March 4

"Followers¹ of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Heb. 6:12)

They (heroes of faith) are calling to us from the heights that they have won, and telling us that what man once did man can do again. Not only do they remind us of the necessity of faith, but also of that patience by which faith has its perfect work. Let us fear to take ourselves out of the hands of our heavenly Guide or to miss a single lesson of His loving discipline by discouragement or doubt.

"There is only one thing," said a village blacksmith, "that I fear, and that is to be thrown on the scrap² heap.

"When I am tempering a piece of steel, I first beat it, hammer it, and then suddenly plunge³ it into this bucket of cold water. I very soon find whether it will take temper or go to pieces in the process. When I discover after one or two tests that it is not going to allow itself to be tempered, I throw it on the scrap heap and sell it for a cent a pound when the junk man comes around.

"So I find the Lord tests me, too, by fire and water and heavy blows of His heavy hammer, and if I am not willing to stand the test, or am not going to prove a fit subject for His tempering process, I am afraid He may throw me on the scrap heap."

When the fire is hottest, hold still, for there will be a blessed "afterward"; and with Job we may be able to say, "When he hath tried me I shall come forth⁴ as gold." –Selected.

Sainthood springs out of suffering. It takes eleven tons of pressure on a piano to tune⁵ it. God will tune you to harmonize with Heaven's key-note if you can stand the strain.

"Things that hurt and things that mar

Shape the man for perfect praise;

Shock and strain and ruin are

Friendlier than the smiling days."

　 三月四日

“总要效法那些凭信心和忍耐承受应许的人”（来六：12）。

　　信心的英雄今天在荣耀中指示我们：凡他们所成功的，我们亦能。成功的秘诀不只是信心，也在乎忍耐。所以，不让我们疑惑，焦急，沮丧，以至失去受主出乎爱的锻炼的机会。

　　有一个打铁的铁匠说：“只有一件事是我们所怕的，就是被神丢到碎铁堆里去。

当我锻炼钢铁的时侯，我先把它在炉中烧红，然后用铁锤锤它，又忽然把它投入一桶冷水中。这样，不久我便能试验出来这块铁到底经不经得起锻炼，会不会裂成碎片。我把它这样试验至少二叁次，如果它经不起锻炼，我就把它甩在碎铁堆里；等到收旧货的来了，我就一分钱一磅卖给他”。

　　“照样，我觉得主也用火，用锤，用水试验我，如果我没有信心和忍耐就经不起试验，以至不能合乎他的标准，我怕他也会把我丢到碎铁堆里去呢”！

　　虽然火是挺热，锤是挺重，水是挺冷，你还该凭信心和忍耐站住，因为祝福就在后面；让我们和约伯同声说：“他试炼我之后，我必如精金”（伯二十三：10）。——选

　　圣人出于苦难的磨炼。要一架钢琴出声，须用十一吨压力。如果你经得起压力，神就要把你压出音调来和天上的音乐相和。——选

困苦的考验，疼痛的伤痕，

锻炼出十全十美的灵魂，

惊恐，紧张和灾难的刺激，

更有益于笑话温存

1 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

2 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

3 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。