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a woman which made her feel the necessity of a two or three days’ retreat there would undoubtedly be criticism on the part of some. But the reverse could be true and no one speak of it or even notice it. If in tercession is work we will be as un failingly faithful in it as in any other phase of our work. If you have a clinic, or a class, or a preaching ser vice, or an appointment of any kind, it is your duty to be there at the stated time, and it would be the honorable and expected thing to excuse yourself from any person, or from any other task or pleasure, to be faithful to this duty. How is it with you in regard to that appointment with the sover eign God of heaven and earth to talk and plan with him regarding the greatest work in the world ? For triv ial unnecessary things, for slight ail ments, for mere pleasures, for sheet laziness, and through spiritual inertia, for pressure of other duties only ap parently important, we cut out the hour of intercession altogether, or postpone it to a more convenient seai son which never comes. We reason no one knows about it but God, and He is gracious, and merciful, anu “remembers we are but dust,” and He will substitute the desire for the deed. The story is told of a famous violinist, who after having gained world renown still continued to prac tice, six or seven hours a day. Some remonstrated with him, saying that now he had gained his reputation he need not continue this drudgery of daily practice. He replied, “If I ceased to practice for one day I should know it, if for two days my best friends would know it, if for three days the whole world would know it.” Do not let us deceive ourselves into thinking we can cease to intercede and no one will know it. If we cease for one day we shall know it and feel the loss of it; if for two days our
one jot or tittle from our reverent thought of prayer as such, but I am convinced we must come to regard intercession as work also. We say we cannot give intercession its right ful place because of the pressure of work. But what is intercession? It is work, the chief, most imperative work we have to do. It is the hard est and most taxing work some of us can ever have. Intercession deceives both the active and the passive tem perament. It seems like such a leis urely thing to kneel to pray and ex actly suited to a passive nature. Why, it requires an exertion and energy that is utterly beyond a naturally pas sive disposition except through the energizing power of the Holy Spirit. We must face it —intercession is work, the greatest fruit bearing work God gives us to do. If then it is work, it will be reckoned in with our day’s schedule. If it is the greatest work ing force, naturally it will be given the first and chief place in our day’s schedule. If intercession is work we shall love to pray as we love to do all other parts of our work. Which would you rather do—preach one ser mon and win three thousands souls to Christ, or preach three thousand ser mons and win one person? The an swer will reveal which you love to do more, preach or pray. It is a sad commentary upon the lives of the dis ciples, as well as upon those of the Pharisees, that the only people we are told in the Word “loved to pray” were the hypocritical Pharisees. If inter cession is work, then there will be system about it. Why, I believe some of us would be recalled home by our Boards if we used as little system about other parts of our work as we do about our intercession. Any man, who began six or eight lines of work and gradually gave them all up would be severely censured by his colleagues. If some special service were laid upon
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