弗二1、4 而你们原是死在过犯并罪之中，……然而神富于怜悯，因祂爱我们的大爱。

　　来四16 所以我们只管坦然无惧地来到施恩的宝座前，为要受怜悯，得恩典，作应时的帮助。

　　怜悯是神的属性中够得最远的。怜悯比恩典够得更远。神的爱没有祂的恩典够得远，祂的恩典又没有祂的怜悯够得远。我的光景若很好，地位也与你相配，你送我礼物，那是恩典。……我若是你亲爱的朋友，到你这里来，你送我礼物，那是恩典。然而，我若是可怜、不洁的乞丐，无法为自己作什么，而你送我礼物，那是怜悯。这说明神的怜悯比祂的恩典够得更远的事实。……按我们天然的光景，我们离神太远，完全不配得祂的恩典。我们只适合接受祂的怜悯（新约总论第一册，一一四页）。

　　Eph. 2:1 And you, though dead in your offenses and sins. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.

　　Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.

　　Mercy is the most far reaching of God’s attributes. Mercy goes further than grace. God’s love does not reach as far as His grace, and His grace does not reach as far as His mercy. If I am in a good condition and my standing matches yours, and you give me a gift, that is grace….If I come to you as your dear friend, and you give me a gift, that is grace. However, if I am a poor, unclean beggar, unable to do anything for myself, and you give me a gift, that is mercy. This illustrates the fact that God’s mercy is more far reaching than His grace….According to our natural condition, we were far removed from God, totally unworthy of His grace. We were eligible only to receive His mercy. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 98)

　　临到我们的是神的怜悯。我们没有一人在符合祂恩典的光景里。……神的怜悯把我们带到祂的恩典里。我们何等需要领悟这点，并为着神的怜悯敬拜祂！即使现在，我们得救并有分于神生命的丰富之后，在有些方面，我们的光景仍需要神的怜悯临到我们。因这缘故，希伯来四章十六节说，我们首先需要受怜悯，然后才能得恩典，作应时的帮助。哦，我们何等需要神的怜悯！我们该宝贵祂的怜悯，像我们珍赏祂的恩典一样。使我们够资格有分于神恩典的，总是祂的怜悯。

　　在罗马九章十六节保罗说，“这不在于那定意的，也不在于那奔跑的，只在于那施怜悯的神。”我们的观念是：那定意的会得着他所定意要得着的；那奔跑的会得着他所追求的。若情形是这样，那么神的拣选就是照着我们的努力和劳苦了。但情形并非如此。相反的，神的拣选是在于那施怜悯的神。我们不需要定意或奔跑，因为神怜悯我们。我们若认识神的怜悯，就不会信靠我们的努力，也不会因我们的失败而失望。我们可怜光景的盼望，是在于神的怜悯。

　　十一章三十二节说，“因为神将众人都圈在不信从之中，为要怜悯众人。”人的不信从给神的怜悯机会，神的怜悯就将救恩带给人。神的怜悯是何等奇妙！

　　神的怜悯和祂的恩典都是神爱的彰显。当我们在可怜的光景中，神的怜悯临到我们，把我们带进一种光景，使神能以恩典厚待我们。路加十五章二十至二十四节说，父亲看见浪子回家，对他动了慈心，这是更深的怜悯，彰显父亲热切的爱。接着，父亲给他儿子穿上上好的袍子，又给他吃肥牛犊。这是恩典，这也显明父的爱。神的怜悯比祂的恩典够得更远，如同一座桥梁，将我们与神的恩典连接起来。

　　常常因着我们可怜的光景，我们需要先受怜悯，才能得恩典。我们像乞丐一样来到施恩的宝座前（来四16），光景多少有点像浪子回到父亲那里一样。乞丐和浪子一样，需要怜悯。我们来到施恩的宝座前，也许觉得我们很可怜，并说，“父啊，我什么都不配。”但父会说，“你不配，但我有怜悯。我的怜悯临到你，使你有资格接受我的恩惠。我的怜悯将我带给你，使我给你穿上上好的袍子。”神的怜悯对我们总是便利的（新约总论第一册，一一四至一一六页）。

　　参读：出埃及记生命读经，第二十一至二十二篇。

　　It is God’s mercy that has reached us. None of us was in a condition that corresponded to His grace….God’s mercy has brought us into His grace. How we need to realize this and worship God for His mercy! Even now, after being saved and having shared in the riches of God’s life, we still, in some ways, are in a condition that needs God’s mercy to reach us. This is the reason Hebrews 4:16 says that first we need to receive mercy, and then we can find grace for timely help. Oh, how much we need God’s mercy! We should treasure His mercy as much as we appreciate His grace. It is always God’s mercy that qualifies us to participate in His grace.

　　In Romans 9:16 Paul says that “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Our concept is that the one who wills will gain what he wills to obtain and that the one who runs will gain what he runs after. If this were the case, then God’s selection would be according to our effort and labor. But it is not so. On the contrary, God’s selection is of God who shows mercy. We do not need to will or to run, for God has mercy on us. If we know God’s mercy, we shall not put our trust in our effort. Neither shall we be disappointed by our failures. The hope for our wretched condition is in God’s mercy.

　　Romans 11:32 says, “For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.” Man’s disobedience affords God’s mercy an opportunity, and God’s mercy brings man salvation. How marvelous is God’s mercy!

　　God’s mercy and His grace are both the expression of His love. When we are in a pitiful condition, His mercy reaches us and brings us into a state where He is able to favor us with His grace. Luke 15:20-24 says that when the father saw the prodigal son returning, he had compassion on him. This is the deeper mercy, an expression of the father’s affectionate love. Then the father clothed his son with the best robe and fed him with the fatted calf. This is grace, which also manifests the father’s love. God’s mercy reaches further than His grace, bridging the gap between us and God’s grace.

　　Often, because of our pitiful condition, we need to receive mercy before we can find grace. We come to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) like beggars, in somewhat the same condition as was the prodigal son when he came to his father. A beggar, like the prodigal, needs mercy. When we come to the throne of grace, we may have the sense that we are pitiful and say, “Father, I am not worthy of anything.” But the Father may say, “You are unworthy, but I am merciful. My mercy reaches you and qualifies you to receive my favor. My mercy brings Me to you that I may clothe you with the best robe.” God’s mercy is always available to us. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 98-99)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 21-22