race from ignorance, superstition, and idolatry. All maritime and geographical discoveries have been subservient to the interests of Christianity; for all the new nations of the earth are of the religion of the Cross. The myriad isles of the two hemispheres have waited for the law of the man of Nazareth; and America, India, and Australia stretch out their hands to Him. 66 Our globe has now been all but perfectly explored, and but few parts of it are inaccessible to us; and concurrently with this fact we see another so striking, that on looking upon it we cannot but exclaim, "This is the finger of God!" We see among Christians of all communities a strong desire, or rather an indomitable determination, to make known their religion to every tribe of man. For this the Bible is printed in every known language, and with the written Word is sent the living preacher; and the great company of those who publish it is titly symbolized by the angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to proclaim to all that dwell on the face of the earth. Coming events cast their shadows before." All the remarkable epochs in the world's history have been preceded by a widespread, if not universal, presentiment that some great change was at hand. Especially was it so at the commencement of the Christian era. A deliverer for the human race was generally expected and ardently sighed for hence the Messiah was described as the desire of all nations. And to those who could read the signs of the times, there was in them a wonderful concurrence with men's expectations and feelings. The voice of God in providence and the voice of God in men's hearts alike proclaimed that the birth of some "wonderful thing," some transcendent event, was at hand. Nor was the instinctive and providential prophecy falsified. Now, is there not something analogous to this going on in our own age? About a century ago society put on a new phase, and became imbued with a new life. A universal conviction seemed to take possession of the human mind that a historical crisis was approaching; and the conviction had a quickening effect-it was felt like an electric shock through the whole framework of society. In states and kingdoms during this period we have seen revolutions of the greatest magnitude, overturning ancient dynasties, and introducing an entirely new order of things. Nor has the Christian Church been the subject of a less remarkable change. She, too, partakes of the conviction that we are on the eve of a new age; but with her the conviction takes a more definite form than with society at large. She feels that her Lord is at hand, and that He will make all things new. It is the hand of Providence that she sees overturning, and overturning, and overturning, till He whose the right is shall come, and then He will take to himself great power and reign. And modern missions -those efforts made at home and abroad to really Christianize men— are the fruit of this conviction. And does God forget to crown these works of faith and labours of love with success? No: already she has gathered thirty, sixty, a hundred fold for her labours, and the fields are now ripe for a yet more glorious harvest. All the events of the present day look in the same direction as Christian prophecy, and may be considered as providential preparations for its accomplishment. What do we see transpiring around us at this time? We see the most distant points of the earth brought together. Intercommunication between all parts is practicable, comparatively safe and easy, rapid and cheap. The application of steam as a propelling power, both by land and sea, has made distance almost an insignificant circumstance. Before the middle-aged of the present generation are in their graves, the probability is, that by this means Pekin will be brought within a ten or twelve days' journey of London. And to what a remarkable degree does this ease and rapidity of transit widen the domain and augment the riches of commerce! Our merchants are princes; their wealth surpassing the revenues of kingdoms. We see, too, this facility of communication finding employment for the vast populations which exist in our own and other countries, and their industry bringing them in abundance the substantial comforts and enjoyments of life; so that man can now earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. Besides which, we see at two extremities of the earth vast unpeopled continents, with salubrious climates, and abounding in mineral and agricultural wealth; and on these continents Europe is annually pouring a mighty flood of souls. So that, in fact, the material resources of the globe, necessary for man's subsistence and happiness, are multiplied manifold. The human family is like an heir just come to the possession of an almost boundless estate; and while our persons and the riches of the earth can so readily be transported across seas and over continents, our thoughts can travel more swiftly than if carried on the wings of the wind. The electric telegraph is undoubtedly the most wonderful achievement of human genius in existence; and in a few years there is a moral certainty that the earth will be belted with an electric girdle, which shall convey and return intelligence between us and the Antipodes in a few hours, not to say minutes. We see, also, and that crowns the whole, the prevalence, to a remarkable degree, of a spirit of peace, combined with a love of liberty, among the peoples of the earth. We write this with the events of the last seven years fully in our remembrance. Kings and governments may be disposed to play at the game of war, but the people are losing their relish for that game. They would rather trade with each other than fight with each other. There is a spirit of fraternity among the nations of the earth, and an extending and flourishing commerce, increased intercourse, the exchange of kindly acts, the rise of common interests, which war would desolate-all serve to strengthen the bonds of amity and friendship among the nations. Still, abundant evidence is given that the spirit of peace now prevailing is no craven spirit. Liberty is loved, and sought after, and suffered for, in an unexampled manner; and the heroism of individuals and nations in the cause of freedom is not going without its reward. The arm of tyranny, if not paralyzed, is greatly enfeebled; and there is reason to hope, ere long, will be comparatively powerless to harm. Never had the world so bright a future as it has now. And in all this we see, and trust you also see, the providence of God carrying us on to the accomplishment of the prediction, "That men shall be blessed in Christ, and all people shall call him blessed.” We have thus, respected reader, imperfectly worked out the idea we wished to set before you, namely, that the history of man is essen tially linked with Providence, and ever, in one sense or another, illustrative of it. Notwithstanding the imperfect way in which we have performed our task, we earnestly ask you to give the truth we have propounded a cordial, a loving, and a practical reception. Let it be a truth on which you stay your souls. Never believe that this world of ours is given over to the Devil. No; it is God's world-and, with all the ignorance, and sin, and cruelty, and oppression there is in the world, He still cares for it, and governs it. From this point never be moved. And let your faith give birth to hope in your bosom. As Christians as men, yield not to despair; nor always judge of Divine