9月11 日 静夜亮光

九月十一日
经文: 耶和华阿，求祢因我的仇敌，凭祢的公义，引领我。（诗篇五：8）

世人对基督百姓的敌意是强烈的。世人可以原谅他人成千的错误，但是对耶稣追随者无足轻重之过失却大加渲染。我们不必为此有无谓的懊恼，反倒可以让此成为我们的警惕。有许多人观看并希望我们跌倒，就让那成为我们能小心行在上帝面前的特殊推动力。倘若我们的生活是粗心散漫的，世人很快就会看出来。他们会胜利地欢呼：「啊哈！看这些基督徒的行为，他们每一个人都是伪君子！」如此会对基督造成极大的伤害，祂的圣名也会因此蒙羞。基督的十字架本身与世界就是抵触的。我们必须小心，不要在这上面再加上我们自己的过失。「在犹太人为绊脚石，在外邦人为愚拙。」（林前1：23）我们必不能在已有够多的绊脚石的地方再加添一些绊脚石。我们必不能将自己的愚蠢加添于已被世人广为藐视嘲笑的福音之上。在我们的反对者面前，他们不仅不同意我们的行动，更编造我们的好行为并质询我们的动机，我们当非常谨慎！基督徒在行经世上的旅途时，就如同行踪可疑的人物一样，不仅受到监视，且有超乎我们想象的奸细遍布在四周。倘若我们落入敌人的掌中，我们很快便能得到从狼而来的仁慈或从魔鬼而来的怜悯，那些不信上帝并且加油添醋反对上帝百姓的人甚至会对我们的弱点显出无比的耐性。主啊，求祢不断地引导，免得敌人使我们跌倒。

9月11 日 静夜亮光

Evening, September 11
Scripture: “Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies.”(Psalms 5:8)

Very bitter is the enmity of the world against the people of Christ. Men will forgive a thousand faults in others,but they will magnify the most trivial offence in the followers of Jesus. Instead of vainly regretting this, let us turn it to account, and since so many are watching for our halting, let this be a special motive for walking very carefully before God. If we live carelessly, the lynx-eyed world will soon see it, and with its hundred tongues, it will spread the story, exaggerated and emblazoned by the zeal of slander. They will shout triumphantly. “Aha! So would we have it! See how these Christians act! They are hypocrites to a man.” Thus will much damage be done to the cause of Christ, and much insult offered to his name. The cross of Christ is in itself an offence to the world; let us take heed that we add no offence of our own. It is “to the Jews a stumblingblock”: let us mind that we put no stumblingblocks where there are enough already. “To the Greeks it is foolishness”: let us not add our folly to give point to the scorn with which the worldly-wise deride the gospel. How jealous should we be of ourselves! How rigid with our consciences! In the presence of adversaries who will misrepresent our best deeds, and impugn our motives where they cannot censure our actions, how circumspect should we be! Pilgrims travel as suspected persons through Vanity Fair. Not only are we under surveillance, but there are more spies than we know of. The espionage is everywhere, at home and abroad. If we fall into the enemies’ hands we may sooner expect generosity from a wolf, or mercy from a fiend, than anything like patience with our infirmities from men who spice their infidelity towards God with scandals against his people. O Lord, lead us ever, lest our enemies trip us up!