九月十六日
经文: 我对上帝说，我岂是洋海、岂是大鱼、祢竟防守我呢？（约伯记七：12）
约伯所问的实在是一个奇怪的问题。他自以为是一个毫不重要的人，不必受严谨的守护和磨练。他也不感到自己是不守法的，需要被约束。对一个被不可理喻的苦难所包围的人来说，这个疑问是很自然的。但是约伯的问题得到一个令人十分羞愧的答案。人不是大海。这是真的，但是他比大海更会制造麻烦，更不守约束。海洋尚且顺从地尊重它的界限，虽然那只是一条沙带。以自我意志为中心的人却公然反对天国并压迫世人。他反叛的怒火是无止境的。海洋服从月亮，潮汐按照永不止息的规则涨退，既主动又被动地顺从。然而，人超越自己范围动乱不停。他在工作岗位上打盹，应当活动之时却偷懒。对上帝的命令不理不睬，故意去作不该作的事，要求他的反倒不作。海洋中的每一水滴、每一泡沫、每一波浪、和每一贝壳卵石都感到自然法则的能力，立即响应行动。唉，我们的本性可能至多只有海洋千分之一的意愿，愿意顺从上帝的旨意！我们常称海洋是变幻诡谲，其实它是多么恒定！千百年前，在我们祖先的时代，海洋就已在它所在的地方，每天以一定的声调拍击着同一岩石。可是虚空善变的人又如何呢？聪明人能猜测自己下一刻因被诱离顺服而犯下何种愚蠢的罪行吗？我们必须比汹涌澎湃的大海更为谨守，因为我们实在是非常悖逆的。主啊，求祢为了自己的荣耀来管理我们。
Evening, September 16
Scripture: “Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?”(Job 7:12)
This was a strange question for Job to ask of the Lord. He felt himself to be too insignificant to be so strictly watched and chastened, and he hoped that he was not so unruly as to need to be so restrained. The enquiry was natural from one surrounded with such insupportable miseries, but after all, it is capable of a very humbling answer. It is true man is not the sea, but he is even more troublesome and unruly. The sea obediently respects its boundary, and though it be but a belt of sand, it does not overleap the limit. Mighty as it is, it hears the divine hitherto, and when most raging with tempest it respects the word; but self-willed man defies heaven and oppresses earth, neither is there any end to this rebellious rage. The sea, obedient to the moon, ebbs and flows with ceaseless regularity, and thus renders an active as well as a passive obedience; but man, restless beyond his sphere, sleeps within the lines of duty, indolent where he should be active. He will neither come nor go at the divine command, but sullenly prefers to do what he should not, and to leave undone that which is required of him. Every drop in the ocean, every beaded bubble, and every yeasty foam-flake, every shell and pebble, feel the power of law, and yield or move at once. O that our nature were but one thousandth part as much conformed to the will of God! We call the sea fickle and false, but how constant it is! Since our fathers’ days, and the old time before them, the sea is where it was, beating on the same cliffs to the same tune; we know where to find it, it forsakes not its bed, and changes not in its ceaseless boom; but where is man-vain, fickle man? Can the wise man guess by what folly he will next be seduced from his obedience? We need more watching than the billowy sea, and are far more rebellious. Lord, rule us for thine own glory. Amen.
