THE KING’S BUSINESS 577 served twice in the year. The population thus saith Jehovah. “Ye shall not see wind.
of the city may amount to 8000 or 9000. The staple manufacture of the locality is that of linen, for which it has been long cele brated, and the whole district is compara tively rich. - PERFUNCTORY SERVICE “In disposition and temperament the peo ple are calm, thoughtful, and far from im pulsive, and their habits, amusements, and usages, -strongly indicate their Scotch de scent. Among such a people, thus circum stanced, the organization of Christ’s Church has for many years been very complete. Church-courts have been vigilant, ordinances have heeri regularly and faithfully dispensed, and nothing seemed wanting but a power to bring home an offered Gospel to the; hearts and souls of the people. Some of God’s children have therefore been saying of late years, that one of two things was likely soon to occur; namely, that either Ihe Gospel doctrine, preached by ministers and professed by the people, but apparently without much life, would, like everything which becomes stagnant, sink into putrefac tion, and that heresy would supplant the truth ; or, that a gracious God would honor His own truth by supplying the power of the Spirit to impart to it a vivifying energy. That God has been pleased to shed abroad this power, the wondrous awakening which has characterized the summer and autumn of 1859, abundantly proves.” This is a long extract, but Mr. Canning’s description of the conditions is his own Presbytery and congregation is representa tive, in a broad sense, of the conditions pre vailing all over Ulster, and we can thus ap preciate the Situation. “DIGGING TRENCHES” When Mesha, the king of Moab, rebelled against Jehoram, king of Israel, the latter formed an alliance with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and with the king of Edom. The allies sought advice from Elisha, the prophet, who promised them that Jehovah would give them water for their armies and vic tory over their enemies. But he told them to “make this valley full of trenches.” For
neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and’ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of Jehovah; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hands.” In like manner, did the consecrated min isters in Ulster; they could not command the power that would give them the needed victory over the allied enemies—the world, the flesh and the devil—but they could and did dig the trenches that Jehovah might fill -them with water. How did they do it ? They kept the need of a revival before themselves and their congregations. “For several years some of the synods never separated without directing their min isters to bring before the people committed to their care the question of the state of religion, the Deity and personality of the Spirit, and the necessity and nature of con version.” GETTING READY It was a matter,of solemn conference and prayer in the General Assembly of 1858, and a season was set apart for united wait ing upon God. A standing committee which had reported each year for several years, at this assembly embodied in its report an account of the revival then in progress in America. This led to increased longing and earnest seeking, and to the appointment of two delegates to proceed to America and bring back an account of what they would see—Professor Gibson being one of them. In the churches the 'ministers were mak ing trenches... Says one: “I was installed as pastor of my present congregation (con sisting of 320 families) in March, 1857, and during the ensuing summer took occasion to preach on the necessity of a revival, the agency by which it is produced and the means by which it might be promoted. I also established a Bible class, whose num bers increased until the names of about 200 young persons, from thirteen to thirty years of age, were upon its roll; and .with which I met every Sabbath.after public worship,
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