極遠」（王上 17:16  16罈內的麵果不減少，瓶裏的油也不缺短，正如耶和華藉以利亞所說的話。）。但今日，當我們所有的彷彿被風吹散，幾乎毫無果效時，以利亞的神在哪裡呢？我們的桌子豐盛鋪設，靈魂卻在挨餓；我們的良善有時如清晨的雲彩，看似遮滿天空，應許一場大雨，卻很快變成如人手一般的小雲，轉眼消散。是的，這一代人竟被那些本該帶來光明的途徑所蒙蔽。唉！「以利亞的耶和華神在哪裡呢？」
   
   
4. 以利亞的神，使他在那個極其敗壞的世代中，仍有屬天的膽量，正面對抗最狂妄的邪惡；這在他與亞哈的對峙中尤為顯明（王上 18:1 1過了許久，到第三年，耶和華的話臨到以利亞說：「你去，使亞哈得見你；我要降雨在地上。」）。 但如今，當我們這世代的罪惡只遭遇如此微弱的抵抗，當為神的事工挺身而出的額頭、為祂說話的舌頭、為祂行動的心志如此缺乏時，以利亞的神在哪裡呢？世上的惡人，雖然所行的是惡事，卻勇敢追求；反倒是神的百姓，因懦弱與退縮，使他們正直的事業蒙羞。若神不賜給我們一個更合乎此時代需要的靈，我們必背棄所託付的使命，並把咒詛留給下一代。
   
   
5. 以利亞的神，在迦密山獻祭的莊嚴禮儀中，向他顯出榮耀而大有能力的同在；這一切是藉著以利亞充滿禱告之靈而引出的（王上 18:37–39 37耶和華啊，求你應允我，應允我！使這民知道你－耶和華是神，又知道是你叫這民的心回轉。」 38於是，耶和華降下火來，燒盡燔祭、木柴、石頭、塵土，又燒乾溝裏的水。 39眾民看見了，就俯伏在地，說：「耶和華是神！耶和華是神！」 ）。但如今，當連最莊嚴的聖禮中，也幾乎看不見聖靈的作為時，以利亞的神在哪裡呢？外衣在這裡，但以利亞的神在哪裡？裹屍布在這裡——曾經主披戴其中——但主自己在哪裡呢？在蘇格蘭，聖餐日曾經是榮耀的日子；福音曾大有功效，以致牧者幾乎要花更多力氣醫治破碎的心，而不是像如今這樣，努力要打碎剛硬的心。
   但如今，以利亞的神在哪裡呢？
   
   
6. 以利亞的神，使他能靠著一頓食物走極長的路（王上 19:8 8他就起來吃了喝了，仗着這飲食的力，走了四十晝夜，到了神的山，就是何烈山。）。但如今，當我們屬靈的筵席如此缺乏力量時，這樣的經歷又在哪裡呢？這是一個極其需要這種經驗的時代；主似乎正在對祂的百姓說：「起來吃吧，因為你當走的路甚遠。」有些人在再次得著供應之前，將要走多麼艱難的路，誰能知道呢？噢！但願我們中間所傳講的真道，有更多餵養靈魂的能力！
   
   
7. 以利亞的神，使他在自己無能為力時，經歷主親自挪去障礙：約旦河分開了。彼得也是如此——鐵門自動為他敞開；因為當主親自動工時，即使在我們看來毫無希望，在祂卻必然成功。今日，我們何等需要這樣的經歷！如今，有多少靈魂因長久偏離神而陷入困境，無法自拔，只能不斷逃避、倒退！唉！**以利亞的神在哪裡呢？**誰能乾涸那吞噬人的深淵？
   仇敵已四面包圍教會，把她逼到山崖邊，準備推她下去；**以利亞的神在哪裡呢？**誰能為她開一條逃生之路？——湯瑪斯．波士頓（Thomas Boston）
   ——查爾斯．哈登．司布真

27. Eyes Opened

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. II Kings 6:17
Faith serves the believer for eyes, and makes him see what others cannot. This keeps the man himself quiet and calm, and enables him to check the fears of those who cry, "Alas, my master! how shall we do" (verse 15)?
From this narrative we learn how much may be about us, and yet it may be invisible to the natural eye. We shall use it to teach:

