THE words that have just been spoken have touched a very deep chord in my heart; one that was first touched sixteen years ago. For was slumbering and sleeping, like others. I had gone to a far distant land, and there God in His mercy wrought with me for His name's sake. I got the truth doctrinally first, but God soon made it a deep reality to my soul. And this truth has, I believe, been the great quickening truth throughout Christendom in these days. Just as three hundred years ago God wrought through that of justification by faith, so now, I believe, He has quickened souls, roused them up by this truth of the Lord's coming. As it comes with power before souls it wakes at once the question, Who is this Person, and what is my relation to Him?
Now it is one thing to be holding correctly the doctrine that He is coming, and quite another to be going out to meet Him. I do not believe that it means coming out of the different systems of religion or different worldly associations. I believe it means our being really ready in our hearts, in our lives, in our ways, in everything connected with us:-ready to see Him. Are we ready to see Him to-night? Is everything about us ready? As to all our associations, as to our hearts' affections, are we ready? What is the state of our hearts? Is my heart set on this one thing, to see His face?
I believe that we lose power ofttimes in speaking to others, or in exhorting them, just because we have very greatly lost hold of this truth. There is a want of freshness to us in it. The teacher perhaps feels: Here is a congregation which needs rousing, but speaking to them of the coming of the Lord will not rouse them; for the subject is stale, they know it perfectly. Now the Lord's coming ought never to be stale; it ought always to be fresh to our hearts.
If the Lord has taught me anything in bringing Inc to these meetings it is our want of power. I mean the need we have of being simply fashioned by the operation of the Holy Ghost. We need power; we need the grace of God working in us and among us. Whereas, alas, too often in individuals He is a grieved Spirit; and, when we come together as a congregation, He is a quenched Spirit. I believe we need to cultivate this power; we need to seek power more; that power which is got through seeking our " Father which seeth in secret," and who " rewardeth openly," in order that there may be a growth in life and an inward strengthening in our souls.
(B. F. P.)