《传道士杂志》
1898年2月1日
1.连于葡萄树
基督对祂的教会说:“你们是世上的光”(太5：16)。如果每个人都让自己的光照耀在家里，他就能认真地为教会工作。但是基督徒如果与基督没有生命的联系，他就无能为力的。只有通过与葡萄树的联系，树枝才能结出葡萄来。“你们中间谁是有智慧有见识的呢?他就当在智慧的温柔上，显出他的善行来”(雅3：13)。这就是连于真葡萄树的树枝所结的果子。不会有傲慢、鲁莽、独立、自满的举动。任何爱耶稣的人都不会表现出嫉妒、猜疑或妒忌，不会有邪恶的猜测或严厉的指责。不会拥挤，不会彼此攀越，因为人人都有工作的空间。{HM February 1, 1898, par. 1}
“你们心里若怀着苦毒的嫉妒和分争、就不可自夸、也不可说谎话抵挡真道”(雅3：14)。这种果子不是葡萄树的枝子结出来的。“这智慧不是从上头来的、乃是属地的、属情欲的、属鬼魔的。”“惟独从上头来的智能，先是清洁，后是和平，温良柔顺，满有怜悯，多结善果，没有偏见，没有假冒。并且使人和平的，是用和平所栽种的义果” (雅3：15、17)。{HM February 1, 1898, par. 2}
圣灵藉使徒彼得劝戒我们:“要分外地殷勤。有了信心，又要加上德行。有了德行，又要加上知识。有了知识，又要加上节制。有了节制，又要加上忍耐。有了忍耐，又要加上虔敬。有了虔敬，又要加上爱弟兄的心。有了爱弟兄的心，又要加上爱众人的心.。你们若充充足足地有这几样，就必使你们在认识我们的主耶稣基督上不至于闲懒不结果子了。……所以弟兄们，应当更加殷勤，使你们所蒙的恩召和拣选坚定不移……。你们若行这几样，就永不失脚。这样，必叫你们丰丰富富地得以进入我们主救主耶稣基督永远的国”(彼后1：5-11)。{HM February 1, 1898, par. 3}
按照这个加法生活和工作，我们就会得到上帝丰富的恩典。当我们用所赐的恩典造福于他人时，上帝就会为我们实施乘法的计划：“愿恩惠平安，因你们认识上帝和我们主耶稣，多多地加给你们。上帝的神能已将一切关乎生命和虔敬的事赐给我们，皆因我们认识那用自己荣耀和美德召我们的主。因此祂已将又宝贵又极大的应许赐给我们，叫我们既脱离世上从情欲来的败坏，就得与上帝的性情有分”(彼后1：2-4)。{HM February 1, 1898, par. 4}
上帝的子民肯听祂藉着圣经对他们说话的声音吗?他们会接受众光之源的指示吗?他们会接受圣灵的教导吗?我所引用圣经的话，是对教会每一位成员的教导。你会接受它并从中获益吗?你对基督徒品格和基督徒经验的概念是否睿智?你们愿意因真理的缘故听从并接受真理吗?因为它是真理。你们有能生发仁爱和洁净心灵一切属灵污秽的信心吗? {HM February 1, 1898, par. 5}
主快来了。地球的历史行将结束。你是否准备好迎见审判全地的主?要记住“那不怜悯人的，也要受无怜悯的审判”(雅2:13)。在最后的大日，看到我们所熟悉的人与我们永远分开，看见我们的家人，也许是我们的儿女没有得救，看见那些曾来过我们家与我们一同进餐的人也列在灭亡的人中──这将是多么可怕啊!那时我们将会自问：是不是因为我的不忍耐，我的非基督化性情，我的缺乏自制，使他们对基督教反感呢? {HM February 1, 1898, par. 6}
世人必须得到有关基督快来的警告。我们只有一点点的时间作工了。本可用来先求上帝的国和祂的义、并将亮光传授给别人的岁月，已经一去不复返了。上帝现在呼吁祂的子民，就是那些拥有大光、在真理中被建立，曾有人在他们身上下过许多苦功的人，以空前的努力为自己和别人作工。要利用一切禀赋和能力，发挥受托的一切才干，运用上帝所赐的一切亮光，为别人行善。不要设法做说教的人，而要做服务上帝的传道人。工人越明白真理，真理就会越显得引人注目;你们设法开导别人时，你们的心智既在上帝之灵的圣洁感化之下，就会蒙引导注意那些关系永恒权益的事。你们付出这种努力的时候，结合祈求上帝亮光的祷告，你们自己的心就会因上帝恩典振奋人心的感化力而充满活力;你们自己的感情就会焕发更加神圣的热诚，你们整个的基督徒生活就会更加实在、更加诚恳，更多祷告。这样，你藉着住在心里的基督，就能成为上帝的同工。{HM February 1, 1898, par. 7}
THE MISSIONARY MAGAZINE
February 1, 1898
Abiding in the Vine
Christ says to his church, “Ye are the light of the world.” If each would let his light shine in the home, he would then be able to work earnestly for the church. But the Christian is powerless unless he is in living connection with Christ. It is only through its connection with the vine, that the branch can bring forth the same fruit as does the vine. “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.” This is the fruit that every branch which is grafted into the True Vine will bear. There will be no pomposity, no rash, independent, self-sufficient movements. No envy or jealousy, no evil surmisings or harsh denunciations, will be manifested by any who love Jesus. There will be no crowding, no climbing above one another; for there is room for all to work. {HM February 1, 1898, par. 1}
“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.” This kind of fruit is not borne by the branch that abides in the Vine. “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace.” {HM February 1, 1898, par. 2}
Through the apostle Peter the Holy Spirit admonishes us: “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [. . .] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” {HM February 1, 1898, par. 3}
