十二月六日

屬天的怎樣，凡屬天的也就怎樣。（林前15：48）

頭與肢體的性質是一樣的，幷不像尼布甲尼撒所夢見的大像。那像的頭是精金的，胸膛和膀臂是銀的，肚腹和腰是銅的，腿是鐵的，脚是半鐵半泥的。基督的奧秘的身體却不是用各樣不同的東西組成的；肢體如果是必死的，那末耶穌也必死；若榮耀的頭是永活的，那末身體也必永活，因爲經上這樣記著說：“因爲我活著，你們也要活著。”榮耀的頭怎樣，身體和各個肢體也必怎樣；頭被揀選，肢體也被揀選；頭蒙悅納，肢體也必蒙悅納；頭是活的，肢體也是活的；若頭是精金的，身體的各部也必是精金的；性質的相合乃是密切交通的基礎。

虔敬的讀者！我們要在此稍停，你想神的兒子降爲至卑，好叫卑賤的你得以在他的榮耀裏與他相交，你能不感到驚异嗎？你極其卑賤，想到你是必死的，你就對朽壞說“你是我的父”，對蟲說“你是我的母親姐妹”；但在基督裏你便大得尊榮，你可以對全能者說：“你是我的弟兄，我的丈夫。”從前與名門世家結親便覺得增高了自己的地位；現在我們所得的榮耀却超乎他們衆人之上。甚願最可憐、最卑微的信徒抓住這個特權；甚願他不因因循苟且，懈怠閑懶，而疏忽了他的這種高尚的關係；甚願他不容愚妄的虛浮占據他的意念，而失去這種與基督聯合的屬天的尊榮。

“我在那裏，叫你們也在那裏。”

December 6

"As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."—1 Corinthians 15:48

The head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay. Christ's mystical body is no absurd combination of opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record stands, "Because I live, ye shall live also." As is our loving Head, such is the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion. Pause here, devout reader, and see if thou canst without ecstatic amazement, contemplate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus exalting thy wretchedness into blessed union with his glory. Thou art so mean that in remembrance of thy mortality, thou mayest say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm, "Thou art my sister;" and yet in Christ thou art so honored that thou canst say to the Almighty, "Abba, Father," and to the Incarnate God, "Thou art my brother and my husband." Surely if relationships to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have whereof to glory over the heads of them all. Let the poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privilege; let not a senseless indolence make him negligent to trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment to present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious, this heavenly honor of union with Christ.