August 15

"Through many tribulations¹ we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22.).

The best things of life come out of wounding. Wheat is crushed before it becomes bread. Incense² must be cast upon the fire before its odors are set free. The ground must be broken with the sharp plough before it is ready to receive the seed. It is the broken heart that pleases God. The sweetest joys in life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems to need suffering to fit it for being a blessing³ to the world.

If you aspire⁴ to be a son of consolation⁵; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy; if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a tempted⁶ heart; if you would pass through the intercourse⁷ of daily life with the delicate tact⁸ that never inflicts⁹ pain; you must be content to pay the price of a costly¹⁰ education--like Him, you must suffer.--F. W. Robertson

“Beside my cottage door it grows,

The loveliest, daintiest flower that blows,

A sweetbriar rose.”

“At dewy morn or twilight's close,

The rarest perfume from it flows,

This strange wild rose.”

“But when the rain-drops on it beat,

Ah, then, its odors grow more sweet,

About my feet.”

“Ofttimes with loving tenderness,

Its soft green leaves I gently press,

In sweet caress¹¹.”

“A still more wondrous¹² fragrance¹³ flows

The more my fingers close

And crush the rose.”

“Dear Lord, oh, let my life be so

Its perfume when tempests blow,

The sweeter flow.”

“And should it be Thy blessed will,

With crushing grief my soul to fill,

Press harder still.”

“And while its dying fragrance flows

I'll whisper low, 'He loves and knows

His crushed briar rose.”　 　

八月十五日

「我进入神的国，必须经历许多艰难。」（徒十四22）

人生最佳美的东西，都是从苦难中得来的。麦子必须磨碎，纔能做成面包。香料必须经火，纔能发出浓郁的香气。泥土必须耕松，纔能适于下种。照样，一个破碎的心，纔会得到神的喜悦。人生最甜蜜的欢乐，都是忧伤的果子。我们必须亲身经历许多艰难，然后纔会去安慰别人。

如果，你渴望作一个安慰使者；如果，你愿意有怜恤的恩赐，如果，你想从你身上流出新鲜的慰语来扶持受试炼的弟兄姊妹；如果，你要在日常过着光润的生活不叫别人感到你的酸辣，你必须甘心乐意地付一笔昂贵的教育费━你必须像主那样受苦。──劳

1 tribulations   

n.苦难( tribulation的名词复数 )；艰难；苦难的缘由；痛苦

参考例句：

• the tribulations of modern life 现代生活的苦恼
• The film is about the trials and tribulations of adolescence. 这部电影讲述了青春期的麻烦和苦恼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

3 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

4 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

5 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

6 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 intercourse   

n.性交；交流，交往，交际

参考例句：

• The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。
• There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。

8 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

9 inflicts   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Bullfrog 50 Inflicts poison when your enemy damages you at short range. 牛娃50对近距离攻击你的敌人造成毒伤。
• The U.S. always inflicts its concept of human nature on other nations. 美国总是把自己的人权观念强加于别国。

10 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

11 caress   

vt./n.爱抚，抚摸

参考例句：

• She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
• She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。

12 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

13 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。