"Now it came to pass after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now, therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people." (Joshua 1:1, 2)
Sorrow came to you yesterday, and emptied your home. Your first impulse now is to give up, and sit down in despair amid the wrecks of your hopes. But you dare not do it. You are in the line of battle, and the crisis is at hand. To falter a moment would be to imperil some holy interest. Other lives would be harmed by your pausing, holy interests would suffer, should your hands be folded. You must not linger even to indulge your grief.
A distinguished general related this pathetic incident of his own experience in time of war. The general's son was a lieutenant of battery. An assault was in progress. The father was leading his division in a charge; as he pressed on in the field, suddenly his eye was caught by the sight of a dead battery-officer lying just before him. One glance showed him it was his own son. His fatherly impulse was to stop beside the loved form and give vent to his grief, but the duty of the moment demanded that he should press on in the charge; so, quickly snatching one hot kiss from the dead lips, he hastened away, leading his command in the assault.
Weeping inconsolably beside a grave can never give back love's banished treasure, nor can any blessing come out of such sadness. Sorrow makes deep scars; it writes its record ineffaceably on the heart which suffers. We really never get over our great griefs; we are never altogether the same after we have passed through them as we were before. Yet there is a humanizing and fertilizing influence in sorrow which has been rightly accepted and cheerfully borne. Indeed, they are poor who have never suffered, and have none of sorrow's marks upon them. The joy set before us should shine upon our grief as the sun shines through the clouds, glorifying them. God has so ordered, that in pressing on in duty we shall find the truest, richest comfort for ourselves. Sitting down to brood over our sorrows, the darkness deepens about us and creeps into our heart, and our strength changes to weakness. But, if we turn away from the gloom, and take up the tasks and duties to which God calls us, the light will come again, and we shall grow stronger.
--J. R. Miller.
Thou knowest that through our tears
Of hasty, selfish weeping
Comes surer sin, and for our petty fears
Of loss thou hast in keeping
A greater gain than all of which we dreamed;
Thou knowest that in grasping
The bright possessions which so precious seemed
We lose them; but if, clasping
Thy faithful hand, we tread with steadfast feet
The path of thy appointing,
There waits for us a treasury of sweet
Delight, royal anointing
With oil of gladness and of strength.
--Helen Hunt Jackson.
三月十一日
“耶和华的仆人摩西死了以后，耶和华晓谕摩西的帮手嫩的儿子约书亚，说，我的仆人摩西死了；现在你要起来，和众百姓过这约但河” (书一：1/2) 。
当忧愁和损失同时临到你的时侯，你第一个冲动就是想放弃一切，坐在失望中伤心。但是你决不能这样。须知你是在战场的前线，正当胜败关头。如果你踌躇一刻，同胞就要丧胆，神就要受着亏损。所以你不该稍有耽延，连痛哭一场的时间也不能。
某名将常述说他在战争时所遭遇的一段伤心的经历：将军的儿子是一个陆军中尉。一次，父子各率一军，开拔前线。不久，总攻击开始，将军身先士卒，向敌阵冲锋；在战场上，他偶然瞥见一个本国的战死军官躺在地上。跑近一看，乃是他自己的儿子。他第一个意念就是抱了尸身痛哭一场，但是转念之间，他想到身负重责，战争的胜败就在这一仗，岂可因个人私事贻误大事；于是在死者灰白的冷唇上抢了一个热吻，鼓着勇气，急忙率领军兵向前冲去。
如果约书亚在摩西的墓旁一直哀哭，是哭不活摩西的，也哭不出神的祝福来。忧愁哀痛留下深深的伤痕，在哀痛者的心上，刻划着不可磨灭的记录。我们从来无法真正去解脱大悲哀；经历了大悲痛之后，决不会和经历之前完全一样。然而，倘能正确和欣然去接受悲哀，它能发挥培养人格的丰富影响力。那些从未受过痛苦，心上从未留下过悲哀烙印的人，才是可怜虫。我们未来的欢乐，一定要像穿过乌云的阳光，才能倍见光明。神既如此吩咐了。我们要从履行任务中，去找寻最真切最丰富的安慰。如果坐下悲哀，会使我们四围的环境更艰难，我们的心更痛苦，我们的力量衰弱。只要我们不去理会痛苦，立即负起神的使命，光明就会随着来到,我们也会发挥刚强的力量了。——密勒
轻率的啼哭，自私的泪珠，
将招来深的罪过。
我们忧虑那微不足道的损失，
你却给我准备了梦想不到的收获；
我们若不肯放下自以为珍贵的一切，
结果还是丧失，何能持到永久？
但若紧握着你的手，
坚定步伐走在你指示的道路
前途是浸润着快乐与丰富，
充满了幸福和尊容的宝库。
——杰克逊