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er disappointments, God seeks to wean them from their worldly idols. He brings them to reflection. They "_come to themselves_." They are ready to recall and hear the Father's voice. They are willing to hear the long neglected Word. They go to the house of God. They listen eagerly. The Word finds free course. There is no wilful resistance. _It drops as the rain and distils as the dew. It does not return void._ If now the pastors and people _know_ this "time of visitation," if they realize that it is a "time of refreshing _from the Lord_," not gotten up by human expedients, they will quickly respond to these gracious indications. Whether such times come in connection with the communion and Festival seasons or not, special provision ought to be made to gather the quickly ripening harvest. It is sometimes well to make provision for special services. There may be a series of special sermons. The preaching must be, above all things, _instructive_, a plain and direct setting forth of the Way of Salvation. The appeal must be first of all to the understanding, and through it to the heart. The exhortations and invitations must be based on and grow out of these instructions. The great themes of sin and Grace, and the application and reception of Grace, should be set forth with all possible simplicity and earnestness. This preaching of the Gospel and instruction in the way of life should not be confined to the pulpit. The wise pastor will give opportunity for all inquirers to meet him privately, or will seek them out to tell them the way of God, as it relates to each individual case, still more plainly. This will be a true revival. Only let the churches discern and use the times, when "_Jesus of Nazareth passeth by_." Every faithful, earnest pastor, if he cannot always have living, earnest and consecrated churches, can have such seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Every such pastor in looking back over a reasonable period of service can point to such precious seasons in his ministry. Such seasons result in a growth of true Church life. The means of Grace, after such revivals, are more diligently and more prayerfully used than before. The Word of God and prayer take their proper place in the home. The church in the house is quickened into life and activity. There is increased liberality in the congregation. The pocket book is converted as well as the heart. There is a revival of strict honesty
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