of 75, and offering
a salary of $1800 a year. What should the minister do? Which call should
he accept? To say there was no struggle in the heart at the time would
be to belie the fact. The man of God took the two invitations, laid them
on the bed, knelt by its side, and put his open Bible in front of him
between the two letters. After prayer for guidance and after reading the
Word for some time his attention was riveted upon this verse: "Set not
your mind on high things, but condescend to them that are lowly" (Romans
12:16, R. V.). He had read that verse before, many times, but somehow he
could not get beyond it at _this_ time. To _him_ at _that particular
time_ it was indicative of God's will. Obediently he chose the smaller
church. After years proved the wisdom of the choice. So God will in some
way indicate to you through the reading of His Word His will for _you_
at _that time_.

The second element in discerning the will of God is what may be called
_the inward impression_, by which we mean the constant, irrepressible,
insistent, persistent conviction in the heart of the child of God that
he ought to do thus and so in a given case. It often happens that a
strong impulse comes to a child of God. In a day or two that impulse has
passed away, and he looks back and sees that he has no assurance that
such was the will of God for him; but to the obedient soul in communion
with the heavenly Father, the constant, irrepressible, insistent and
persistent conviction that a certain thing should or should not be done
is one of the sure indications of God's voice in the soul.

The third feature in discerning the will of God is what may be called
_the favorable circumstance_, or _the open door_. If God wants one to go
to a certain place or do a certain thing, the opportunity to do it will
be present with the call to do it. If it is not, then one should wait
until the door opens. If the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of
fire by night remains stationary, then Israel must remain in the camp.
When these emblems of God's guidance lifted and moved, then Israel knew
that it was time for them to move.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.

--_John H. Newman_

These three thing