October 26

"He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening was come, he was there alone" (Matt. 14:23)

The man Christ Jesus felt the need of perfect solitude¹━Himself alone, entirely² by Himself, alone with Himself. We know how much intercourse³ with men draws us away from ourselves and exhausts our powers. The man Christ Jesus knew this, too, and felt the need of being by Himself again, of gathering⁴ all His powers, of realizing fully⁵ His high destiny, His human weakness, His entire dependence⁶ on the Father.

How much more does the child of God need this━himself alone with spiritual realities, himself alone with God the Father. If ever there were one who could dispense⁷ with special seasons for solitude and fellowship, it was our Lord. But He could not do His work or maintain His fellowship in full power, without His quiet time.

Would God that every servant of His understood and practiced this blessed art, and that the Church knew how to train its children into some sense of this high and holy privilege, that every believer may and must have his time when he is indeed himself alone with God. Oh, the thought to have God all alone to myself, and to know that God has me all alone to Himself!━Andrew Murray

Lamertine speaks in one of his books of a secluded⁸ walk in his garden where his mother always spent a certain hour of the day, upon which nobody ever dreamed for a moment of intruding⁹. It was the holy garden of the Lord to her. Poor souls that have no such Beulah land! Seek thy private chamber¹⁰, Jesus says. It is in the solitude that we catch the mystic notes that issue from the soul of things.

【A MEDITATION】

My soul, practice being alone with Christ! It is written that when they were alone He expounded¹¹ all things to His disciples¹².(Mk.4:34) Do not wonder at the saying; it is true to thine experience. If thou wouldst understand thyself send the multitude away. Let them go out one by one till thou art left alone with Jesus……Has thou ever pictured thyself the one remaining creature in the earth, the one remaining creature in all the starry¹³ worlds?

In such a universe thine every thought would be "God and I! God and I!" And yet He is as near to thee as that━as near as if in the boundless¹⁴ spaces there throbbed¹⁵ no heart but His and thine. Practice that solitude, O my soul! Practice the expulsion of the crowd! Practice the stillness of thine own heart! Practice the solemn refrain "God and I! God and I!" Let none interpose between thee and thy wrestling angel! Thou shalt be both condemned¹⁶ and pardoned when thou shalt meet Jesus alone! ━George Matheson

十月二十六日

「散了众人以后，他就独自上山去祷告。到了晚上，只有祂一人在那里。」 （太十四:23）

主耶稣在世为人的时候，常喜欢独自与神亲近。我们都知道与人交接是一件多么费力的事情！主耶稣也知道，所以祂需要机会去恢复祂的能力。祂在世上为人，所以祂有人的疲乏。

主既如此，何况我们呢？我们岂不更需要单独与父神亲近么？如果有甚么人能例外━不需要与神单独亲近━的话，这人定规是主耶稣。如今主既不能一直工作，毫不安息，那么，就没有人能了。

但愿每一个神的仆人看见这个功课的重要！但愿神的教会知道怎样训练信徒夺取这无上的权利！但愿每一个信徒都有时间单独与神亲近！━慕安得烈

栾莫丁在一本书上告诉我们：在他花园里有一处极隐密的地方，他的母亲每天必到那里去安静一小时；这地方是从来没有人会进去打扰的。亲爱的读者！也许你要说：你没有这样安静的地方。不要紧，主耶稣说，进入你的内屋！在那里我们必会听见神秘的音乐。━选

【默 想】

信徒阿，你当学习单独与主亲近！经上记着说：「若不用比喻，就不对他们讲。没有人的时侯，就把一切的道讲给门徒听。」（可四:34）你不要希奇，你自己也可以这样经历的。如果你要明白，你只消把众人散开，让他们一个一个出去，直等到只剩下你和主…

这时候，你每一个思想会变成「神和我！神和我！」神和你会非常接近━接近得好似在这无涯的宇宙中，除了祂的心和你的心在跳动以外，没有别的东西了。哦，信徒阿，学习这个！学习退避群众！学习内心的安静！学习歌唱「神和我！神和我！」不让一个人来插入你和天使的摔跤！━马德胜

1 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

2 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

3 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。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 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。

6 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

7 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

8 secluded   

adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 intruding   

v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于

参考例句：

• Does he find his new celebrity intruding on his private life? 他是否感觉到他最近的成名侵扰了他的私生活？
• After a few hours of fierce fighting,we saw the intruding bandits off. 经过几小时的激烈战斗，我们赶走了入侵的匪徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

11 expounded   

论述，详细讲解( expound的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He expounded his views on the subject to me at great length. 他详细地向我阐述了他在这个问题上的观点。
• He warmed up as he expounded his views. 他在阐明自己的意见时激动起来了。

12 disciples   

n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一

参考例句：

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

13 starry   

adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的

参考例句：

• He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
• I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。

14 boundless   

adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的

参考例句：

• The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
• His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。

15 throbbed   

抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动

参考例句：

• His head throbbed painfully. 他的头一抽一跳地痛。
• The pulse throbbed steadily. 脉搏跳得平稳。

16 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。