The Assembly of God. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. IIIMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
The Assembly of God. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. III
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
Would to God we had more Lydias in this our day! It would give a charm,
and an interest, and a freshness to the work of an evangelist, for
which many of the Lord's workmen have to sigh in vain. We seem to live
in a day of terrible unreality as to divine and eternal things. Men,
women, and children are real enough at their money-making, their
pursuits, and their pleasures; but oh, when the things of God, the
things of the soul, the things of eternity, are in question, the aspect
of people is that of a yawning indifference. But the moment is rapidly
approaching--every beat of the pulse, every tick of the watch, brings us
nearer to it--when the yawning indifference shall be exchanged for
"weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth." If this were more deeply
felt, we should have many more Lydias, prepared to lend an attentive ear
to Paul's gospel.
What force and beauty in those words, "Whose heart the Lord opened, that
_she attended_ unto the things that were spoken of Paul." Lydia was not
one of those who go to meetings to think of anything and everything but
the things that are spoken by the Lord's messengers. She was not
thinking of her purple, or of the prices, or the probable gains or
losses. How many of those who fill our preaching rooms and lecture halls
follow the example of Lydia? Alas! we fear but very few indeed. The
business, the state of the markets, the state of the funds, money,
pleasure, dress, folly--a thousand and one things are thought of, and
dwelt upon, and attended to, so that the poor vagrant, volatile heart is
at the ends of the earth instead of "_attending_" to the things that are
spoken.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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