October 21

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens"Cor.5:1)

The owner of the tenement¹ which I have occupied for many years has given notice that he will furnish but little or nothing more for repairs. I am advised to be ready to move.

At first this was not a very welcome notice. The surroundings here are in many respects very pleasant, and were it not for the evidence of decay, I should consider the house good enough. But even a light wind causes it to tremble and totter², and all the braces³ are not sufficient to make it secure. So I am getting ready to move.

It is strange how quickly one's interest is transferred to the prospective⁴ home. I have been consulting maps of the new country and reading descriptions of its inhabitants. One who visited it has returned, and from him I learn that it is beautiful beyond description; language breaks down in attempting to tell of what he heard while there. He says that, in order to make an investment there, he has suffered the loss of all things that he owned here, and even rejoices in what others would call making a sacrifice. Another, whose love to me has been proven by the greatest possible test, is now there. He has sent me several clusters of the most delicious fruits. After tasting them, all food here seems insipid⁵.

Two or three times I have been down by the border of the river that forms the boundary, and have wished myself among the company of those who were singing praises to the King on the other side. Many of my friends have moved there. Before leaving they spoke⁶ of my coming later. I have seen the smile upon their faces as they passed out of sight. Often I am asked to make some new investments here, but my answer in every case is, "I am getting ready to move." ━Selected

The words often on Jesus' lips in His last days express vividly⁷ the idea, "going to the Father."(Jn.16:17) We, too, who are Christ's people, have vision of something beyond the difficulties and disappointments of this life. We are journeying towards fulfillment, completion, expansion of life. We, too, are "going to the Father." Much is dim concerning our home-country, but two things are clear. It is home, "the Father's House."(Jn.14:2) It is the nearer presence of the Lord. We are all wayfarers⁸, but the believer knows it and accepts it. He is a traveller, not a settler. ━R. C. Gillie

The little birds trust God, for they go singing,

From northern woods where autumn winds have blown,

With joyous⁹ faith their trackless pathway winging,

To summer-lands of song, afar, unknown.

Let us g singing, then, and not go sighing:

Since we are sure our times are in His hand,

Why should we weep, and fear, and call it dying?

'Tis only flitting to a summer-land.

━selected

十月二十一日

「我们原知道，我们这地上的帐棚若拆毁了，必得神所造，不是人手所造，在天上永存的房屋。」（林后五:1）

我居住了多年的屋子已经破旧不堪了，屋主通知我他不愿意再花钱去修理了。他劝我还是预备迁居罢。

我听了这个消息，起初很不乐意。这屋子四围的环境太有趣了，如果不是因为太破旧的缘故，我简直不想迁居。但是如今一阵微风就够叫它摇动震颤，所以我不能不预备迁居了。

眞奇怪，我的兴趣很快就转移到未来的新屋上面去了。我参考地图，调查居民，遣人到那边去视察。视察的人回来告诉我那边的情形非常美好。他说他因为要在那边投资的缘故，情愿变卖他在这边一切所有的；虽然别人说他牺牲太大，他还是乐意去做。还有一个我所最爱的朋友，现在也在那边。他托人带来最美味的水果来给我。我尝了以后，再吃这边的水果，简直无味极了。

啊！我眞渴望立刻到那边去━和那些人站在一起唱诗赞美被杀的羔羊。我有许多朋友已经搬到那边去了。他们去的时候，他们的脸上都带着微笑。多少时候，有人劝我在这边投资，我总回答说：「我已在预备迁居了。」━选

主耶稣在世上末了几天所说的，都说到「往父那里去」（约十六:17）。我们今天也该在今生的困难、失望之外，看见将来的「往父那里去」。虽然我们将来的家到底怎样，我们现在看不清楚；但是有两点是顶清楚的：这是家━「父的家」（约十四:2）。这是我们的主所在的地方。就这两点，已经够我们渴慕了。━吉利

秋风起了,小鸟们离开北方,

一边飞,一边唱又再唱,

牠们有的是欣悦之信心,

勇往直前,投到南方的新城。

让我们也唱,继续唱,

命运既掌握在神的手里,

何必畏怯、叹气快死亡?

至终是飞往暖夏的地土。

━选

1 tenement   

n.公寓；房屋

参考例句：

• They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里。
• She felt very smug in a tenement yard like this.就是在个这样的杂院里，她觉得很得意。

2 totter   

v.蹒跚， 摇摇欲坠；n.蹒跚的步子

参考例句：

• He tottered to the fridge,got a beer and slumped at the table.他踉跄地走到冰箱前，拿出一瓶啤酒，一屁股坐在桌边。
• The property market is tottering.房地产市场摇摇欲坠。

3 braces   

n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。
• You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

4 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

5 insipid   

adj.无味的，枯燥乏味的，单调的

参考例句：

• The food was rather insipid and needed gingering up.这食物缺少味道，需要加点作料。
• She said she was a good cook,but the food she cooked is insipid.她说她是个好厨师，但她做的食物却是无味道的。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 vividly   

adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地

参考例句：

• The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
• The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。

8 wayfarers   

n.旅人，（尤指）徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Days have been when wayfarers came here to wash their weary feet. 从前曾有过路人到这里来洗疲乏的脚。 来自互联网
• You are the way and the wayfarers. 你们是道路，也是行路者。 来自互联网

9 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。