“I ought to pray before seeing any one.  Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o'clock before I begin secret prayer.  This is a wretched system.  It is scriptural.  Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place.  David says: ‘Early will I seek thee'; ‘Thou shalt early hear my voice.'  Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me.  The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed.  Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another.  ”There are many times when, like Ephesus, many of God's children lose their first love.  Iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold.  Believers lose their close and near communion with God.  They go out of the holiest, and pray at a distance with a curtain between.  They lose their fervency, sweetness, and fullness in secret prayer.  They do not pour out their hearts to God.  They have lost their clear discovery of Christ.  They see Him but dimly.  They have lost the sight of His beauty—the savor of His good ointment—the hold of His garment.  They seek him, but find Him not.  They cannot stir up the heart to lay hold on Christ.

The Spirit dwells scantily in their soul.  The living water seems almost dried up within them.  The soul is dry and barren.  Corruptions are strong: grace is very weak.  Love to the brethren fades.  United prayer is forsaken.  The little assembly no more appears beautiful.  Compassion for the unconverted is low and cold.  Sin is unrebuked, though committed under their eye.  Christ is not confessed before men.  Perhaps the soul falls into sin, and is afraid to return; it stays far off from God, and lodges in the wilderness.

Ah!  This is the case, I fear with many.  It is a fearfully dangerous time. Nothing but a visit of the Holy Spirit to your soul can persuade you to return.  It is not a time this prayer—“Wilt thou not revive us again?”  The soul of a believer needs grace every moment.  “By the grace of God I am what I am.”  But there are times when he needs more grace than at other times.  Just as the body continually needs food, there are times when it needs food more than at others—times of great bodily exertion, when all powers are to be put forth. Sometimes the soul of a believer is exposed to hot persecution.  Reproach breaks the heart; or it beats like a scorching sun upon the head.  “For my love they are my adversaries.”  Sometimes they are God's children who reproach us, and this is still harder to bear.  The soul is ready to rest or sink under it.

Sometimes it is flattery that tempts the soul. The world speaks well of us, and we are tempted to pride and vanity. This is still worse to bear. Sometimes Satan strives within us, by stirring up fearful corruptions, till there is a tempest within. Oh, is there a tempted soul that reads these words? Jesus prays for thee. You need more peace. Nothing but the oil of the Spirit will feed the fire of grace when Satan is casting water on it. Send up this cry, “Wilt thou not revive us again?”