I. THAT THE NATURAL EYE IS BLIND TO HEAVENLY THINGS.

• God is everywhere; yet sin-blinded eyes see him not.
• His law touches the thoughts and intents of the heart; yet its wonderful spiritual meaning is not perceived.
• Men themselves are evil, guilty, fallen; yet they see not their own wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores'.
• Their danger is imminent; yet they sport on, blindly dancing at hell's mouth. There is a man at Brighton who wears a placard about his neck, on which are these words, "I am quite blind." This might suit such foolish ones.
• Jesus is near, and ready to help; but their eyes are holden so that they know not that it is Jesus. He is altogether lovely, and desirable, the sun of the soul, yet is he altogether unknown.
• This want of spiritual discernment makes man ignoble. Samson blinded is a sorry spectacle: from a judge in Israel he sinks to a slave in Philistia.
• This keeps a man content with the world: he does not see how poor a thing it is, for which he sweats, and smarts, and sins, and sacrifices heaven.
• This causes many men to pursue the monotonous task of avarice; never more aspiring after better things, but pursuing the dreary round of incessant moil and toil, as blind horses go round and round the mill.
• This makes men proud. They think they know all things because they see so little of what can be known.
• This places men in danger. "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matt. 15:14).

II. THAT GOD ALONE CAN OPEN MAN'S EYES.

• We can lead the blind, but we cannot make them see; we can put truth before them, but we cannot open their eyes; that work remains with God alone.
• Some use artificial eyes, others try spectacles, telescopes, colored glasses, etc., but all in vain, while the eyes are blind. The cure is of the Lord alone.

1. To give sight is the same wonder as creation. Who can make an eye? In the sinner the faculty of spiritual vision is gone.
2. The man is born blind. His darkness is part of himself. "Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind" (John 9:32).
3. The man is willfully blind. None so blind as those who will not see. "The blind people that have eyes" (Isa. 43:8).
4. Opening of the eyes is set down as a covenant blessing. The Lord has given his Son "for a covenant of the people, to open the blind eyes" (Isa. 42:6-7).
Satan counterfeited this in the garden when he said, "Your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods" (Gen. 3:5).

III. THAT WE MAY PRAY HIM TO OPEN MEN'S EYES. We ought to cry, "Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see."

1. When we see sinners in trouble it is a hopeful sign, and we should pray for them with double importunity (Isa. 26:2).
2. When we hear them inquiring, we should inquire of the Lord for them. Their prayer should call up ours.
3. When we ourselves see much, we should see for them.
4. When their blindness astonishes us, it should drive us to our knees.
5 The prayers of others availed for us, and therefore we ought to repay the blessing to the prayer-treasury of the church.
6. It will glorify God to open their eyes; let us pray with great expectancy, believing that he will honor his Son.

IV. THAT GOD DOES OPEN MEN'S EYES.

l. He has done it in a moment. Notice the many miracles performed by our Lord on blind men.
2. He specially opens the eyes of the young. "The Lord opened the eyes of the young man." See the text.
3. He can open your eyes. Many are the forms of blindness, but they are all comprehended in that grand statement, "The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind" (Ps. 146:8).
4. He can in an instant cause you to see his grace in its all-sufficiency and nearness. Hagar and the well (Gen. 21:19).

V. THAT EVEN THOSE WHO SEE NEED MORE SIGHT. Elisha's young man could see; yet he had his eyes more fully opened.

1. In the Scriptures more is to be seen. "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Ps. 119:18).
2. In the great doctrines of the gospel there is much latent light.
3. In Providence there are great marvels. To see God's hand in everything is a great attainment, specially glorifying to his name (Ps. 107:24).
4. In self, sin, Satan, etc., there are depths which it were well for us to see. May we be men with our eyes opened.
5. In Christ Jesus himself there are hidden glories. "Sir, we would see Jesus" (John 12:21; Heb. 2:9).
Have you spiritual sight? Then behold angels and spiritual things. Better still — behold your Lord!

