September 13

"Come up in the morning . . . and present thyself unto me in the top of the mount" (Exod. 34:2).

The morning is the time fixed¹ for my meeting the Lord. The very word morning is as a cluster of rich grapes. Let us crush them, and drink the sacred wine. In the morning! Then God means me to be at my best in strength and hope. I have not to climb in my weakness. In the night I have buried yesterday's fatigue², and in the morning take a new lease of energy. Blessed is the day whose morning is sanctified! Successful is the day whose first victory was won in prayer! Holy is the day whose dawn finds thee on the top of the mount!

My Father, I am coming. Nothing on the mean plain shall keep me away from the holy heights. At Thy bidding I come, so Thou wilt³ meet me. Morning on the mount! It will make me strong and glad all the rest of the day so well begun. --Joseph Parker.

Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,

When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee;

Fairer than morning, lovelier than daylight,

Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee.

Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,

The solemn hush⁴ of nature newly born;

Alone with Thee in breathless adoration⁵,

In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.

As in the dawning o'er the waveless ocean,

The image of the morning-star doth rest,

So in this stillness, Thou beholdest only

Thine image in the waters of my breast.

When sinks the soul, subdued⁶ by toil⁷, to slumber⁸,

Its closing eyes look up to Thee in prayer;

Sweet the repose⁹, beneath Thy wings o'er shadowing,

But sweeter still to wake and find Thee there.

-Harriet Botcher Stowe

My mother's habit was every day, immediately after breakfast, to withdraw for an hour to her own room, and to spend that hour in reading the Bible, in meditation¹⁰ and prayer. From that hour, as from a pure fountain, she drew the strength and sweetness which enabled her to fulfill¹¹ all her duties, and to remain unruffled by the worries and pettinesses which are so often the trial of narrow neighborhoods. As I think of her life, and all it had to bear, I see the absolute triumph of Christian¹² grace in the lovely ideal of a Christian lady. I never saw her temper disturbed; I never heard her speak one word of anger, of calumny¹³, or of idle gossip; I never observed in her any sign of a single sentiment unbecoming to a soul which had drunk of the river of the water of life, and which had fed upon manna in the barren wilderness¹⁴.--Farrar

九月十三日

「明日早晨，你要……在山顶上站在我面前。」（出卅四2）

早晨是我所规定的朝见的时间，因为早晨是我气力最大、希望最大的时间；早晨我用不着爬山过岭。在夜间我已将一天的疲乏全行埋葬了，在早晨我已得着了新的精力。早晨已经被主洁净的，这一天一定是快乐的！第一个胜利已经在祷告中获得的，这一天一定是成功的！黎明在山顶上的这，一天一定是圣洁的！

我的父阿，我现在到祢这里来了。平原上没有甚么东西能够抓住我，叫我不上圣洁的高原来。我现在依照您的命令上来朝见祢。早晨在山顶上，会叫我全天强健喜乐。－－帕克约瑟

我的母亲有一个习惯：每天早晨，必须在她自己房里退修一小时━读经、默想、祷告。从那一小时里面━好像从一个清洁的泉源里面一样━她吸取力量和安慰来担任她一天的职务，保守她不被邻里间的琐事纷扰。我一想到她的生活，和她生活上一切的负担，我就立刻看见基督在她身上的得胜。我从来没有看见她发过一次脾气；我从来没有听见她说过一句过火的话，一句谗言，或者一句闲言；我从来没有感到她有过一些不适当的出于情感的态度；她的秘诀，在甚么地方呢？乃在她每天早晨饮了生命水的河里的活水，吃了旷野的吗哪。－－法勒尔

1 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

2 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

3 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

4 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

5 adoration   

n.爱慕，崇拜

参考例句：

• He gazed at her with pure adoration.他一往情深地注视着她。
• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。

6 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

7 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

8 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

9 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

10 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

11 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

12 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。

13 calumny   

n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤

参考例句：

• Calumny is answered best with silence.沉默可以止谤。
• Calumny require no proof.诽谤无需证据。

14 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。