Fervency of Spirit

The next advice we would give is, keep "fervent in spirit." How many times we are exhorted in the scriptures to fervency of spirit-"Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Rom. 12: 11) ; "Fervent in prayer" (Col. 4: 12) ; "Above all things, have fervent charity" (1 Pet. 4:8). The word properly means, to be hot; to boil; to glow; ardent, earnest, etc.

To succeed in business, or any other worldly enterprise, we must be filled with a spirit of earnestness. No training, no discipline, no laws, can take the place of earnestness.

Is there any wonder the country is overrun with "hireling" preachers, time-serving missionaries and evangelists, when there is such a lack of earnestness, holy glow, red-heated spirits; such a lack of faithful shepherds, who "cease not day nor night to warn the people with weeping"; such few throbbing hearts, that are fired with heavenly love, which given vent to their feelings by their flow of burning tears; their groans and midnight prayers, for a lost and perishing world; which cry continually, "Give me souls or I die," "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel," "My richest gain I count but loss."

O, how many cut-and-dried holiness meetings! How many tame holiness preachers and professors! How much powerless, tearless, burdenless, unctionless, groanless holiness flooding our land like the locusts of Egypt!

The devil is satisfied for us to profess holiness, if he is permitted to steal from us all of the fervor, the earnestness, the glow, the hidden fire, which makes us terrors to evil-doers and helps us to run up the "narrow way." This is his highest aim; for no soul is liable to backslide while he is kept hot and filled.

O, beware of religious sloth, indifference, looseness of spirit, powerless religion, artificial prayers, unctionless sermons, lifeless testimonies; yes, shun them as you would the flames of hell.