rcession cannot be secured.

Were it only in the heat of India the difficulty existed, one might be
silent. But, alas! in the coldest winter in London, and in the moderate
climate of South Africa, there is the same trouble everywhere. If once
we really felt--_intercession is the most important part of our work_,
the securing of God's presence and power in full measure is the
essential thing, this is our first duty--our hours of work would all be
made subordinate to this one thing.

May God show us all whether there indeed be an insuperable difficulty
for which we are not responsible, whether it be only a mistake we are
making, or a sin by which we are grieving Him and hindering His Spirit!

If we ask the question George Muller once asked of a Christian, who
complained that he could not find time sufficient for the study of the
Word and prayer, whether an hour less work, say four hours, with the
soul dwelling in the full light of God, would not be more prosperous
and effective than five hours with the depressing consciousness of
unfaithfulness, and the loss of the power that could be obtained in
prayer, the answer will not be difficult. The more we think of it the
more we feel that when earnest, godly workers allow, against their
better will, the spiritual to be crowded out by incessant occupation and
the fatigue it brings, it must be because the spiritual life is not
sufficiently strong in them to bid the lever stand aside till the
presence of God in Christ and the power of the Spirit have been fully
secured.

Let us listen to Christ saying, "_Render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's_"--let duty and work have their place--"and unto God the things
that are God's." Let the worship in the Spirit, the entire dependence
and continued waiting upon God for the full experience of His presence
and power every day, and the strength of Christ working in us, ever have
the first place. The whole question is simply this, Is God to have the
place, the love, the trust, the time for personal fellowship He claims,
so that all our working shall be God working in us?

NOTE B, Chap. VII. p. 89

Let me tell here a story that occurs in one of Dr. Boardman's works. He
had been invited by a lady of good position, well known as a successful
worker among her husband's dependents, to come and address them. "And
then," she added, "I want to speak to you about a bit of bondage of my
own." When he had addressed her meeting, and found m