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經文：「我想現在的苦楚，若比起將來要顯於我們的榮耀，就不足介意了。」（羅8:18） 我有一個天蛾的繭，收藏了差不多一年。牠的結構非常特別，一頭是條小細管，另頭是球形的囊，很像試驗室中的細頸瓶。當蛾要出繭的時候，牠必須從球形囊那頭，爬越過那條極細的管，然後才能脫身再展翅起飛。 牠的身體這樣肥大，那條管兒這樣細小，任誰都會希奇牠怎麼能夠出來？一定會遇見許多困難，花費許多心機與力氣。根據生物學家解釋：蛾在作蛹的時候，翅膀萎縮不發達；脫繭的時候，必須經過一番掙扎，身體中的體液才能流到翅脈，雙翅才能有力地拍展飛翔。 某日，我恰巧看見那久囚的蟲兒開始活動了。整個早晨我耐著性子從旁看牠在繭中努力、奮鬥、掙扎，可是還不能前進絲毫，似乎牠再沒有可能出來了。最後我的耐心破產，就想我比造物者更慈愛更有智慧，就決定要幫牠一把。於是用小剪刀把繭上的絲剪薄了些，好讓牠稍微容易爬出來，這正是我的得意之作！ 看哪！一會兒，幼蛾很容易地爬出來了，身體卻是反常的臃腫，翅膀也是反常的萎縮。我守在旁邊，等牠徐徐地伸展翅膀，展現牠細緻精巧的彩紋。豈知大失所望，我虛偽的溫柔，竟成了禍根。可憐的蟲兒，非但不能撲著彩虹般的雙翼飛翔空中呈現牠完全的美麗，竟痛苦地爬了一會就不壽而終。啊，我以為的智慧和慈愛害了牠！一個沒有發育完全的幼蛾，被我強行流產了！ 我把這事想了又想；許多時候我們看見人們在憂愁、困苦、艱難中掙扎，我們覺得很是可憐。我們常想要把上帝的法則變更，給他們屬人的幫助。啊，眼光淺短的人啊！我們怎會知道這些噓唏和呻吟不是他們必需經過的呢？目光深遠又完全的愛，若要人們得益，只能不顧憐他們目前暫時的苦楚。 父神的愛正是如此；因為祂愛祂的兒女所以才要管教，要使他們有分於祂的聖潔。為了如此榮耀的目的，祂才不顧他們的眼淚。神使祂的長子在苦難中得榮耀，照樣也使祂的眾兒女在患難中學習順服，同得榮耀。--Tract 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18). I kept for nearly a year the flask-shaped cocoon of an emperor moth. It is very peculiar in its construction. A narrow opening is left in the neck of the flask, through which the perfect insect forces its way, so that a forsaken cocoon is as entire as one still tenanted, no rupture of the interlacing fibers having taken place. The great disproportion between the means of egress and the size of the imprisoned insect makes one wonder how the exit is ever accomplished at all--and it never is without great labor and difficulty. It is supposed that the pressure to which the moth's body is subjected in passing through such a narrow opening is a provision of nature for forcing the juices into the vessels of the wings, these being less developed at the period of emerging from the chrysalis than they are in other insects. I happened to witness the first efforts of my prisoned moth to escape from its long confinement. During a whole forenoon, from time to time, I watched it patiently striving and struggling to get out. It never seemed able to get beyond a certain point, and at last my patience was exhausted. Very probably the confining fibers were drier and less elastic than if the cocoon had been left all winter on its native heather, as nature meant it to be. At all events I thought I was wiser and more compassionate than its Maker, and I resolved to give it a helping hand. With the point of my scissors I snipped the confining threads to make the exit just a very little easier, and lo! immediately, and with perfect case, out crawled my moth dragging a huge swollen body and little shrivelled wings. In vain I watched to see that marvelous process of expansion in which these silently and swiftly develop before one's eyes; and as I traced the exquisite spots and markings of divers colors which were all there in miniature, I longed to see these assume their due proportions and the creature to appear in all its perfect beauty, as it is, in truth, one of the loveliest of its kind. But I looked in vain. My false tenderness had proved its ruin. It never was anything but a stunted abortion, crawling painfully through that brief life which it should have spent flying through the air on rainbow wings. I have thought of it often, often, when watching with pitiful eyes those who were struggling with sorrow, suffering, and distress; and I would fain cut short the discipline and give deliverance. Short-sighted man! How know I that one of these pangs or groans could be spared? The far-sighted, perfect love that seeks the perfection of its object does not weakly shrink from present, transient suffering. Our Father's love is too true to be weak. Because He loves His children, He chastises them that they may be partakers of His holiness. With this glorious end in view, He spares not for their crying. Made perfect through sufferings, as the Elder Brother was, the sons of God are trained up to obedience and brought to glory through much tribulation. --Tract. ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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