e sin. We may confidently expect God's
presence the moment the sin is put away. Surely each one is under the
solemn obligation to search his life and see what part he may have in
this evil.

God never speaks to His people of sin except with a view to saving them
from it. _The same light that shows the sin will show the way out of
it._ The same power that breaks down and condemns will, if humbly
yielded to and waited on in confession and faith, give the power to rise
up and conquer. It is GOD who is speaking to His Church and to us about
this sin: "HE WONDERED that there was no intercessor." "I WONDERED that
there was none to uphold." "I SOUGHT for a man that should stand in the
gap before Me, and found none." The God who speaks thus is He who will
work the change for His children who seek His face. He will make the
valley of Achor, of trouble and shame, of sin confessed and cast out, a
door of hope. Let us not fear, let us not cling to the excuses and
explanations which circumstances suggest, but simply confess, "We have
sinned; we are sinning; we dare not sin longer." In this matter of
prayer we are sure God does not demand of us impossibilities. He does
not weary us with an impracticable ideal. He asks us to pray no more
than He gives grace to enable us to. He will give the grace to do what
He asks, and so to pray that our intercessions shall, day by day, be a
pleasure to Him and to us, a source of strength to our conscience and
our work, and a channel of blessing to those for whom we labour.

God dealt personally with Joshua, with Israel, with Achan. Let each of
us allow Him to deal personally with us concerning this sin, of
restraining prayer, and its consequences in our life and work;
concerning the deliverance from sin, its certainty and blessedness. Just
bow in stillness and wait before God, until, as God, He overshadow you
with His presence, lead you out of that region of argument as to human
possibilities, where conviction of sin can never be deep, and full
deliverance can never come. Take quiet time, and be still before God,
that He may take this matter in hand. "Sit still, for He will not be in
rest until He have finished this thing this day." Leave yourself in
God's hands.

A PLEA FOR MORE PRAYER

CHAPTER VII

Who shall Deliver?

"Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then
is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"--JER.
viii. 22.

"Retur