emphasis is on the emergency meaning of the
word friendship. Our Friend was a friend in this deepest, rarest way, in
the desperate emergency of our lives.

And now this Friend of ours is in need, a need so great that it is an
emergency. And this seems a startling thing to say. You may think I'm
indulging some rhetorical figure of speech merely. He, the Lord Jesus, in
need! He is now seated at the Father's right hand in glory. He is "far
above all rule and authority and power and dominion." He is the sovereign
ruler of our world. How can it be said, with any soberness of practical
meaning, that He is in need, and in desperate need? Yet, let me repeat
very quietly, that it is even so.

_He needs our co-operation._ He needs the human means through which to
work out His plans. The power of God has always flowed _through human
channels_. And His plans _have waited,_ have been delayed because He has
not always been able to find men willing to let Him use them as He will.
This is the only explanation of the long, weary waiting of the earth for
His promised Kingdom. This, only, explains centuries of delay in the
working out of His plans. The delay, the dark centuries, the
misery,--these have been no part of His plan, but dead set against His
plan.

"The restless millions wait the Light,
Whose coming maketh all things new.
_Christ also waits_; but men are slow and late.
Have we done what we could? Have I? Have you?"

Some unknown friend, on seeing the statue of General Gordon, as it stands
facing the great desert and the Soudan at Khartoum, made these lines:

"The strings of camels come in single file,
Bearing their burdens o'er the desert sand:
Swiftly the boats go plying on the Nile.
The needs of men are met on every hand,
But still I wait
For the messenger of God _who cometh late_.

I see the clouds of dust rise in the plain,
The measured tread of troops falls on the ear;
The soldier comes the empire to maintain,
Bringing the pomp of war, the reign of fear,
But still I wait
The messenger of peace, _he cometh late_.

They set me brooding o'er the desert drear,
Where broodeth darkness as the deepest night.
From many a mosque there comes the call to prayer;
I hear no voice that calls on _Christ_ for light.
But still I wait
For the messenger of Christ, _who cometh late."_[95]

Following Wholly.

Our Frien