conscious of the particular soil which has interrupted the communion, but there is never restoration without a conscious washing by the word. When this takes place, there is an exercise of soul; the Spirit of God leading the heart and conscience into what the ashes of the red heifer over the running water (Num. xix.) typified; even calling to remembrance what Christ has gone through on account of my sin. There is no restoration to communion apart from this exercise.

There is often much service, when communion is not known, and, alas! when it has been interrupted. When there is service without communion with the Lord having been known, the servant, however gifted, never rises beyond man, as the object of his service. It is quite true that man is the one to be served, but the servant's duty is to come from God, as His servant, upheld by the Lord Himself. When there is not this, service takes very much the form of philanthropy. Man's need, and the benefit to man,

and to his soul, is the aim of the service.

Now when a servant who has known communion continues serving when out of communion, there will be a rashness in testimony, like Peter cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant. There is an effort to do something-a confidence in one's personal love to the Lord There is often much personal affection to the Lord where there is not communion, and this affection is sometimes regarded as an evidence of communion, while very often the effort to do something visibly for the Lord, indicates that the servant is not in communion; and when it is so, the right thing, which affection dictates, is done in the wrong way.

Martha desired to serve, but it was only her affection which led her, and though she overtaxed herself in serving she did not meet the Lord's mind. There may be affection without communion, but the deepest affection is enjoyed in communion. The servant in communion can wait like Mary, till

the fitting time comes for expressing her affection. Communion always leads one to think of the Lord first in everything; whether I am an evangelist, or a teacher, when I am in communion, it is the Lord I am magnifying, it is He whom I have before me, not merely benefit, nor the one to be benefited. Hence the one out of communion, though he does not lose His affection for the Lord, has not the influence of the Lord's company to regulate and direct it. The servant in communion is governed by the Lord's presence; he cannot tell why he does this or that, he is so consciously near the Lord, that he does not act independently; and he waits in patience; he does not make haste; and when he acts, it is with marked self-surrender for the Lord, and the house is filled with the odour of the ointment.

The one impelled by affection for the Lord, but who is out of communion with Him, would have called fire to come from heaven.

between the affection

The difference which would

silence every opponent, and the affection which in complete self-surrender, would be in sympathy with Him, is great. The servant in communion is sure to grow up into his true place with the Lord, and as he does, he is more and more effective as His servant.

There is however another order of hindrance to a servant, which is, alas! too common, and that is, his having taken a wrong step; for instance. being in the wrong place, or engaging in an unsuited employment. It is not so much the nature of the thing as the simple fact that he has been betrayed into a wrong step. It was a wrong step for Peter to have gone into the high priest's house, though doubtless it was affection for the Lord which led him to follow Him to it. It was a wrong step for Abraham to have gone down into Egypt; a wrong step for David to have dwelt at Ziklag; but I need not adduce more examples; it is enough if we see that the wrong step must be retraced or obliterated, before

there is any real or distinct advance for that servant. Abraham had many instances of divine favour after the birth of Ishmael, but he was not in the vigour of testimony, until the bondwoman and her son were cast out. When Jacob reached Bethel the last link with his mother, who had first led him into planning for his own advantage, died. "Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called, Allon-bachuth." (Genesis xxxv. 8.)

As the servant advances, he is emancipated from that which once enthralled him. Peter first gives up his fishing to follow the Lord, from affection. (Luke v.) Finally he does so to follow a risen Christ in communion with Him. (John xxi.) Many a servant is hindered from having taken some wrong step; indeed the wrong steps on account of which servants are hindered, are more than could be described or enumerated; and until these are retraced, or abandoned, they