Servants of God
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are full of malice, deceit, envy, jealousy, and self-love. The prayers of
this class are an abomination to God. True prayer engages the energies
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of the soul and affects the life. He who thus pours out his wants before
God feels the emptiness of everything else under heaven. “All my
desire is before Thee,” said David, “and my groaning is not hid from
Thee.” “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I
come and appear before God?” “When I remember these things, I pour
out my soul in me.”
As our numbers are increasing, broader plans must be laid to meet
the increasing demands of the times; but we see no special increase
of fervent piety, of Christian simplicity, and earnest devotion. The
church seem content to take only the first steps in conversion. They are
more ready for active labor than for humble devotion, more ready to
engage in outward religious service than in the inner work of the heart.
Meditation and prayer are neglected for bustle and show. Religion must
begin with emptying and purifying the heart, and must be nurtured by
daily prayer.
The steady progress of our work, and our increased facilities, are
filling the hearts and minds of many of our people with satisfaction and
pride, which we fear will take the place of the love of God in the soul.
Busy activity in the mechanical part of even the work of God may so
occupy the mind that prayer shall be neglected, and self-importance
and self-sufficiency, so ready to urge their way, shall take the place of
true goodness, meekness, and lowliness of heart. The zealous cry may
be heard: “The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these.”
“Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.” But where are the
burden bearers? where are the fathers and mothers in Israel? Where
are those who carry upon the heart the burden for souls and who come
in close sympathy with their fellow men, ready to place themselves in
any position to save them from eternal ruin?
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts.” “Ye are,” says Christ, “the light of the world.” What a respon-
sibility! There is need of fasting, humiliation, and prayer over our
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decaying zeal and languishing spirituality. The love of many is waxing
cold. The efforts of many of our preachers are not what they should be.
When some who lack the Spirit and power of God enter a new field,
they commence denouncing other denominations, thinking that they
can convince the people of the truth by presenting the inconsistencies