Gleanings

One of the saddest conditions of a human creature is to read God's word with a veil upon the heart, to pass blindfolded through all the wondrous testimonies of redeeming love and grace which the Scriptures contain. And it is sad, also, if not actually censurable, to pass blindfolded through the works of God, to live in a world of flowers, and stars, and sunsets, and a thousand glorious objects of nature, and never to have a passing interest awakened by any of them. — Dean Goulbourn

A lady once said to Turner, when he was painting: "Why do you put such extravagant colors into your pictures? I never see anything like them in nature." "Don't you wish you did, madam?" said he. It was a sufficient answer. He saw them, if she did not. So believers, like the prophet, see many divine wonders which worldlings cannot perceive.
If his word once teach us, shoot a ray
Through all the heart's dark chambers, and reveal
Truths undiscerned but by that holy light,
Then all is plain.  — Cowper

The dying prayer of William Tyndale, the martyr, uttered "with a fervent zeal and a loud voice;' was this: "Lord open the king of England's eyes!"
Charles Hadden Spurgeon

27．眼睛得開（Eyes Opened）

「以利沙禱告說：『耶和華啊，求你開這少年人的眼目，使他能看見。』耶和華開了少年人的眼目，他就看見，滿山有火馬和火車圍繞以利沙。」——列王紀下 6:17 ( 17以利沙禱告說：「耶和華啊，求你開這少年人的眼目，使他能看見。」耶和華開他的眼目，他就看見滿山有火車火馬圍繞以利沙)
信心就是信徒的眼睛，使他能看見別人所看不見的事。這使人自己得以安靜、鎮定，也能制止那些驚惶喊叫說：「哀哉！我主啊，我們怎樣行才好呢？」的人（15 節）。
從這段記載中，我們學到：在我們四周，可能有許多事物存在，卻完全看不見，因為肉眼無法察覺。 我們將用此來教導以下幾個真理：

一、屬血氣的眼睛對屬天的事是瞎眼的

• 神無所不在；然而被罪蒙蔽的眼睛卻看不見他。
• 神的律法觸及人心中的思想與意念；但其中奇妙的屬靈意義，人卻不能領會。
• 人本身是邪惡的、有罪的、墮落的；然而他們卻看不見自己身上的傷口、瘀傷與潰爛的瘡。
• 他們的危險迫在眉睫；卻仍嬉戲玩樂，在地獄門口盲目起舞。布萊頓有一個人，胸前掛著牌子，上面寫著：「我是完全瞎眼的。」這標語其實很適合這些愚昧的人。
• 耶穌近在咫尺，隨時準備施行拯救；但他們的眼睛被蒙住，認不出那就是耶穌。他本是全然可愛、全然可慕、靈魂的太陽，卻完全不被認識。
• 缺乏屬靈分辨力，使人變得卑賤。瞎眼的參孫是一幅悲慘的景象：他從以色列的士師，淪為非利士人的奴隸。
• 這也使人滿足於世界；因為他看不出世界何等貧乏，卻為它流汗、受苦、犯罪，甚至犧牲天堂。
• 這使許多人一生追逐單調的貪婪之路，不再渴望更美之事，只是不斷勞苦奔波，如同瞎眼的馬，繞著磨坊一圈又一圈。
• 這也使人驕傲——因為他們看到的太少，反倒以為自己無所不知。
• 這更使人身陷危險：「若是瞎子領瞎子，兩個人都要掉在坑裡。」（太 15:14 14任憑他們吧！他們是瞎眼領路的；若是瞎子領瞎子，兩個人都要掉在坑裏。」）

二、唯有神能開人的眼睛

• 我們可以引導瞎子，卻不能使他看見；我們可以把真理擺在他面前，卻不能開他的眼睛；這工作唯獨屬於神。
• 有人用假眼，有人戴眼鏡、望遠鏡、彩色鏡片等，但只要眼睛是瞎的，一切都是徒然。醫治唯獨出於耶和華。

