ZEAL LACKING by Independent

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 24, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 45.

ZEAL LACKING.

By Independent

AMONG the many symptoms of decline in individual Christian and church life that come under our observation, is the lack of steady persistency in service for God, coupled with burning zeal. In the ministry there is a certain regularity of service. Sermons are prepared and preached, prayer-meetings are attended, to be sure, nor do we mean to imply that these services are done in a perfunctory way; but, unless the soul of the minister is kept hot with constant and living communion with the great Master-workman, there is danger that that service will become formal rather than really zealous.

Without doubt, there is a general lassitude in the name of the Lord. It does not require close observation to detect the difference in the spirit and methods of work as between the private and secular enterprises which engage the attention and employ the energies of Christian men and the work of the Lord. In the one case there is energy, foresight, close attention, alertness, and persistency of effort; in the other, there is indolence, bordering on reluctance, a strange lack of foresight (and not even a good "hindsight"), much inattention and remittent effort.—Independent.