"Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loosen the bands of Orion?" Only God can release the bands of Orion, and how wonderful that He can! O that He would do it for us tonight! Lord, end my winter and bring on my spring. I cannot, no matter how much I long for it, lift my soul out of its

dullness and death, but with You, all things are possible. I need the heavenly influences of Your love, the rays of Your grace, the light of Your presence—these are my Pleiades. I suffer much from sin and temptation; these are my wintry signs, my terrible Orion. Lord, work wonders in me and for me. Amen.

To perish in the middle of the ocean seems less tragic than to die with the white cliffs of England in sight; in the same way, it’s even more tragic to perish while hearing the gospel. Never assume the ship is safe until it’s in the harbor; never assume

a soul is saved until it’s truly “in Christ.” Those who are “almost persuaded” are often the last to be fully persuaded.