1. 賜人眼光與創造同樣奇妙。誰能造一隻眼睛呢？在罪人裡，屬靈視覺的能力已經失落。
2. 人是生來瞎眼的。他的黑暗成了他本性的一部分。「從創世以來，未曾聽見有人把生來是瞎子的眼睛開了。」（約 9:32 32從創世以來，未曾聽見有人把生來是瞎子的眼睛開了。）
3. 人也是故意瞎眼的。沒有比不肯看見的人更瞎的了。「這有眼而瞎的民。」（賽 43:8 你要將有眼而瞎、有耳而聾的民都帶出來！）
4. 開眼被列為聖約的祝福。神賜下他的兒子，「作眾民的中保，開瞎子的眼睛。」（賽 42:6–7 6我－耶和華憑公義召你，必攙扶你的手，保守你，使你作眾民的中保（中保：原文是約），作外邦人的光，7開瞎子的眼，領被囚的出牢獄，領坐黑暗的出監牢。）

撒但在伊甸園中曾假冒這事，說：「你們的眼睛就明亮了，你們便如神能知道善惡。」（創 3:5  5因為神知道，你們吃的日子眼睛就明亮了，你們便如神能知道善惡。」）

三、我們可以為人禱告，求神開他們的眼睛

我們當呼求：「主啊，求你開他的眼睛，使他能看見。」

1. 當我們看見罪人在困境中，這是可盼望的記號，當加倍懇切為他們禱告（賽 26:2 2敞開城門，使守信的義民得以進入。）。
2. 當我們聽見他們發出尋求的問題，也當為他們向神詢問；他們的禱告應當激發我們的代求。
3. 當我們自己看得多，就應當替他們看。
4. 當他們的瞎眼使我們驚訝，應當催促我們跪下禱告。
5. 既然別人的禱告曾使我們得益處，我們也當把這祝福歸還給教會的「禱告寶庫」。
6. 神若開他們的眼睛，必榮耀他的名；讓我們滿懷期待地禱告，相信他必尊榮他的兒子。

四、神確實會開人的眼睛

• 他能在一瞬間成就此事。留意主耶穌醫治瞎眼之人的眾多神蹟。
• 他特別常開年輕人的眼睛：「耶和華開了少年人的眼目。」（見本文）
• 他也能開你的眼睛。各樣的瞎眼形式，都包含在這宏大的宣告中：「耶和華開瞎子的眼睛。」（詩 146:8 8耶和華開了瞎子的眼睛；耶和華扶起被壓下的人。耶和華喜愛義人。）
• 他能立刻使你看見他恩典的完全與親近——如夏甲與井（創 21:19  19神使夏甲的眼睛明亮，她就看見一口水井，便去將皮袋盛滿了水，給童子喝。）。

五、即便能看見的人，也仍需要更多的眼光

以利沙的少年人原本能看見，但他的眼睛還需要被更完全地開啟。

1. 聖經中還有更多可看的事：「求你開我的眼睛，使我看出你律法中的奇妙。」（詩 119:18 18求你開我的眼睛，使我看出你律法中的奇妙。）
2. 福音的偉大教義中，仍蘊藏著許多未顯明的光。
3. 在神的護理中有極大的奇事；凡事看見神的手，是極高的屬靈成就，也極榮耀神的名（詩 107:24 24他們看見耶和華的作為，並他在深水中的奇事。）。
4. 在自我、罪、撒但等方面，仍有許多深處值得我們看清；願我們都是眼睛得開的人。
5. 在基督耶穌裡，仍有隱藏的榮耀：「先生，我們願意見耶穌。」（約 12:21  21他們來見加利利、伯賽大的腓力，求他說：「先生，我們願意見耶穌。」；來 2:9 9惟獨見那成為比天使小一點的耶穌（或譯：惟獨見耶穌暫時比天使小）；因為受死的苦，就得了尊貴榮耀為冠冕，叫他因着神的恩，為人人嘗了死味。）

你有屬靈的眼光嗎？那就觀看天使與屬靈的事。更美的是——仰望你的主！

摘錄（Gleanings）

人最悲哀的狀態之一，就是讀神的話語，心卻蒙著帕子，盲目走過聖經中一切救贖之愛與恩典的奇妙見證。同樣令人惋惜的，是在人活在滿有花朵、星辰、晚霞與無數自然榮景的世界裡，卻從未被其中任何一樣稍微觸動過。——高爾本院長（Dean Goulbourn）

