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經文：「散了眾人以後，他就獨自上山去禱告。到了晚上，只有祂一人在那裡。」（太14:23） 主耶穌在世的時候，常喜歡獨自與父神親近。正如我們知道與人相處是一件多麼費力的事，當然主耶穌也知道；所以祂需要空間來恢復祂的能力；因為祂在世上為人，所以祂也有人的疲乏。 主耶穌如此，更何況我們，豈不是更需要與父神單獨親近？世上假使有任何人可以不需要與神單獨親近，這人就只可能是主自己。如今祂都不能無需安息地一直工作，那麼，就真的沒有人能了。 但願每一位神的僕人都能看見這樣功課的重要性！但願神的教會知道如何訓練信徒爭取這榮耀權柄！但願每一位主的信徒都能分別時間與神單獨親近！--慕安得烈 Andrew Muray 法國詩人拉馬丁 Lamertine 在其著作上曾說：在他的花園裡有一處極隱密，並從來沒有人會去打擾的角落，而他的母親每天一定會用一小時在那裡安靜。或許你會認為，自己並沒有這樣安靜的位置。但是沒關係，主耶穌說，進入你的內室，在那裡我們必會聽見神聖的音樂！--選 親愛的讀者，你當學習單獨與主親近！經上記著說：「若不用比喻，就不對他們講。沒有人的時侯，就把一切的道講給門徒聽。」（可4:34）不用感到稀奇，因為你也可以如此經歷；你只需要將人群解散，讓他們一個一個出去，直到剩下你和主耶穌。 屆時，你的每一個心思都會變成「神和我！神和我！」；你也真會感到神和你非常的接近，密切得彷彿在這無涯的宇宙中，只剩下神與你的心跳聲。親愛的讀者，請好好學習，學習退離群眾，學習內心安靜，學習歌唱「神和我！神和我！」，不要讓任何人能介入你和天使的摔跤！--馬德勝 Geo. Matheson 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening was come, he was there alone" (Matt. 14:23). The man Christ Jesus felt the need of perfect solitude--Himself alone, entirely by Himself, alone with Himself. We know how much intercourse with men draws us away from ourselves and exhausts our powers. The man Christ Jesus knew this, too, and felt the need of being by Himself again, of gathering all His powers, of realizing fully His high destiny, His human weakness, His entire dependence on the Father. How much more does the child of God need this--himself alone with spiritual realities, himself alone with God the Father. If ever there were one who could dispense with special seasons for solitude and fellowship, it was our Lord. But He could not do His work or maintain His fellowship in full power, without His quiet time. Would God that every servant of His understood and practiced this blessed art, and that the Church knew how to train its children into some sense of this high and holy privilege, that every believer may and must have his time when he is indeed himself alone with God. Oh, the thought to have God all alone to myself, and to know that God has me all alone to Himself! --Andrew Murray Lamertine speaks in one of his books of a secluded walk in his garden where his mother always spent a certain hour of the day, upon which nobody ever dreamed for a moment of intruding. It was the holy garden of the Lord to her. Poor souls that have no such Beulah land! Seek thy private chamber, Jesus says. It is in the solitude that we catch the mystic notes that issue from the soul of things. My soul, practice being alone with Christ! It is written that when they were alone He expounded all things to His disciples. Do not wonder at the saying; it is true to thine experience. If thou wouldst understand thyself send the multitude away. Let them go out one by one till thou art left alone with Jesus. . . . Has thou ever pictured thyself the one remaining creature in the earth, the one remaining creature in all the starry worlds? In such a universe thine every thought would be "God and I! God and I!" And yet He is as near to thee as that--as near as if in the boundless spaces there throbbed no heart but His and thine. Practice that solitude, O my soul! Practice the expulsion of the crowd! Practice the stillness of thine own heart! Practice the solemn refrain "God and I! God and I!" Let none interpose between thee and thy wrestling angel! Thou shalt be both condemned and pardoned when thou shalt meet Jesus alone! --George Matheson ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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