"Thou remainest" (Heb. 1:11).
There are always lone hearth-fires; so many! And those who sit beside them, with the empty chair, cannot restrain the tears that will come. One sits alone so much. There is some One unseen, just here within reach. But somehow we don't realize His presence. Realizing is blessed, but--rare. It belongs to the mood, to the feelings. It is dependent on weather conditions and bodily conditions. The rain, the heavy fog outside, the poor sleep, the twinging pain, these make one's mood so much, they seem to blur out the realizing. But there is something a little higher up than realizing. It is yet more blessed. It is independent of these outer conditions, it is something that abides. It is this: recognizing that Presence unseen, so wondrous and quieting, so soothing and calming and warming. Recognize His presence--the Master's own. He is here, close by; His presence is real.
Recognizing will help realizing, too, but it never depends on it. Aye, more, immensely more, the Truth is a Presence, not a thing, a fact, a statement. Some One is present, a warm-hearted Friend, an all-powerful Lord. And this is the joyful truth for weeping hearts everywhere, whatever be the hand that has drawn the tears; by whatever stream it be that your weeping willow is planted. --S. D.Gordon
When from my life the old-time joy have vanished,
Treasures once mine, I ma) no longer claim,
This truth rnay feed my hungry heart, and furnished:
Lord, THOUREMAINEST! THOU art still the same!
When streams have dried, those streams of glad refreshing-
Friendships so blest, so rich, so free;
When sun-kissed skies give place to clouds depressing
Lord, THOUREMAINEST! Still my heart hath THEE.
When strength hath failed and feet now worn and weary
On gladsome errands may no longer go,
Why should I sigh, or let the day be dreary?
Lord, THOUREMAINEST! Could'st Thou more bestow?
Thus through life's days-whoe'er or what may fail me,
Friends, friendships, joys, in small or great degree,
Songs may be rnine, no sadness need assail me,
Lord, THOUREMAINEST! Still my heart hath THEE.
-]. D. Smith
九月六日
「祢却仍旧在那里。」（来一11，直译）
许多时候，我们独自坐在炉旁烤火，会感觉非常寂寞。望见空着的座位，常会禁不住掉下泪来。但是亲爱的读者阿，你要知道：一位看不见的，正在你面前啊！只是你不觉得就是了。觉得果然是一件幸福的事，但是觉得是凭依心境，凭依感觉的。觉得也是凭依天气和身体的状况的。下雨、下雾、睡眠不足、痛苦难当，都会影响我们的心境，叫我们不能觉得。有一件东西比觉得更高超、更幸福。这件东西是不随外面的情形转变的。这件东西是甚么呢？就是承认，承认那看不见的正和我同在━这样奇妙、安静、温和、镇定和热切！亲爱的读者阿，主在这里，正在你旁边；祂的同在是真实的。
承认能帮助感觉，但承认不凭依感觉。有这样一位热情的朋友，全能的恩主，和你同在，纵使有甚么事情叫你流泪，也足能叫你悲伤的心喜乐了。－－戈登