Many railway travellers, besides ourselves, have been often much pleased with the provision made at the principal railway stations for supplying the engines with water. Water is a necessity of motion to the locomotive, and there are watering stations all along the line. Every driver knows where these water-tanks are, and he takes care to stop in time, to get his boiler filled. If he did not look to this, he would find himself stopping between stations, and would have to submit to the indignity of being drawn by another engine! If such a thing occurred, it would be a sort of picture of some Christian workers, men and women, who in days that are past, were remarkable for their zeal and push, but who, for want of grace, have had to cease to work, and are now content to be drawn along by other Christians. We know Ministers, Local Preachers, and Class-Leaders, who in their day were notable soul winners, but alas, now, when there is a revival, they cannot take the lead, but they are helped along by others, perhaps of less power than they once possessed! What a spectacle to men and angels! But this is not what we are writing about just now. During the long frost, which we hope has now passed away for the season, many of us have been pleased with the pains which have been taken to keep the water from freezing in the pipe which leads from the tank to the supply-spout for the engine. Night and day, for weeks, a fire has been kept burning, so as to have the iron column always hot. Orders have been given to keep the fire burning while the frost lasts, and these orders have been obeyed, or we should have seen some poor driver obliged to wire to send another engine to help on the train which would have been delayed. To pursue the analogy, has not God's business been delayed because the fire has not been kept burning? This is a time of spiritual frost. What with the political crisis, general election, depression in trade, there has been spiritual ice in all the Churches of our land. The very supply pipes have been frozen, and men of power are at present quiet, because they have not received the Water of Life. We know men of God, men who are earnest, loyal, trustful souls, who are weeping between the porch and the altar, on account of their want of power. What is to be done? Men of Israel, help! Come to the rescue! Let us get the fires lighted. To your knees! To your knees! Bring the promises. Keep fuel always in hand, so as to replenish the blaze, and we shall see the frozen water leap out to fill again those who so often have drawn the train heavenward! THE LARGEST PUBLIC MEETING |
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