A Great Truth: Eve of Great Events

“In vain do we seek to awaken in our churches zeal for missions as a separate thing. To be genuine, it must flow from love to Christ. It is when a sense of personal communion with the Son of God is highest, that we shall be most fit for missionary work, either to go ourselves or to stir up others. If we allow it to become a business of dollars and cents, we shall see no results. ‘Find preachers of David Brainerd’s spirit, said John Wesley, ‘and nothing can stand before them; but without this what can gold or silver do V Let gushing affection to the Lord Jesus Christ become the ruling passion, and it communicates the thrill of evangelical zeal to every member of the electric chain. A church of such ministers, of such members, would be an apostolic, a“heavenly church.”

11 The impression is general that we are on the eve of great events. A cloud impends — perhaps of mingled evil and good. It is an expectation which is solemn and emboldening. It leads a man to say, 1 Away with trifles; I must abandon all that is frivolous. Life is short. A great work is before me. I must gird myself. I must pray more.? It must affect men in their relations as associated. ‘We are on the eve of great things; therefore let us be sober, let us be vigilant, let us be active, let us be at peace, let us live for Christ.7”