CHAPTER XLVI. KEEP THE FIRE BURNING WHILE THE FROST LASTS!
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
WILL BE THE LAST, AND
YOU WILL BE THERE.