8月1日 神右手中的福乐
神右手中的福乐
你所享受的喜乐与满足，与神自己所喜悦的福分，在本质上同源同质：“你也必叫他们喝你乐河的水。”（诗36:8）
神喜悦祂圣徒身上的各样恩典；然而，祂岂不更喜悦自己本有的圣洁吗？圣徒身上的这些恩典，犹如公义所发出的美丽光辉，原是从神自己的圣洁中流露出来的。因此，倘若你能从不圣洁的事物中榨取真正的快乐，那你所做的，就是神自己也无法做到的事。容我问一句：你若说公义的道路是真正快乐的仇敌，这岂不是极大的亵渎吗？因为这种指控无异于说神自己也是毫无喜乐的，毕竟在圣洁之外，根本不存在真正的福乐。
即使是那些对神怀有彻骨仇恨的魔鬼，也不敢妄言神毫无喜乐。牠们深知神乃是“至圣至荣”的（出15:11），而基督徒真正的福分，正是有分于神那永远有福的圣洁本性。基督徒啊，无论在地上还是在天上，这便是至高幸福的终极体现：使你得着荣耀的，正是那使神自己彰显荣耀的圣洁。你所享受的喜乐与满足，与神自己所喜悦的福分，在本质上同源同质：“你也必叫他们喝你乐河的水。”（诗36:8）请细细体会“你乐河的水”这句话：神不仅拥有祂自己无上的福乐，祂竟赐下奇恩，使圣徒得以同饮这福乐之泉！
假如一位君王吩咐仆人带领宾客到酒窖里，与仆人们一同饮酒，这位宾客已经会因主人的慷慨而深感荣幸。然而，倘若君王亲自请他入座，让他品尝君王自己的美酒，这便是更为珍贵、更受尊崇的经历。同样，当神将产业、五谷、新酒和油这些受造之物赐给人时，祂不过是在那普通的酒窖中款待他。但是，当神以恩典和怜悯，用圣洁来妆饰一个人的灵魂时，祂赐下的乃是人所能领受的最宝贵礼物。神绝不会给一个人披上公义的外袍，却不打算让他将来坐在天上荣耀的筵席旁。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：士15章，徒19章，
个人灵修：耶28章，可14章
AUGUST 1, SATURDAY
PLEASURES AT HIS RIGHT HAND
Your joy and pleasure are the same substance which God delights in: “Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures” (Psalm 36:8).
God takes pleasure in the graces of His saints; but how much more in His own inherent holiness, from whence those graces, those beautiful beams of righteousness, were first sent forth! Thus you are doing something God Himself cannot do if you can wrest any true pleasure out of unholiness. And let me ask this—is it not the lowest of blasphemies for you to say that the path of righteousness is an enemy to true pleasure? In that accusation you are saying God Himself lacks joy, because true pleasure does not exist outside of holiness.
Even the devils who hate God with a perfect hatred dare not declare that He is without joy. They know God is “glorious in holiness” and the Christian’s bliss consists in sharing the same holiness which makes God Himself so blessed (Exodus 15:11). This, Christian, is the ultimate expression of happiness, either on earth or in heaven—the same thing that makes you glorious is what has made God glorious. Your joy and pleasure are the same substance which God delights in: “Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures” (Psalm 36:8). Mark those words—“the river of thy pleasures.” God has His pleasures, and He causes saints to drink of them!
Whenever a king commands his servants to take a visitor down into the cellar so he can drink wine with them, the person is highly honored by his host’s generous gesture. But for the king to set the man at his table and let him drink his own wine is an even more cherished experience. Thus when God gives a man the creaturely pleasures of property, corn, wine, and oil, He entertains him in that common wine cellar. But when His grace and mercy beautify a soul with holiness, He gives the most precious gift the person can receive. He never clothes a man with the robe of righteousness unless He means to seat him at His own table in heaven’s glory.