derful things concerning our union with him, and our share in the Father's glory, he answers, "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."* And when we ask Him why he has given us this wonderful privilege of prayer in his name, he replies, "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."† If, at best, we have been able to get only a half measure of this divine joy, let us not discredit those who have exclaimed,

"My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

We have spoken of daily renewals, and we are persuaded that no real growth and development in Christian life is possible without these. There

is still another kind of renewing to which we would call attention. "The times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord," which the Scriptures promise, hold out a very blessed and assuring hope. This expression, of course, has literal reference to the return of the Lord from glory, and his joyful reunion with his Church. But there are even now seasons of extraordinary communion with the Lord, when, through the Holy

* John 15: 11.

↑ John 16: 24.

The

Spirit, he is pleased to manifest himself to the soul in such unwonted power that they may be truly called "times of refreshing." We find records of these in the lives of almost all devoted saints. As nature has its annual as well as its diurnal renewals, when the sun returns in springtide blessing and quickening, so has grace its special times of revival. Then it is that the heavenly Bridegroom visits the soul, by the Holy Ghost, speaking in tenderest accents: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land. The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." Ah! how often have the poetic strains of this Song of Solomon been translated into the real prose of living, practical experience. The chill of winter has settled over the Church; instead ot melting penitence, the tears of other days have frozen into icicles, and are hanging about the sanctuary-cold and glittering formalities taking the place of that holy tenderness which

pleads with God "with strong crying," and warns men "night and day with tears." What servant of God has not had sorrowful experiences of this condition of things? Then it is that pastors and brethren should seel: for a special refreshing from the Lord's presence. The ordinary tenor of spiritual life will not answer now. The power of God must be laid hold of -special power for special weakness and need. And "blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," that he can renew what he has begotten, and restore the joy of his salvation to those who have backslidden into the joy of this world. Christmas Evans, the fervent Welsh preacher, has left us the record of a most gracious visitation of this kind :

"I was weary of a cold heart toward Christ and his sacrifice and the work of his Spirit; of a cold heart in the pulpit, in secret prayer, and in the study. For fifteen years previously I had felt my heart burning within me, as if going to Emmaus with Jesus. On a day ever to be remembered by me, as I was going from Dolgelley to Machynlleth, and climbing up toward Cadair Idris, I considered it incumbent on me to pray,

however hard I felt my heart, and however worldly the frame of my spirit was. Having began in the name of Jesus, I soon felt as it were the fetters loosening, and the old hardness softening, and, as I thought, the mountains of frost and snow dissolving and melting within me. This engendered confidence in my soul in the promise of the Holy Ghost. I felt my whole mind relieved from some great bondage; tears flowed copiously, and I was constrained to cry out for the gracious visits of God, by restoring to my soul the joy of his salvation, and that he would visit the churches in Anglesea that were under my care. I embraced in my supplications all the churches of the saints, and nearly all the ministers of the principality by their names. struggle lasted for three hours; it rose again and again, like one wave after another, or a high-flowing tide driven by a strong wind, until my nature became faint by weeping and crying. Thus I resigned myself to Christ, body and soul, gifts and labors, all my life every day and every hour that remained for me; and all my cares I committed to Christ. The road was mountainous and lonely, and I was wholly alone, and suffered no interruption in my wrestling with God. From this time I was led to expect the goodness of God to the churches and to myself. . The result was, when I returned home the first thing that arrested my attention was that the Spirit was working also in

This

the brethren in Anglesea, inducing in them a spirit of prayer, especially in two of the deacons, who were particularly importunate that God would visit us in mercy, and render the Word of his grace effectual amongst us for the conversion of sinners." *

What is especially to be noticed in this experience is its relation to the Church of God. When the ice was melted from his own soul, then he began to plead for all the saints and all the ministers. And, as afterward appears, at the same time that the Spirit fell on him it was falling on his brethren in distant places. So it is always. God never makes half a providence any more than man makes half a pair of shears. If he fits a preacher to declare his Word, he fits a hearer to receive that Word; if he moves one soul to cry "What must I do?" he has always moved some other servant of his to direct him what to do. Let us ponder the story of Paul and Ananias, of Peter and

Cornelius, of Philip and the

observe the mystery of the

ministry, to preacher and to

and to inquirer.

eunuch, if we would Spirit - his twofold

hearer, to counsellor

And noting this, we shall under

stand the intimate relationship between the season

* Life and Sermons, p. 28