December 10

"If I am in distress¹, it is in the interests of your comfort, which is effective as it nerves you to endure the same sufferings as I suffered myself. Hence my hope for you is well-founded, since I know that as you share the sufferings you share the comfort also"(2 Cor. 1:6-7)

Are there not some in your circle to whom you naturally betake yourself in times of trial and sorrow? They always seem to speak the right word, to give the very counsel you are longing² for; you do not realize, however, the cost which they had to pay ere they became so skillful in binding³ up the gaping⁴ wounds and drying tears. But if you were to investigate their past history you would find that they have suffered more than most. They have watched the slow untwisting of some silver cord on which the lamp of life hung. They have seen the golden bowl of joy dashed to their feet, and its contents spilt. They have stood by ebbing⁵ tides, and drooping⁶ gourds⁷, and noon sunsets; but all this has been necessary to make them the nurses, the physicians, the priests of men. The boxes that come from foreign climes are clumsy enough; but they contain spices which scent⁸ the air with the fragrance⁹ of the Orient. So suffering is rough and hard to bear; but it hides beneath it discipline, education, possibilities, which not only leave us nobler, but perfect us to help others. Do not fret¹⁰, or set your teeth, or wait doggedly¹¹ for the suffering to pass; but get out of it all you can, both for yourself and for your service to your generation, according to the will of God. ━Selected

Once I heard a song of sweetness,

As it cleft¹² the morning air,

Sounding in its blest completeness,

Like a tender, pleading prayer;

And I sought to find the singer,

Whence the wondrous¹³ song was borne;

And I found e bird, sore wounded,

Pinioned¹⁴ by a cruel thorn.

I have seen a soul in sadness,

While its wings toith pain were furl'd,

Giving hope, and cheer and gladness

That should bless a weeping world;

And I knew that life of sweetness,

Was of pain and sorrow borne,

And a stricken soul was singing,

With its heart against a thorn.

Ye are told of One who loved you,

Of a Saviour¹⁵ crucified,

Ye are told of nails that pinioned,

And a spear that pierced His side;

Ye are told of cruel scourging¹⁶,

Of a Saviour bearing scorn,

And He died for your salvation¹⁷,

With His brow against a thorn.

Ye "are not above the Master.”

Will you breathe a sweet refrain?

And His grace will be sufficient,

When your heart is pierced with pain.

Will you live to bless His loved ones,

Tho'your life be bruised¹⁸ and torn,

Like the bird that sang so sweetly,

With its heart against a thorn?

━Selected

十二月十日

「我们受患难呢，是为叫你们得安慰……这安慰能叫你们忍受我们所受的那样苦楚。我们为你们所存的盼望是确定的。因为知道你们既是同受苦楚、也必同得安慰。」 （林后一:6-7）

在你四围有没有甚么人是特别会帮助你，你在试炼中、忧伤中，特别会去向他寻求安慰呢？这个人每次所说的话，都顶能帮助你，顶合你的需要。你知道他是顶会帮助你，但是你知不知道他怎样会是的呢？他这样会扎缚人的伤口、揩干人的眼泪，绝非偶然的事，乃是曾出了重大代价的。如果你去调查他以往的历史，你就会发现他曾受过多少苦难。他曾亲见他喜乐的金碗被摔在地上，他曾站在怒潮旁边、烈日之下；但是这一切都是他成为保姆、医生，所必需经历的。苦难固然顶难忍受；可是底下却隐藏着顶宝贵的教育━教导我们怎样帮助别人。所以信徒阿，你不要动怒，你不要咬牙，你只要看见这是训练你成为一个安慰使者的；因此你当甘甘心心在神的旨意里面忍受。━选

某日我听见一阵悦耳的歌声,

在清晨的空气中萦绕,

完美无瑕的嗓音。

宛如一篇温柔恳切的祷告。

我去寻找那位歌唱者,

谁能唱得如此美妙；

我发现一只鸟为荆棘所刺,

在受伤中婉转鸣叫。

我曾见到一个悲恸的生灵,

卷缩着疼痛的翅膀,

他祝福这流泪啼泣的世界,

散播着欢欣鼓励和希望。

我知道可爱的生命,

来自痛苦和悲伤；

这一个受了击打的灵魂,

心里带着荆棘而歌唱。

你曾听说爱你的救主,

被钉十字架的故事；

你曾听说那无情的尖钉,

和戳穿祂胁肋的矛刺；

你曾听说那残酷的鞭笞,

这位救主如何忍辱至死；

祂带着刺痛额上的荆棘,

为救赎你我而去世。

你「不能高过先生。」

你可愿意哼唱甜美的歌声?

当你的心受着刺痛,

祂的恩典足够给你温暖。

虽然你的生命受了伤,

你可愿意祝福祂所爱的子民,

像那只心里带荆棘的鸟,

唱出那样悦耳的清吟?

━━选

1 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

2 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

3 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

4 gaping   

adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大

参考例句：

• Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ebbing   

（指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落

参考例句：

• The pain was ebbing. 疼痛逐渐减轻了。
• There are indications that his esoteric popularity may be ebbing. 有迹象表明，他神秘的声望可能正在下降。

6 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

7 gourds   

n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Dried gourds are sometimes used as ornaments. 干葫芦有时用作饰品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The villagers use gourds for holding water. 村民们用葫芦盛水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

9 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。

10 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

11 doggedly   

adv.顽强地，固执地

参考例句：

• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
• He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

12 cleft   

n.裂缝；adj.裂开的

参考例句：

• I hid the message in a cleft in the rock.我把情报藏在石块的裂缝里。
• He was cleft from his brother during the war.在战争期间，他与他的哥哥分离。

13 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。

14 pinioned   

v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His arms were pinioned to his sides. 他的双臂被绑在身体两侧。
• Pinioned by the press of men around them, they were unable to move. 周围的人群挤压着他们，使他们动弹不得。 来自辞典例句

15 saviour   

n.拯救者，救星

参考例句：

• I saw myself as the saviour of my country.我幻想自己为国家的救星。
• The people clearly saw her as their saviour.人们显然把她看成了救星。

16 scourging   

鞭打( scourge的现在分词 )； 惩罚，压迫

参考例句：

• I should not deserve such a scourging to the bone as this. 我也不应该受这样痛澈骨髓的鞭打呀。
• The shroud also contains traces of blood and marks consistent with scourging and crucifixion. 这张裹尸布上有着鲜血的痕迹以及带有苦难与拷问的标记。

17 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

18 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。