以下文字节选自《加尔文的灵修与祈祷》“孤零的羔羊”

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以色列倔强，犹如倔强的母牛，现在耶和华要牧养他们，如同牧养羊羔在宽阔之地。（何四16，另译）

先知将以色列被比喻成一头小母牛：不服约束、在牛棚里静不下来，也不习于负轭；所以，「耶和华要放他们，如同放羊羔在宽阔之地。」我认为先知的意思是，耶和华要打散以色列，使他们像在宽阔之地的羊羔。

我们知道，羊有一个特性，就是牠们相当依赖牧羊人的照顾。当一头羊被赶入野地时，牠会开始咩咩叫，显示牠的软弱胆怯，好像在寻找牠的牧人及牠的羊群。总之，羊并不是独居的动物；牠们总是成群地受牧人的喂养，也从不离开牧人的视线，这些几乎已成为羊与羊羔生活中的一部分了。

然而，这比喻在这里似乎有极惊人的转变：先知说他们像倔强的小母牛，因为极其任性，没有一块地能让他们满意。他们有如小母牛，恨不得全地都是他的。主说：「这群百姓极其悖逆，如此放肆，除非给他们每个人一块宽阔之地，否则他们就不满意。所以我就给他们一块宽阔之地，好让他们有机会像一头羊羔四处张望，找不到自己可以归附的羊群（或者他才会回头）。」

全能的神啊！祢既已俯就卑微、赐恩怜悯，召聚我们进入祢的教会，并且用祢的话语来规范我们，使我们能够以真实而正确的方式来敬拜祢的威荣。所以——主啊，求祢使我们继续甘心乐意地顺服祢；纵然撒旦可能会用各种方法引诱我们偏左偏右，而我们本性也是趋向罪恶。

主啊，但我们信心既蒙祢坚固，且因这神圣的枷锁与祢联合，就求祢让我们继续被祢的话语引导，使我们紧紧跟随祢的独生子基督，祂已使我们与祂自己永远相连，使我们无论遭遇何事情也绝不偏离祢，反而对祂福音的信心得以坚固，直到祂最后接我们进入祂的国度。阿们。

Tor  Israel  slideth  back  as  a  backsliding  heifer:  now  the  LORD  will  feed  them as a lamb in a large place.— Hosea 4:16

Israel is compared to a heifer, and indeed to one that is wanton, which cannot remain quiet in the stall nor be accustomed to the yoke: it is hence subjoined, “The LORD will now feed them as a lamb in a spacious place.” It seems to me that the Prophet meant that the LORD would  so  scatter  Israel,  that  they  might  be  as  a  lamb  in  a  spacious  place.  

It  is  what  is  peculiar  to  sheep,  we  know,  that  they  continue  under  the  shepherd’s  care:  and  a  sheep,  when  driven  into  solitude,  shows  itself,  by  its  bleating,  to  be  timid,  and  to  be  as  it  were  seeking  its shepherd and its flock. In short, a sheep is not a solitary animal; and it  is  almost  a  part  of  their  food  to  sheep  and  lambs  to  feed  together,  and  also  under  the  eye  of  him  under  whose  care  they  are.  

Now  there  seems to be here a most striking change of figure: They are, says the Prophet, like untamable heifers, for they are so wanton that no field can satisfy their wantonness, as when a heifer would occupy the whole land. “Such then,” he says, “and so outrageous is the disobedience of this people, that they can no longer endure, except a spacious place be given to each of them. I will therefore give them a spacious place: but for this end, that each of them may be like a lamb, who looks around and sees no flock to which it may join itself.”

Grant,  Almighty  God,  that  since  thou  hast  at  this  time  deigned  in  thy  mercy  to  gather  us  to  thy  Church,  and  to  enclose  us  within  the  boundaries  of  thy  word,  by  which  thou  preserves  us  in  the  true  and right worship of thy majesty,─ O grant, that we may continue contented  in  this  obedience  to  thee:  and  though  Satan  may,  in  many  ways, attempt to draw us here and there, and we be also ourselves, by nature, inclined to evil.

O grant, that being confirmed in faith, and united to thee by that sacred bond, we may yet constantly abide under the guidance of thy word, and thus cleave to Christ thy only-begotten Son,  who  has  joined  us  for  ever  to  himself,  that  we  may  never  by  any  means  turn  aside  from  thee,  but  be,  on  the  contrary,  confirmed  in the faith of his gospel, until at length he will receive us all into his kingdom. Amen.

以上文字节选自《加尔文的灵修与祈祷》“孤零的羔羊”

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