July 21

"Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece." (Judges 6:39.)

THERE are degrees to faith. At one stage of Christian¹ experience we cannot believe unless we have some sign or some great manifestation² of feeling. We feel our fleece, like Gideon, and if it is wet we are willing to trust God. This may be true faith, but it is imperfect. It always looks for feeling or some token besides the Word of God.

It marks quite an advance in faith when we trust God without feelings. It is blessed to believe without having any emotion.

There is a third stage of faith which even transcends³ that of Gideon and his fleece. The first phase of faith believes when there are favorable emotions, the second believes when there is the absence of feeling, but this third form of faith believes God and His Word when circumstances, emotions, appearances, people, and human reason all urge to the contrary. Paul exercised this faith in (Acts. 27:20, 25), "And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away." Not-withstanding all this Paul said, "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."

May God give us faith to fully⁴ trust His Word though everything else witness the other way. -- C. H. P.

When is the time to trust?

Is it when all is calm,

When waves the victor's palm,

And life is one glad psalm⁵

Of joy and praise?

Nay⁶! but the time to trust

Is when the waves beat high,

When storm clouds fill to sky,

And prayer is one long cry,

O help and save!

When is the time to trust?

Is it when friends are true?

Is it when comforts woo,

And is all we say and do

We meet but praise?

Nay! but the time to trust

Is when we stand alone,

And summer birds have flown,

And every prop⁷ is gone,

All else but God.

What is the time to trust?

Is it some future day,

When you have tricd your way,

And learned to trust and pray

By bitter woe⁸?

Nay! but the time to trust

Is in this moment's need.

Poor, broken, bruised⁹ reed!

Poor, troubled soul, make speea

To trust thy God.

What is the time to trust?

Is it when hopes beat high,

When sunshine gilds¹⁰ the sky,

And joy and ecstasy¹¹

Fill all the heart?

Nay! but the time to trust

Is when our joy is fled,

When sorrow bows the head,

And all is cold and dead,

All else but God.

─Selected.

七月二十一日

「让我将羊毛再试一次；但愿羊毛是干的，别的地方都有露水。」（士六:39）

　　基督徒的信心有三个时期。在第一个时期里，我们对于一件事，如果没有看见兆头或者显著的感觉，就不容易相信。像基甸一样，一定要先去摸摸羊毛，如果羊毛是干的，才愿意相信。这一种信心，也许是真实的信心，不过这种信心不完全。这种信心常常要在神的话语以外，另外找些感觉和证据。

　　在第二个时期里，我们对于一件事，如果没有感觉，也能够相信。这就是告诉我们说，我们的信心有了显著的进步了。

　　在第三个时期里的信心和基甸摸羊毛的信心适正相反。第一期的信心，是凭依顺利的感觉来相信的；第二期的信心，没有感觉，也能相信了； 第三期的信心，在环境、感觉、外表、世人、理智，都催促你向反面作去的时候，你依旧持守神的话语。保罗在使徒行传二十七章二十、二十五节所运用的，就是这样的信心━「太阳和星辰多日不显露，又有狂风大浪催逼，我们得救的指望就都绝了。」虽然这样，保罗却说：「所以众位可以放心， 我信神祂怎样对我说，事情也要怎样成就。」

　　愿神赐我们这样的信心，叫我们不看环境，完全信赖神的话语。－－C. H. P.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 manifestation   

n.表现形式；表明；现象

参考例句：

• Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
• What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

3 transcends   

超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过…

参考例句：

• The chemical dilution technique transcends most of the difficulties. 化学稀释法能克服大部分困难。
• The genius of Shakespeare transcends that of all other English poets. 莎士比亚的才华胜过所有的其他英国诗人。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 psalm   

n.赞美诗，圣诗

参考例句：

• The clergyman began droning the psalm.牧师开始以单调而低沈的语调吟诵赞美诗。
• The minister droned out the psalm.牧师喃喃地念赞美诗。

6 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

7 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

8 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

9 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

10 gilds   

把…镀金( gild的第三人称单数 )； 给…上金色； 作多余的修饰（反而破坏原已完美的东西）； 画蛇添足

参考例句：

• The morning sun gilds the sky. 朝阳把天空染成金色。
• You look green around the gilds. 你看上去病得不轻。

11 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。