hen I get into the open
air, I generally take out a new Testament of good sized type, which I
carry with me for that purpose, besides my Bible: and I find that I
can profitably spend my time in the open air; which formerly was not
the case, for want of habit I used to consider the time spent in
walking a loss, but now I find it very profitable, not only to my
body, but also to my soul. The walking out before breakfast is of
course not necessarily connected with this matter, and every one has
to judge according to his strength and other circumstances.--The
difference then between my former practice and my present one is
this. Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and
generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all
the time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer, except
when I felt my soul to be more than usually barren, in which case I
read the word of God for food, or for refreshment, or for a revival
and renewal of my inner man, before I gave myself to prayer. But what
was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour,
or even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of
having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, &c.; and
often, after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the
first ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I
only then began realty to pray. I scarcely ever suffer now in this
way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into
experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my
Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it!) about the things that
He has brought before me in His precious word. It often now
astonishes me that I did not sooner see this point. In no book did I
ever read about it. No public ministry ever brought the matter before
me. No private intercourse with a brother stirred me up to this
matter. And yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as
plain to me as any thing, that the first thing the child of God has
to do morning by morning is, to obtain food for his inner man. As the
outward man is not fit for work for any length of time, except we
take food; and as this is one of the first things we do in the
morning; so it should be with the inner man. We should take food for
that, as every one must allow. Now what is the food for the inner
man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and here again not the simple
reading of the word o