有位女士曾對畫家透納說：「你為什麼把顏色畫得那麼誇張？我在自然界從沒見過那樣的顏色。」透納回答說：「夫人，難道你不希望自己能看見嗎？」這回答已經足夠了——他看得見，她卻看不見。信徒也是如此，如同先知，看見世人無法察覺的屬天奇事。若祂的話語一旦教導我們，
射出一道光，照進心靈黑暗的深處，顯明唯有那聖光才能看見的真理，那麼，一切便清楚了。
——考珀（Cowper）

殉道者威廉·丁道爾臨終時，帶著熱切與洪亮的聲音禱告說：「主啊，開英格蘭王的眼睛！」
——查爾斯・哈登・司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）

28. Half-Breeds

And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them." (33) They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. (34)Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. II Kings 17:25, 33-34
It is as needful to warn you against the false as to urge you to the true. Conversion, which is a divine change, is imitated, and the spurious palmed off as genuine. This answers the devil's purpose in several ways; it eases the conscience of the double-minded, adulterates the church, injures its testimony, and dishonors true religion.

I. THEIR FIRST ESTATE. "They feared not the Lord."

  1. They had little or no religion of any sort.
  2. They were not troubled about serving the true God.
  3. Probably they even ridiculed Jehovah and his people.
  4. But they were near a God-fearing people, and near to king Hezekiah, under whom there had been a great revival. Such influence creates a great deal of religiousness.

II. THEIR SHAM CONVERSION. "They feared the Lord:"

  1. They were wrought upon by fear only,: the "lions" were their evangelists, and their teeth were cutting arguments.
  2. They remained in ignorance of the character of Jehovah, and only wished to know "the manner of the god of the land." Outside religion is enough for many; they care not for God himself.
  3. They were instructed by an unfaithful priest; one of those who had practiced calf-worship, and now failed to rebuke their love of false gods. Such persons have much to answer for.
  4. They showed their conversion by outward observances, multiplying priests, and setting up altars on high places.
  5. But their conversion was radically defective, for:

• There was no repentance.
• No expiatory sacrifice was offered on God's one altar.
• The false gods were not put away. "Every nation made gods of their own" (verse 29). While sin reigns grace is absent.
• They showed no love to God. They feared, but did not trust or love.
• They rendered no obedience to him. Even their worship was will-worship."They feared the Lord, and served their own gods": a very significant distinction.
• They did not abandon false trusts: they looked not to the Lord.

Give cases:

• The religious drunkard. See him weep! Hear him talk! He has a dread of God, but he serves Bacchus.
• The unchaste hypocrite, whose real worship goes to the vilest lusts, and yet he dreads to be found out.
• The pious Sabbath-breaker. Very devout, but serves out poison on Sundays, or prefers recreation to regeneration.
• The saintly skinflint. He has "a saving faith" in the worst sense.
• The slandering professor. Under pretense of greater holiness he abuses the righteous.

III. THEIR REAL STATE. "They fear not the Lord."

  1. They own him not as God alone. The admission of other gods is apostasy from the true God. He will be all or nothing.
  2. They do not really obey him; for else they would quit their idols, sins, and false trusts.
  3. He has no covenant with them. They ignore it altogether.
  4. He has not wrought salvation for them.
  5. They act so as to prove that they are not his. See the future history of these Samaritans in the book of Nehemiah, of which these are the items:—

• They desire to unite with Israel for the sake of advantage;
• They become enemies when refused;
• They grow proud and judge the true Israel. They say they are better than "those who profess so much." They measure the corn of the sincere with the bushel of their own deceit.

In real conversion there must be

• Idol-breaking. Sin and self must be abandoned.
• Concentration. Our only God must be adored and served.
• Christ-trusting. His one sacrifice must be presented and relied upon.
• Full surrender. Our heart must yield to God and delight in his ways.

