荒漠甘泉 10/29
http://www.fhl.net/main/dstream/1029.html
原作∕Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
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“祂必坐下如炼净银子的”(圣经玛垃基书三章 3 节)
我们的父要我们完全圣洁,像祂自己圣洁一样。祂知道炉火的价值。
我们都知道金属越贵重,化炼越费力 ── 它们必须经过烈火,因
为烈火能叫它们镕化;只有在镕化的时候,才能把掺杂在里面的杂质分
别出来;也只有在镕化的时候,才能把它们造成新的模型。
老练的化炼者是一直坐在坩埚旁边,从不走开的,他惟恐热度一高
就会叫金属受损。他把最后的渣滓从面上撇去;一看见自己的脸从其上
反照出来,他就立刻把炉火熄灭。
── 斐尔逊(Arthur T. Pierson)
"He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat,
As He watched by the precious ore,
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test,
And He wanted the finest gold
To mould as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gems with a price untold.
So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Tho' we fain would have said Him 'Nay,'
And He watched the dross that we had not seen,
And it melted and passed away.
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,
But our eyes were so dim with tears,
We saw but the fire