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November 4
"As I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God...and the hand of the Lord was there upon me." (Ezek. 1:1,3)
ＴHERE is no commentator of the Scriptures half so valuable as a captivity. The old Psalms have quavered for us with a new pathos as we sat by our "Babel's stream," and have sounded for us with new joy as we found our captivity turned as the streams in the South.
The man who has seen much affliction will not readily part with his copy of the word of God. Another book may seem to others to be identical with his own; but it is not the same to him, for over his old and tear- stained Bible he has written, in characters which are visible to not eyes but his own, the record of his experiences, and ever and anon he comes on Bethel pillars or Elim palms, which are to him the memorials of some critical chapter in his history.
If we are to receive benefit from our captivity we must accept the situation and turn it to the best possible account. Fretting over that from which we have been removed or which has been taken away from us, will not make things better, but it will prevent us from improving those which remain. The bond is only tightened by our stretching it to the uttermost.
The impatient horse which will not quietly endure his halter only strangles himself in his stall. the high-mettled animal that is restive in the yoke only galls his shoulders; and every one will understand the difference between the restless starling of which Sterne has written, breaking its wings against the bars of the cage, and crying, "I can't get out, I can't get out," and the docile canary that sits upon its perch and sings as if it would outrival the lark soaring to heaven's gate.
No calamity can be to us an unmixed evil if we carry it in direct and fervent prayer to God, for even as one in taking shelter from the rain beneath a tree may find on its branches fruit which he looked not for, so we in fleeing for refuge beneath the shadow of God's wing, will always, find more in God than we had seen or known before.
It is thus through our trials and afflictions that God gives us fresh revelations of Himself; and the Jabbok ford leads to Peniel, where, as the result of our wrestling, we "see God face to face," and our lives are preserved. Take this to thyself, O captive, and He will give thee "songs in the night," and turn for thee "the shadow of death into the morning."
－William Taylor.
"Submission to the divine will is the sofest pillow on which to recline."
"It filled the room, and it filled my life,
With a glory of source unseen;
It made me calm in the midst of strife,
And in winter my heart was green.
And the birds of promise sang on the tree
When the storm was breaking on land and sea."
「你們釘在十字架上的這位耶穌，神已經立祂為主，為基督了。」使徒行傳二章36節
我們曾說到基督是君王，當受無比的尊敬，但另一句話不可缺少；這位君王就是釘十字架的耶穌，我們所論到祂的一切、祂神聖的能力、祂的同在、祂奇妙的愛都得在內心深處，有此才能得教導。我們的君王是釘十字架的耶穌。神將祂安置在寶座之上被殺的羔羊，天上的掌權者都敬拜祂，我們也因此將祂尊崇為王。
基督的十字架是祂最高的榮耀，藉此祂戰勝一切仇敵而坐在神的寶座上；假如我們要完全知道得勝的意義，祂也要將此分享給我們。當保羅說：「我已經與基督同釘十字架，基督在我裏面活著」，他教導我們那基督坐在他心中的寶座，當我們在基督裏死了，十字架的靈便能戰勝老我。
這是真門徒，深深預備接受聖靈，他們與主向世界一同被釘死，舊人被治死，在祂裏面向罪死；他們的生命與基督一同藏在神裏面。我們當中每一位若要五旬節的靈真正通過我們，就必須與基督在祂十架裏相交，藉著永遠的靈，基督親自成為犧牲，以後成為神寶座上的君王。我們能在我們願意永遠順服上，在永遠治死老舊性情上，在永遠與這世界的靈分別上「傚法基督的死」，我們就成為這位釘十架榮耀的奴僕，我們的心也成為祂榮耀的殿。
「你們親近神，神就必親近你們。」雅各書四章8節
給人們實行神真理的機會，那是極根本的事。這責任是個人要擔負的，是不能代他人做的，是應出於人們的自願，所謂傳教的使命是人自己決志實行的。不能行動的中風症，叫人等在原處不動；但他一旦行動起來，就必大動而特動不能和從前一樣。接受神的靈感動的人這麼多，順服祂的事這麼容易，未免缺之理性。我一旦有所作為，我就活起來了，其他的生命，不過是生存而已。我真正活的時候，就是我全心順服的時候。
不要讓神的真理空空的在你們的心中，而無所活動。軀體的活動，不，必須意志的活動，不可不有。應當用墨或血記下來。就是最微小的一個聖徒，能依耶穌基督去處理事件，在他順服的當兒，就被解救了，他可以自由使用神的能力了。我們聽見神的真理我們承認我們的錯，但我們又回頭走；而後又聽見，又回頭走；到後來我們才知道無回頭的必要。我們須十分明白我們救贖主的那幾句話，與祂一同處理事件。祂的「來」字的意思即來「順服」，「到我這裡來」。我們不肯做的事就是「來」，但是凡來的人，在來的時候能理會神超然的生命，侵襲到他的內面。世上的支配權，肉體和魔鬼都癱瘓了，不是因為你的行為，而是因為你的行為將與神和祂救贖能力聯絡起來的緣故。
「……耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從祂的話呢？……」撒母耳記上十五章22節
很多人祈求成聖，但因為不瞭解要接受神所定規的方法——藉著耶穌及聖靈的內住——所以無法得著全然的祝福。還有不少為他人救恩所作的禱告，也因為祈求的人用錯帶領人的方法，而始終得不到答案。
有些婦人盼望她們的先生得救，有時是靠著避免做任何會觸怒先生的事，或是順服地為他們做世俗的事，想以此來吸引丈夫信主，然而卻適得其反。假使她們對神有忠心的態度，對先生有無畏的見證，其效果不僅事半功倍，且能得到神的喜悅與祝福。
許多基督徒會問：為什麼他們既窮困潦倒，又老在掙扎之中？很可能是他們理財的方法完全不合乎聖經的教導，甚至令他們自己都唾棄。
所以，當我們求神祝福時，我們應該讓神用祂的方法和步驟、一步一步給我們答覆。