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莱尔主教holiness-第50章

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   their Lord is saying; 〃Eat and drink abundantly; O beloved。〃 〃Ask and
   receive; that your joy may be full。〃 (Cant。 v。 1; John xvi。 24。)

   (1) Let us remember then; for one thing; that assurance is to be
   desired; because of the present fort and peace it affords。

   Doubts and fears have power to spoil much of the happiness of a true
   believer in Christ。 Uncertainty and suspense are bad enough in any
   conditionin the matter of our health; our property; our families; our
   affections; our earthly callingsbut never so bad as in the affairs of
   our souls。 And so long as a believer cannot get beyond 〃I hope;〃 and 〃I
   trust;〃 he manifestly feels a degree of uncertainty about his spiritual
   state。 The very words imply as much。 He says 〃I hope;〃 because he dares
   not say; 〃I know。〃

   Now assurance goes far to set a child of God free from this painful
   kind of bondage; and thus ministers mightily to his fort。 It enables
   him to feel that the great business of life is a settled business; the
   great debt a paid debt; the great disease a healed disease; and the
   great work a finished work; and all other business; diseases; debts;
   and works; are then by parison small。 In this way assurance makes
   him patient in tribulation; calm under bereavements; unmoved in sorrow;
   not afraid of evil tidings; in every condition content; for it gives
   him a fixedness of heart。 It sweetens his bitter cups; it lessens the
   burden of his crosses; it smooths the rough places over which he
   travels; it lightens the valley of the shadow of death。 It makes him
   always feel that he has something solid beneath his feet and something
   firm under his handsa sure friend by the way; and a sure home at the
   end。 '27'

   Assurance will help a man to bear poverty and loss。 It will teach him
   to say; 〃I know that I have in heaven a better and more enduring
   substance。 Silver and gold have I none; but grace and glory are mine;
   and these can never make themselves wings and flee away。 Though the fig
   tree shall not blossom; yet I will rejoice in the Lord。〃 (Habak。 iii。
   17; 18。)

   Assurance will support a child of God under the heaviest bereavements;
   and assist him to feel 〃It is well。〃 An assured soul will say; 〃Though
   beloved ones are taken from me; yet Jesus is the same; and is alive for
   evermore。 Christ; being raised from the dead; dieth no more。 Though my
   house be not as flesh and blood could wish; yet I have an everlasting
   covenant; ordered in all things and sure。〃 (2 Kings iv。 26; Heb。 xiii。
   8; Rom。 vi。 9; 2 Sam。 xxiii。 5。)

   Assurance will enable a man to praise God; and be thankful; even in
   prison; like Paul and Silas at Philippi。 It can give a believer songs
   even in the darkest night; and joy when all things seem going against
   him。 '28' (Job xxxv。 10; Psalm xlii。 8。)

   Assurance will enable a man to sleep with the full prospect of death on
   the morrow; like Peter in Herod's dungeon。 It will teach him to say; 〃I
   will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for Thou; Lord; only makest
   me to dwell in safety。〃 (Psalm iv。 8。)

   Assurance can make a man rejoice to suffer shame for Christ's sake; as
   the Apostles did when put in prison at Jerusalem。 (Acts v。 41。) It will
   remind him that he may 〃rejoice and be exceeding glad〃 (Matt。 v。 12);
   and that there is in heaven an exceeding weight of glory that shall
   make amends for all。 (2 Cor。 iv。 17。)

   Assurance will enable a believer to meet a violent and painful death
   without fear; as Stephen did in the beginning of Christ's Church; and
   as Cranmer; Ridley; Hooper; Latimer; Rogers; and Taylor did in our own
   land。 It will bring to his heart the texts; 〃Be not afraid of them
   which kill the body; and after that have no more that they can do。〃
   (Luke xii。 4。) 〃Lord Jesus receive my spirit。〃 (Acts vii。 59。) '29'

   Assurance will support a man in pain and sickness; make all his bed;
   and smooth down his dying pillow。 It will enable him to say; 〃If my
   earthly house fail; I have a building of God。〃 (2 Cor。 v。 1。) 〃I desire
   to depart and be with Christ。〃 (Phil。 i。 23。) 〃My flesh and my heart
   may fail; but God is the strength of my heart; and my portion for ever。
   '30' (Psalm lxxiii。 26。)

   The strong consolation which assurance can give in the hour of death is
   a point of great importance。 We may depend on it; we shall never think
   assurance so precious as when our turn es to die。 In that awful hour
   there are few believers who do not find out the value and privilege of
   an 〃assured hope;〃 whatever they may have thought about it during their
   lives。 General 〃hopes〃 and 〃trusts〃 are all very well to live upon
   while the sun shines and the body is strong; but when we e to die;
   we shall want to be able to say; 〃I know〃 and 〃I feel〃 The river of
   death is a cold stream; and we have to cross it alone。 No earthly
   friend can help us。 The last enemy; the king of terrors; is a strong
   foe。 When our souls are departing; there is no cordial like the strong
   wine of assurance。

   There is a beautiful expression in the Prayer…book service for the
   Visitation of the Sick: 〃The Almighty Lord; who is a most strong tower
   to all them that put their trust in Him; be now and evermore thy
   defence; and make thee know and feel that there is none other name
   under heaven; through whom thou mayest receive health and salvation;
   but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ。〃 The pilers of that
   service showed great wisdom there。 They saw that when the eyes grow
   dim; and the heart grows faint; and the spirit is on the eve of
   departing; there must then be knowing and feeling what Christ has done
   for us; or else there cannot be perfect peace。 '31'

   (2) Let us remember; for another thing; that assurance is to be
   desired; because it tends to make a Christian an active working
   Christian。

   None; generally speaking; do so much for Christ on earth as those who
   enjoy the fullest confidence of a free entrance into heaven; and trust
   not in their own works; but in the finished work of Christ。 That sounds
   wonderful; I dare say; but it is true。

   A believer who lacks an assured hope; will spend much of his time in
   inward searchings of heart about his own state。 Like a nervous;
   hypochondriacal person; he will be full of his own ailments; his own
   doubtings and questionings; his own conflicts and corruptions。 In
   short; you will often find he is so taken up with his internal warfare
   that he has little leisure for other things; and little time to work
   for God。

   But a believer; who has; like Paul; an assured hope; is free from these
   harassing distractions。 He does not vex his soul with doubts about his
   own pardon and acceptance。 He looks at the everlasting covenant sealed
   with blood; at the finished work; and never…broken word of his Lord and
   Saviour; and therefore counts his salvation a settled thing。 And thus
   he is able to give an undivided attention to the work of the Lord; and
   so in the long run to do more。 '32
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