Grant
Puritan Board Graduate
Greetings from China (work detail)!!!
Brakel opens Volume 4 with a chapter on the Christian exscerises of Fasting and Watchfulness (spiritual & physical). At the end of the chapter on Watchfulness Brakel comments on the lack of earnestness and zeal in his day, but provides an encouragement that the excercises of fasting and even special times of forfeiting sleep might renew our zeal when we become lazy. Oh, how easy it is to become a lazy servant of the Lord.
Vol. IV, page 17:
Volume 4 is setting up to be unique to the other volumes in reminding the Christian of different spiritual exercises, that are often not taught or encouraged anymore (or worse not even known!!). Next up: Time of Solitude.
Brakel opens Volume 4 with a chapter on the Christian exscerises of Fasting and Watchfulness (spiritual & physical). At the end of the chapter on Watchfulness Brakel comments on the lack of earnestness and zeal in his day, but provides an encouragement that the excercises of fasting and even special times of forfeiting sleep might renew our zeal when we become lazy. Oh, how easy it is to become a lazy servant of the Lord.
Vol. IV, page 17:
From all this we observe what earnestness and zeal these holy men had; if we only had more zeal, we would emulate them more. However, alas! this earnestness and zeal is lacking in these days which are void of zeal, and therefore, why am I even speaking here of specific days of fasting and night-watches? However, the Lord can yet let this be a means so that it will not be entirely forgotten. May someone yet be stirred up by this—or at least be convinced of his lack of zeal, being even too hasty in his morning and evening exercises. May he be convinced how far removed he is from a frame which would stir him to arise in the night or that would move him to set apart a portion of the beginning or end of the night to be watchful for the purpose of engaging in prayer.
Volume 4 is setting up to be unique to the other volumes in reminding the Christian of different spiritual exercises, that are often not taught or encouraged anymore (or worse not even known!!). Next up: Time of Solitude.
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