er the Holy Ghost was given.
It is still prayer that is the only secret of true Church extension,
that is guided from heaven to find and send forth God-called and
God-empowered men. To prayer the Holy Spirit will show the men He has
selected; to prayer that sets them apart under His guidance He will give
the honour of knowing that they are men, "sent forth by the Holy Ghost."
It is prayer which is the link between the King on the throne and the
Church at His footstool--the human link that has its divine strength in
the power of the Holy Ghost, who comes in answer to it.

As one looks back upon these chapters in the history of the Pentecostal
Church, how clear the two great truths stand out: where there is much
prayer there will be much of the Spirit; where there is much of the
Spirit there will be ever-increasing prayer. So clear is the living
connection between the two, that when the Spirit is given in answer to
prayer it ever wakens more prayer to prepare for the fuller revelation
and communication of His Divine power and grace. If prayer was thus the
power by which the Primitive Church flourished and triumphed, is it not
the one need of the Church of our days? Let us learn what ought to be
counted axioms in our Church work:--

Heaven is still as full of stores of spiritual blessing as it was then.
God still delights to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. Our
life and work are still as dependent on the direct impartation of Divine
power as they were in Pentecostal times. Prayer is still the appointed
means for drawing down these heavenly blessings in power on ourselves
and those around us. God still seeks for men and women who will, with
all their other work of ministering, specially give themselves to
persevering prayer.

And we--you, my reader, and I--may have the privilege of offering
ourselves to God to labour in prayer, and bring down these blessings to
this earth. Shall we not beseech God to make all this truth so living in
us that we may not rest till it has mastered us, and our whole heart be
so filled with it, that the practice of intercession shall be counted by
us our highest privilege, and we find in it the sure and only measure
for blessing on ourselves, on the Church, and on the world?

A PLEA FOR MORE PRAYER

CHAPTER III

A Model of Intercession

"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall
go unto him at midnight, and shall say unto him, Friend, lend