“The earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (II. Cor. i. 22).
Life in earnest. What a rare, what a glorious spectacle! We see it in the Son of God, we see it in His apostle, we see it in every noble, consecrated and truly successful life. Without it there may be a thousand good things, but they lack the golden thread that binds them all into a chain of power and permanence. They are like a lot of costly and beautiful beads on a broken string, that fall into confusion, and are lost in the end for want of the bond that alone could bind them into a life of consistent and lasting power. O for the baptism of fire! O for “THE EARNEST, THE SPIRIT!” O for lives that have but one thing to do or care for! O for the depth and everlasting strength of the heart of Christ within our breast, to love, to sacrifice, to realize, to persevere, to live and die like Him!
We are going forth with a trust so sacred, And a truth so divine and deep, With a message clear and a work so glorious, And a charge—such a charge—to keep. Let it be your greatest joy, my brother, That the Lord can count on you; And if all besides should fail and falter, To your trust be always true.