May 20

"Shall I refuse to drink the cup of sorrow which the Father has given me to drink?" (John 18:11.) (Weymouth)

God takes a thousand times more pains with us than the artist with his picture, by many touches of sorrow, and by many colors of circumstance, to bring us into the form which is the highest and noblest in His sight, if only we receive His gifts of myrrh in the right spirit.

But when the cup is put away, and these feelings are stifled¹ or unheeded, a greater injury is done to the soul that can ever be amended². For no heart can conceive in what surpassing love God giveth us this myrrh; yet this which we ought to receive to our souls' good we suffer to pass by us in our sleepy indifference³, and nothing comes of it.

Then we come and complain: "Alas⁴, Lord! I am so dry, and it is so dark within me!" I tell thee, dear child, open thy heart to the pain, and it will do thee more good than if thou wert full of feeling and devoutness⁵. --Tauler.

"The cry of man's anguish⁶ went up to God,

'Lord take away pain:

The shadow that darkens the world Thou hast made,

The close-coiling chain

That strangles the heart, the burden that weighs

On the wings that would soar,

Lord, take away pain from the world Thou hast made,

That it love Thee the more.'

"Then answered the Lord to the cry of His world:

'Shall I take away pain,

And with it the power of the soul to endure,

Made strong by the strain?

Shall I take away pity, that knits heart to heart

And sacrifice high?

Will ye lose all your heroes that lift from the fire

White brows to the sky?

Shall I take away love that redeems⁷ with a price

And smiles at its loss?

Can ye spare from your lives that would climb unto Me

The Christ on His cross?"

　 五月二十日

“耶稣就对彼得说，收刀入鞘罢，我父给我的那杯，我岂可不喝呢”。（约十八：11）

　　神塑造我们，比艺术家作画要辛苦千倍，要经过许多充满悲痛的笔法，加以各种色调的背景，才把我们造成他心目中最高贵的形式。而在我们方面，只要以正当的精神接受他所赐的“没药”。

　　但若把那杯推开，抹煞或漠视这些充满悲痛的感情，对于灵魂就会造成比以往所能修补者更大的伤害。没有人能想象神以何等超越的爱，把没药赐给我们，我们应该接受这对灵魂有益的恩赐。然而我们却让它在不注意的疏忽中过去，于是从它那儿得不到什么。

　　口中却抱怨起来，说道：“主啊，我是如何地饥渴，心中是如何地黑暗！”亲爱的孩子，我告诉你，你要打开心扉接受神所赐的苦药，这比仅有情感和虔诚，对你更为有益。——陶勒

世人向神发出悲惨的呼吁：

“求主把我们的苦痛除去，

还有你所制造的阴影，

请代之以永远的阳光和煦，

去掉桎梏我们心灵的锁链，

压住我们翅膀的重负，

求你去除你所给的一切痛苦，

使世人对你更为爱慕“。

神答复世人的呼吁道：

“你们的见识，何其渺小，

要我除去苦痛吗？

苦痛增加你的耐力，

使你的灵魂坚如城堡，

你要我除去怜悯之心，

它却结成心心相印的同情，

也发展了人间高度的牺牲。

他们曾从烈火中锻炼出坚贞。

你要我除去爱与笑吗？

这些都从苦痛的磨炼中产生。

你们的生命要追随我，

难道能免除基督到十架的旅程”？

1 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

2 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

3 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

4 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

5 devoutness   

朝拜

参考例句：

6 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

7 redeems   

补偿( redeem的第三人称单数 )； 实践； 解救； 使…免受责难

参考例句：

• The acting barely redeems the play. 该剧的演出未能补救剧本的缺点。
• There is a certain insane charm about Sellers; the very vastness of his schemes redeems them. 塞勒斯有一种迹近疯狂的魔力，正因为他的计划过于庞大，它们才能使人相信。