九月十三日
经文: 这个人接待罪人。（路加福音十五：2）
请看这一议论中所揭露的谦卑。这人在一切人类之上，祂是圣洁的、不害人、无瑕疵、不与罪人同污的。这一位人接待了罪人。我们之中若有人愿意去找寻失丧之人是不足为奇，因为他们是我们的同类，然而这位圣洁的上帝，虽然被人的罪过触犯，仍然取了仆人的样式。祂担当了众人的罪恶，并且愿意接待最顽劣的恶人。真是奇妙！祂接待罪人并不是要他们继续作罪人。祂接待他们为要赦免他们的罪，保全了他们的灵魂。祂教他们能服事祂，向祂献上颂赞，并与祂相交。祂以心中的大爱接待罪人，将他们从罪恶的坑中拉出来，将他们如宝石般戴在祂冠冕上。祂将他们从熊熊烈火中拯救出来，保全他们作为祂仁慈的昂贵纪念。祂为他们而死的那些罪人，在耶稣的眼中个个皆是珍贵的。当耶稣接待罪人时，祂的行动并不像那些在户外举行慈善活动的人对待路过的乞丐一样，而是敞开祂高贵心灵之黄金大门，接纳罪人进入祂的心中。祂允许谦卑悔罪的人与祂有直接的联合，让他成为祂全身、祂肉身和祂骨骼中的一个肢体。今晚祂仍然接待罪人，但愿罪人也能接待祂。
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Evening, September 13
Scripture: “This man receiveth sinners.”(Luke 15:2)
Observe the condescension of this fact. This Man, who towers above all other men, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners－this Man receiveth sinners. This Man, who is no other than the eternal God, before whom angels veil their faces－this Man receiveth sinners. It needs an angel's tongue to describe such a mighty stoop of love. That any of us should be willing to seek after the lost is nothing wonderful－ they are of our own race; but that he, the offended God, against whom the transgression has been committed, should take upon himself the form of a servant, and bear the sin of many, and should then be willing to receive the vilest of the vile, this is marvellous.
“This Man receiveth sinners”; not, however, that they may remain sinners, but he receives them that he may pardon their sins, justify their persons, cleanse their hearts by his purifying word, preserve their souls by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and enable them to serve him, to show forth his praise, and to have communion with him. Into his heart's love he receives sinners, takes them from the dunghill, and wears them as jewels in his crown; plucks them as brands from the burning, and preserves them as costly monuments of his mercy. None are so precious in Jesus’ sight as the sinners for whom he died. When Jesus receives sinners, he has not some out-of-doors reception place, no casual ward where he charitably entertains them as men do passing beggars, but he opens the golden gates of his royal heart, and receives the sinner right into himself－yea, he admits the humble penitent into personal union and makes him a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. There was never such a reception as this! This fact is still most sure this evening, he is still receiving sinners: would to God sinners would receive him.