四月二十五日

我的佳偶，我的美人，起來，與我同去！（歌2:10）

聽啊，是我良人的聲音！他和我說話。當大地回春，萬象更新的時候，他不願我們的靈性仍然在寒冬裡沉睡不醒。他叫我“起來”，或許他因為我已經在泥土裡蟄伏了很久了。他復活了，我也在他裡面復活，為什麼我甘居泥土之中呢？我要從卑下的愛情、願望、尋樂、渴慕中向他興起。他親切地稱我為“佳偶”，他以我為美人，我為此應當起來。若他這樣高抬我，認為我是佳美的，我怎能再住在基達的帳棚中，甘與凡夫俗子為伍呢？他吩咐我“同去”，他召我日漸離去一切自私、卑鄙、世俗、罪汙；是的，他召我離開那不認識他、不明白更高生命的奧秘、外表信主的人。“同去”的語調並不是粗聲厲色的，有什麼能留我在虛浮和罪惡的曠野之中呢？我的主啊！我願與你同去，但我落在荊棘叢中，我不能按著我的心願擺脫那些。若是可能，我願我的眼不看罪，耳不聽罪，心不想罪。你召我到你面前說“同去”，你的聲音多幽雅動聽。到你那裡去就是脫離被放逐的生活回到自己的家裡，離了風浪大作的怒海渡到岸上，離了長期的勞苦得到安息，來到我欲望的目標和我心願的頂點。但是，主啊！石頭自己怎能起來，一團泥怎能從可怕的土坑中出來呢？求你高舉我，吸引我。惟有你的恩典能使我起來。求你賜聖靈燃起我心中的愛火，我願起來，直到我離開了今生和時間，真實地與你同去。

April 25

"Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away." --Song of Solomon 2:10

Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me! Fair weather is smiling upon the face of the earth, and He would not have me spiritually asleep while nature is all around me awaking from her winter's rest. He bids me "Rise up," and well He may, for I have long enough been lying among the pots of worldliness. He is risen, I am risen in Him, why then should I cleave unto the dust? From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I would rise towards Him. He calls me by the sweet title of "My love," and counts me fair; this is a good argument for my rising. If He has thus exalted me, and thinks me thus comely, how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial associates among the sons of men? He bids me "Come away." Further and further from everything selfish, grovelling, worldly, sinful, He calls me; yea, from the outwardly religious world which knows Him not, and has no sympathy with the mystery of the higher life, He calls me. "Come away" has no harsh sound in it to my ear, for what is there to hold me in this wilderness of vanity and sin? O my Lord, would that I could come away, but I am taken among the thorns, and cannot escape from them as I would. I would, if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor ears, nor heart for sin. Thou callest me to Thyself by saying "Come away," and this is a melodious call indeed. To come to Thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labour, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes. But Lord, how can a stone rise, how can a lump of clay come away from the horrible pit? O raise me, draw me. Thy grace can do it. Send forth Thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of love in my heart, and I will continue to rise until I leave life and time behind me, and indeed come away.