Terribly in Earnest by Am. Ch. Review

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · OAKLAND, CAL. · Dec 31, 1874

Terribly in Earnest.

By Am. Ch. Review

JOHN the Baptist must have been terribly in earnest. There can be no other way of accounting for the effect he produced. He is nowhere represented as learned or eloquent, or as possessing a towering intellect. But he left his home—if he had any—and traveled all around, preached, and stirred up the people beyond measure or expression, swaying them as the wind sways the trees.

The Apostles were greatly in earnest. They had nothing else as grand, personal qualification. True, they were miraculously inspired; but what of this, if they had not been more in earnest than most of us are?

The Seventy were in earnest. Like the apostles, they risked everything of a temporal character; left their home—such as had homes—and seem not to have thought much of "food and raiment." When they had gone a little way in this road, and Jesus would encourage them for the future, he asked them as to the past: "Lacked ye anything?" "They said, Nothing," though they had gone "as sheep amongst wolves," and were warned that their very lives would be sought. Certainly they had no assurance of support from men.

Many of our early Reformers were terribly in earnest. Nothing else explains their success. What assurance had they of support? They had great assurance of opposition and persecution; but they risked all, and braved all, and conquered. Oh, for their zeal and earnestness amongst our young preachers now—and the old ones also! Oh, for the faith that "the Lord will provide!"—Am. Ch. Review.