Zeal

As men advance in the divine life , zeal becomes purer ; it has less of natural emotion in it , and more of God's grace .And , whenever a Christian begins to languish and fall away , the first flower that the wind of temptation nips , is zeal . Pray then , for us , and for yourselves that we may endure , shall I say , for a little longer , a few years , or many years  ? No ; it is to the end that we must endure . This is not the language of our own hearts , the flesh is always crying out , "Stop now , stop now !"Yes , it a very comfortable sound in mens ears , when he is worn out and weary ; and a man might begin to think about obeying it , if another voice did not contradict the lie , if God did not say " He that shall endure to the end , the same shall be saved ," Alas , we know too well what decays of zeal are ; and now that in the gracious providence of God to labour in the ingathering of souls , may it be to act boldly , and to enter in , by the door of Emmanuel's glorious and everlasting righteousness , to obtain the promise of the Father , the great Breaker Himself going before us , and Jehovah on the head of us . He breaks up the way for all His children , not only to deliver them from the wrath to come , and from a state of condemnation , by going before them also in all that is undertaken for His glory , and in His name . He does a part of all His works on earth by His people , and enables them to overcome all difficulties , and to overthrow them in the name of the Lord . He makes the worm Jacob , a new threshing instrument , by him beating the mountains as chaff . " Fear thou not , for I am with thee ; be not dismayed , for I am thy God ."  Rev W C Burns