Empty Professions

Yet do not believe all that you hear from worldly men or half-hearted Christians about the 'excitement' attending revivals. Conversion is not excitement; zeal is not excitement; love for souls is not excitement; trembling under the word is not excitement; and even if there be some excitement at 'revival  meetings,' better that it should be so than that souls should perish. 

There is more excitement in the theater and the ball-room, or the concert, or the political meeting, or the parliamentary election,  or even what is called the 'quiet evening  party.' Yet men do not complain of these, nor get angry at them. By all means be calm; but don't suppose that all excitement is sin or hypocrisy. Excitement is not good; but some things are worse than even this. 

A dull and sleepy Christianity is worse, - much worse; a stiff and frozen formalism is worse, - much worse; an easy-minded worldly religion is worse, - much worse. It is a good thing to be 'zealously affected always' (Gal. 4:18); and to be 'fervent in spirit' (Rom. 12:11). 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might' (Eccles. 9:10). If it is worth doing at all, do it well; throw your soul into it, 'do it heartily' (Col. 3:23).

Horatius Bonnar 



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