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「祂必坐下如煉淨銀子的」（聖經瑪垃基書三章 3 節）
我們的父要我們完全聖潔，像祂自己聖潔一樣。祂知道爐火的價值。我們都知道金屬越貴重，化煉越費力 ，它們必須經過烈火，因為烈火能叫它們鎔化；只有在鎔化的時候，才能把摻雜在裡面的雜質分別出來；也只有在鎔化的時候，才能把它們造成新的模型。老練的化煉者是一直坐在坩堝旁邊，從不走開的，他惟恐熱度一高就會叫金屬受損。他把最後的渣滓從面 上撇去；一看見自己的臉從其上反照出來，他就立刻把爐火熄滅。── 斐爾遜（Arthur T. Pierson）
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“He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” (Mal. 3:3.)
Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner’s fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the most paints, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new form in the mould. The old refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face reflected, he puts out the fire. --- Arthur T. Pierson.
“He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat, As He watched by the precious ore, And closer He bent with a searching gaze, As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test, And He wanted the finest gold To mould as a crown for the King to wear, Set with gems with a price untold.
So He laid our gold in the burning fire, Tho’ we fain would have said Him ‘Nay,’ And He watched the dross that we had not seen, And it melted and passed away.
And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright, But our eyes were so dim with tears, We saw but the fire-not the Master’s hand, And questioned with anxious fears.
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow, As it mirrored a Form above, That bent o’er the fire, tho’ unseen by us, With a look of ineffable love.
Can we think that it pleases His loving heart To cause us a moment’s paint? Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross The bliss of eternal gain.
So He waited there with a watchful eye, With a love that is strong and sure, And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat, Than was needed to make it pure,”
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