# “True zeal for Christ” by Charles Spurgeon

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2014/10/20/true-zeal-for-christ-by-charles-spurgeon/
- Published: 2014-10-20T15:00:22-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“True zeal will show itself in the abundance of a man’s labours and gifts. Zeal 
labours for Christ. My brethren, if you want a picture of zeal, take the Apostle
Paul.

How he compasses sea and land! Storms cannot stay him, mountains cannot impede his
progress. He is beaten with rods, he is stoned, he is cast into prison, but the 
invincible hero of the cross presses on in the holy war, until he is taken up to
receive a crown of glory.

We do little or nothing, the most of us; we fritter away our time. O that we could
live while we live; but our existence—that is all we can call it—our existence, 
what a poor thing it is!

We run like shallow streams: we have not force enough to turn the mill of industry,
and have not depth enough to bear the vessel of progress, and have not flood enough
to cheer the meads of poverty.

We are dry too often in the summer’s drought, and we are frozen in the winter’s 
cold. O that we might become broad and deep like the mighty stream that bears a 
navy and gladdens a nation.

O that we may become inexhaustible and permanent rivers of usefulness, through the
abundant springs from whence our supply cometh, even the Spirit of the living God.

The Christian zealot may be known by the anguish which his soul feels when his labours
for Christ are not successful—the tears that channel his cheeks when sinners are
not saved.

Do not tell me of zeal that only moves the tongue, or the foot, or the hand; we 
must have a zeal which moves the whole heart.

We cannot advance so far as the Saviour’s bloody sweat, but to something like it
the Christian ought to attain when he sees the tremendous clouds of sin and the 
tempest of God’s gathering wrath.

How can I see souls damned, without emotion? How can I hear Christ’s name blasphemed,
without a shudder? How can I think of the multitudes who prefer ruin to salvation,
without a pang?

Believe me, brethren and sisters, if you never have sleepless hours, if you never
have weeping eyes, if your hearts never swell as if they would burst, you need not
anticipate that you will be called zealous.

You do not know the beginning of true zeal, for the foundation of Christian zeal
lies in the heart. The heart must be heavy with grief and yet must beat high with
holy ardour.

The heart must be vehement in desire, panting continually for God’s glory, or else
we shall never attain to anything like the zeal which God would have us know.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, [“Zealots” in _The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 11_](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Metropolitan+Tabernacle+Pulpit+Volume+11&i=stripbooks&tag=toletaupanre-20)(
London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1865), 392–393. Spurgeon preached this sermon from
Luke 6:15 on July 16, 1865.

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