Charles Hadden Spurgeon

28．半血信仰（Half-Breeds）

「他們起初住在那裡的時候，不敬畏耶和華，所以耶和華差遣獅子到他們中間，咬死了些人。」
「他們又敬畏耶和華，又事奉自己的神，照著從前被擄去之民的風俗。」
「直到今日，他們仍照先前的風俗行事；不敬畏耶和華，也不照耶和華吩咐雅各子孫（就是他起名叫以色列的）的律例、典章、律法和誡命去行。」
——列王紀下 17:25 (25他們才住那裏的時候，不敬畏耶和華，所以耶和華叫獅子進入他們中間，咬死了些人。)，33–34 (33他們又懼怕耶和華，又事奉自己的神，從何邦遷移，就隨何邦的風俗。34他們直到如今仍照先前的風俗去行，不專心敬畏耶和華，不全守自己的規矩、典章，也不遵守耶和華吩咐雅各後裔的律法、誡命。（雅各，就是從前耶和華起名叫以色列的。）)
警戒你們防備假的，與勸勉你們追求真的，同樣重要。因為「悔改歸正」這種出於神的改變，常常被人模仿，而假冒的卻被當成真的。這正合魔鬼的心意：
它使心懷二意的人良心稍得安慰，玷污教會，損害見證，並羞辱真正的信仰。

一、他們最初的光景

「他們不敬畏耶和華。」

1. 他們幾乎沒有任何宗教信仰。
2. 他們並不在意是否事奉真神。
3. 很可能還譏笑耶和華和他的百姓。
4. 然而，他們住在敬畏神的百姓附近，也靠近希西家王——在他統治之下曾有大復興。這樣的環境往往會產生大量「宗教氣氛」，卻不一定是真敬虔。

二、他們虛假的歸信

「他們敬畏耶和華。」

1. 他們只是因恐懼而被影響；獅子成了他們的「傳道人」，獠牙成了最有力的論證。
2. 他們仍然不認識耶和華的性情，只想知道「那地之神的規矩」。
3. 對許多人來說，外表宗教已經夠了，他們並不在乎神自己。教導他們的是一位不忠心的祭司——就是那曾敬拜金牛犢的人，如今也沒有責備他們對假神的愛。這樣的人責任極大。
4. 他們用外在的宗教行為來表明「歸信」：增設祭司，在丘壇設立祭壇。
5. 然而，他們的歸信在根本上是有缺陷的，因為：
   • 沒有悔改。
   • 沒有在神唯一的祭壇上獻上贖罪祭。
   • 假神沒有除掉：「各國仍為自己製造神明」（29 節 29然而，各族之人在所住的城裏各為自己製造神像，安置在撒馬利亞人所造有邱壇的殿中。）。——罪仍作王，恩典就不在
   • 沒有愛神：只有懼怕，卻沒有信靠與愛。
   • 沒有順服神：連敬拜都是出於己意的敬拜。
     「他們敬畏耶和華，卻事奉自己的神」——這句話本身就極其尖銳。
   • 沒有離棄錯誤的倚靠：他們並不仰望耶和華。
   實例說明：

• 虔誠的酒鬼：你看他流淚、聽他談論屬靈之事；他懼怕神，卻事奉酒神巴克斯。
• 不潔的假冒為善者：內心敬拜私慾，卻害怕被揭發。
• 敬虔的破壞安息日者：外表敬虔，主日卻販毒、或寧可娛樂不願重生。
• 聖潔的守財奴：他有一種「得救的信心」——只是最壞意義上的那種。
• 毀謗人的信徒：假借更高的聖潔，卻攻擊義人。

三、他們真實的屬靈狀態

「他們不敬畏耶和華。」

1. 他們不單單以耶和華為神；
   一旦承認其他神，就是背道。神要的是「全有」，不是「部分」。
2. 他們並未真正順服神，否則早已棄絕偶像、罪惡和錯誤的倚靠。
3. 神與他們沒有立約，他們完全忽視聖約。
4. 神沒有為他們施行救恩。
5. 他們的行為證明他們並不屬神。

看看這些撒馬利亞人後來在《尼希米記》中的表現：

• 為了利益想與以色列聯合；
• 被拒絕後便成為仇敵；
• 變得驕傲，論斷真以色列，說自己比「那些講究信仰的人」還好，用自己詭詐的斗量去衡量誠實人的糧食。

四、真正的歸信必然包括

• 拆毀偶像：罪與自我必須被棄絕。
• 專一歸向神：只敬拜、只事奉獨一的真神。
• 信靠基督：唯有他一次的獻祭，是我們所呈上、所倚靠的。
• 完全降服：把心交給神，並喜悅行在他的道路中。

——查爾斯・哈登・司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）