parties take sides with their respective favorites, and thus the breaches widen. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Criminations and recriminations are engendered and multiplied. Satan and his angels are actively at work to secure a harvest from seed thus sown. Worldlings look on, and jeeringly exclaim, Behold how these Christians hate one another. If this is religion, we do not want it. And they look upon themselves and their irreligious characters with great satisfaction. Thus they are confirmed in their impenitence, and Satan exalts at his success. The great deceiver has prepared his wiles for every soul that is not braced for trial and guarded by constant prayer and living faith. As ministers, as Christians, we must work to take the stumbling blocks out of the way. We must remove every obstacle. Let us confess and forsake every sin, that the way of the Lord may be prepared, that he may come into our assemblies and impart his rich grace. The world, the flesh, and the devil must be overcome. We cannot prepare the way by gaining the friendship of the world, which is enmity with God, but by his help we can break its seductive influence upon ourselves and upon others. We cannot individually or as a body secure ourselves from the constant temptations of a relentless and determined foe, but in the strength of Jesus we can resist them. From every member of the church a steady light may shine forth before the world, so that they shall not be led to inquire, What of these people more than others? There can be and must be a withdrawal from conformity to the world, a shunning of all appearance of evil, so that no occasion shall be given for gainsayers. We cannot escape reproach, it will come, but we should be very careful that we are not reproached for our own sins or follies, but for Christ's sake. There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out his Spirit upon a languishing church and penitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another awakening, great or small, to the end of time, but we are not ignorant of his devices. It is possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God, the blessing will come. Satan can no more hinder a shower of blessing from descending upon God's people than he could close the windows of heaven that rain cannot come upon the earth. Wicked men and devils cannot hinder the work of God or shut up his presence from the assemblies of his people if they will, with subdued, contrite hearts, confess and put away their sins and in faith claim his promises. Every temptation, every opposing influence, whether open or secret, may be successfully resisted, not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts, Zechariah 4.6. We are in the great day of atonement when our sins are, by confession and repentance, to go beforehand to judgment. God does not now accept a tame, spiritless testimony from his ministers. Such a testimony would not be present truth. The message for this time must be meat in due season to feed the Church of God, but Satan has been seeking gradually to rob this message of its power, that the people of the world may be saved.