William Burns

I was recently reading a short biography of the 19th century Scottish Evangelist William Chalmers Burns. This was a young man who began preaching the Gospel in the church at the tender age of 24. After spending a few months traveling around Scotland declaring the Gospel, he left for 2 decades of Gospel ministry in China. He died at the age of 53 in China, giving his life (health) for the sake of God's glory and the spread of the Gospel. Reading the small biography many different quotes hit home. This man had a passion for the glory of God. He had a passion for the preaching of salvation by faith alone in God's grace alone, produced by the works of Christ alone. He also had a strong passion to see the "unbelieving" converted by God to faith in Christ. These passions he gave his life for.

But one quote hit home. One day, he was standing in the market in Glasgow, Scotland, and he was taking in the hustle and bustle of the people. Burns declared, "Just now I was overcome with the sight of the countless crowds of immortal beings eagerly hustling hither and thither, but all posting onwards towards the eternal world, that I could bear it no longer, and turned in here to seek relief in quiet thought".

Burns was emotionally hit that day with the countless souls tramping onward to their eternal destination of God's wrath. His emotions were so overcome watching the lost go about their lives, he had to take a moment to gather his grief and pray. After reading this quote, I have to ask myself, "am I this overcome with grief for lost souls, that I have to take a moment in my thoughts to pray"?