By living and working upon the plan of addition, we shall receive the rich grace of God. For as we, with the grace given, work to benefit other souls in need, God will work in our behalf on the plan of multiplication: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” {HM February 1, 1898, par. 4}
Will God’s people listen to his voice speaking to them through his word? Will they take the instruction that comes from the source of all light? Will they receive the Holy Spirit’s teaching? In the words of the Scripture I have quoted is a sermon for every member of the church. Will you receive it and profit by it? Will you be wise in your conception of what constitutes Christian character and Christian experience? Will you hear and receive the truth because it is truth? Will you have the faith that works by love, and purifies the soul from every spiritual defilement? {HM February 1, 1898, par. 5}
The Lord is coming. The earth’s history is soon to close. Are you prepared to meet the Judge of the earth? Bear in mind that “he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy.” How terrible it will be in the last great day to find that those with whom we have been familiarly associated are separated from us forever; to see the members of our family, perhaps our own children, unsaved; to find those who have visited our homes, and eaten at our tables, among the lost. Then we shall ask ourselves the question, Was it because of my impatience, my unchristlike disposition; was it because self was not under control, that the religion of Christ became distasteful to them? {HM February 1, 1898, par. 6}
The world must be warned of the soon coming of the Lord. We have but a little time in which to work. Years have passed into eternity that might have been improved in seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and in diffusing the light to others. God calls upon his people who have great light, much labor bestowed upon them, and are established in the truth, to now work for themselves and others as they have never done before. Make use of every ability; bring into exercise every power, every entrusted talent; use all the light that God has given you to do others good. Do not try to be preachers; but become ministers for God. As the truth is better understood by the workers, it will ever appear in a more striking light; as you seek to enlighten others, with your minds under the holy influence of the Spirit of God, your attention will be directed toward those things that are of eternal interest. In such efforts, mingled with prayers for divine light, your own hearts will throb with the quickening influence of the grace of God; your own affections will glow with more divine fervor, and your whole Christian life will be more of a reality, more earnest, more prayerful. Thus by Christ abiding in the heart, you may become laborers together with God. {HM February 1, 1898, par. 7}
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