Then comes the last thought, that God Himself comes to look with complacency upon the attitude of His child.  Perhaps that poor man does not know that he is praying; perhaps he is ashamed of his prayers.  So much the better.  Perhaps he feels burdened and restless, but God hears, God discovers what is the mind of the Spirit, and will answer.  Oh, think of this wonderful mystery, God the Father on the throne ready to grant unto us His blessings according to the riches of His glory; Christ the almighty high priest pleading day and night.  His whole person is one intercession, and there goes up from Him without ceasing the pleading to the Father, “Bless thy church,” and the answer comes from the Father to the Son, and from the Son down to the church, and if it does not reach us, it is because our hearts are closed.  Let us open and enlarge our hearts and say to God, “Oh that I might be a priest, to enter God’s presence continually and to take hold of God and to bring down a blessing to my perishing fellowmen!” God longs to find the intercession of Jesus reflected in the hearts of His children, and where He finds it, it is a delight.  And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he prayeth for the saints, according to the will of God.  Some one has spoken of that word, “for the saints,” as meaning the spirit of praise in the believer for the saints throughout the world.  God’s word continually comes to us to pray for all not to be content with ourselves.  Think upon the hundreds of church members in this land, multitudes unconverted, multitudes just converted, but yet worldly and careless.  Think of the thousands of nominal Christians—­Christians in name, but robbing God! and can we be happy?  If we bear the burden of souls, can we have this peace and joy?  God gives you peace and joy with no other object than that you should be strong to bear the burden of souls in the joy of Christ’s salvation.

We do not wish to say, “I am trying to be as holy as I can; what have I to do with those worldly people about me?” If there is a terrible disease in my hand, my body can not say, “I have nothing to do with it.”  When the people had sinned Ezra rent his garments and bowed in the dust and made confession.  He repented on the part of the people.  And Nehemiah, when the nation sinned, made confession, and cast himself before God, deploring their disobedience to the God of their fathers.  Daniel did the very same.  And think you that we as believers have not a great work to do?  Suppose we were each, persons without a single sin; just suppose it; could we then make confession?  Look at Christ, without sin!  He went down into the waters of baptism with sinners; He made Himself one with them.  God has spoken to us to ask us if we realize what we are.  He now asks us whether we belong to the church of this land, whether we have borne the burden of sin around us.  Let us go to God and may He by the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with unutterable sorrow