and equipped by the power of the Holy Spirit. He must therefore be:
1. First as to the leader of the meeting:The leader should be one chosen of God, and equipped by the power of the Holy Spirit. He must therefore be: (1) Baptized with the Spirit, so that he is conscious of the spirit sense referred to, whereby he knows the mind of the Spirit in himself, and is able to discern it in others. (2) The leader, thus open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, should be able to speak at any moment as the need arises free from dependence on notes, or aids to memory. To guide the meeting under the guidance of the Spirit, he needs to be able to speak 'as the Spirit gives utterance, and to know the right moment and the right message. (3) The leader must never let go the reins of the meeting, leading throughout, although he may outwardly appear to be taking no part at all. I may illustrate the importance of this by a concrete example. I was once watching a huge gathering where one who had been greatly used in Revival in another land, was present, and the meeting was given over to him. He spoke just a few words, and then placing his watch upon the desk, he bowed his head in prayer, and deliberately let go the meeting as if he had nothing to do with it. It could be seen that he had taken his hands right off it. That is, he did not continue to inwardly hold it, by watching, and readiness to intervene. The result was startling. The moment he 'let go', there was a wild outburst from a section of that meeting, which was indescribable. There was a 'hissing' as if serpents were there, and a wailing noise like the whistling of the wind in the rigging of a ship in a storm. The leader did not attempt to deal with this, and there was no regaining of the control of that gathering - it was practically wrecked. No work of God could be done in that atmosphere. This shows that when God gives charge of a meeting to any one, he is responsible to hold it for God, and to rely upon the Holy Spirit in directly quenching any inroads of the spirits of Satan. No one could pretend that the outburst I have described was of God. (4) The leader must keenly watch the meeting, seeking, in reliance upon God, discernment when to touch it (outwardly), and when to leave it alone; and when to move with God in song, or prayer, or message. 2. Second, AS TO THE MEETING:a program of prearranged plan is no hindrance, for it can be used if there is no discernable movement of the Holy Spirit among the people. But the leader must be ready to drop the 'program when the Spirit of God shows him to do so. But the meeting should not be allowed to 'take its own course' until the Holy Spirit is undoubtedly at work among the people. We saw this today in the Prayer Conference. There was a blessed working of the Holy Spirit, and He was in control. The last quarter of an hour, all who prayed, prayed in the spirit. It is a great sign that the Holy Ghost is in control when people are 'condensed' and to the point, with no garrulousness of the 'flesh' - It is the atmosphere that is the great thing. When God is fully in control