providence according to appearance. At times, it does seem as if the Evil One triumphed among men—as if the truth was ever to be supplanted with a lie, and humanity ever to be a down-trodden thing. And even now, though we have spoken of the brightness of the future, there are some dark features on its face. But as one has well said, "He who has observed how, throughout history, while man is continually misusing good and turning it into evil, the overruling sway of God's providence out of evil is ever bringing forth good, will never be cast down, or led to despond, or to slacken his efforts, however untoward the immediate aspect of things may appear; for he will know that whenever he is labouring in the cause of Heaven, the powers of Heaven are working with him; and that though the good he is aiming at may not be attainable in the very form he has in view, the ultimate result will assuredly be good;-that were man diligent in fulfilling his part, the result would be immediate; and that no one who is thus diligent shall lose his precious reward of seeing that every good deed is a part of the life of the world." Or, as Schlegel beautifully remarks, "We should bear in mind, how often in nature the fairest bloom of vegetation, and the richest fulness of organic life, spring out of a state of confusion and chaos, when the elemental powers after a long strife and conflict-settle at last into a state of harmonious equipoise, unite, and fructify; and in some creative moment, when the struggle of labour is over, give birth to new and more beautiful forms of existence." Instead, then, of being dejected at the slow progress, and often unexpected delays, in the advancement of human society, let us remember that the Father has reserved the times and seasons in His own hands, and calmly repose on the assurance, that while He exemplifies the truth, that with Him one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, yet through the course of the ages He pursues his sovereign purpose; and that that purpose is to annihilate both the existence and penalty of sin-to rescue our race from the sway of error and superstition, of crime and misery; to overturn utterly the kingdom of the Evil One, and everywhere establish the kingdom of His Son, that Paradise may again be restored to us, by His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. J. HUDSTON. Miscellaneous Articles, Anecdotes, &c. THE WONDERFUL EFFICACY OF PRAYER. A VOLUME might be filled with striking instances of answers to prayer in modern times. The Moravians have astounded Christendom by their noble sacrifices and moral heroism in the cause of missions. They are said to have at this day 1,500 missionaries, and 180,000 reclaimed heathens in communion with them. But when and how commenced this wonderful work of God? At the time when they had an organized system of intercessory prayer, in which twenty-four men and as many women engaged each to spend alternately one hour each day to intercede with God for their own brethren, for other churches, and for the whole world; so that through every hour of each day, from week to week, from month to month, and from year to year, the voice of intercessory prayer might never cease, but continually ascend before God: it was at this time (1731) that the missionary fire broke out with such marvellous intensity, and those displays of self-sacrificing enterprise took place; so that, within ten short years from that time, they had sent missionaries to the Indians in the forests, and the Greenlanders in the icy regions of America, to St. Thomas, to St. Croix, to Surinam, to the negroes of South Carolina, to Lapland, to Tartary, to Algiers, to Guinea, to the Cape of Good Hope, and to the Island of Ceylon, although at the time their home churches numbered only about 600 members. All this was the result of intercessory prayer. Great God! what cannot thy people do when inspired with thy love, and armed by thy power? and what wilt thou not do for thy people when they enter fully into thy holy will, when they rely on thy fidelity, and plead in united prayer the promises of thy covenant and the predictions of thy unchanging Word? The recent revival of religion is perhaps the greatest manifestation 66 of the power of prayer the world has seen since apostolic times. Seldom was a revival more needed, and never did one arise with less of human display. It began with no bustling arrangements, no mighty gatherings, no platform oratory; and no startling Boanerges was its originator or its influential leader. So far as its origin can be traced to human agency, it took its rise from the humblest efforts, but efforts made in the spirit of earnest prayer. In 1857 a city missionary in New York, bending lowly before God in prayer, interceding for the perishing souls around him, plaintively cries, “ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" He daily reiterates the cry, his earnestness becomes intense, faith takes hold of the promise, and he rises to the expectation that hundreds and thousands will soon be brought under the influence of religion. As yet, he has no idea how this will be done, but, guided as he hopes by God, he resolves on a mid-day prayer-meeting. The 23rd of September comes, and at twelve o'clock he is found in a room connected with Fulton Street Chapel. He waits half an hour in solitude, when one person enters; shortly after another comes in, then three others, and with six as the whole company the meeting proceeds and closes. Few indeed in number, yet sufficient for social prayer, and the gracious promise of our Lord, made to two or three gathered together in his name, was not pleaded in vain. God was graciously present to bless. A week after another meeting was held at the same place, when twenty were present. The dew descended, and their souls were refreshed. Seven days hence the next meeting was held, when between thirty and forty attended. So much religious influence was felt at this meeting, that it was resolved to hold another the next day, at which a larger number was present; and from this day was dated "the daily union prayer-meet ing." The numbers still increasing, it became needful to occupy the middle lecture room, as more commodious. Soon this place was crowded, the Spirit of God moved upon the people, the cry of penitence was heard, precious souls were saved, and in one month it was found that the revival was begun. The religious interest at the Fulton Street prayer-meeting began to be powerfully felt abroad in different and distant portions of the city. During the first month of these meetings many city pastors and many laymen belonging to the churches of New York and Brooklyn were present at one or more of these meetings, and were warmed by the holy fire already kindled. Not only in the Fulton Street meeting was prayer made, but morning prayer-meetings began to be established in different churches. The Broome Street Church was one of the first to open a morning prayermeeting. Other churches followed, both in New York and Brooklyn, without any preconcert or any knowledge of each other's movements. In the second month of the Fulton Street meetings several daily morning prayer-meetings were in exist ence. The place of prayer became a most delightful resort, and the places of prayer multiplied, because men were moved to plead with God. They wished to pray. They felt impelled by some unseen power to pray. They felt the pressure of the call to prayer. So a place of prayer was no sooner opened, than Christians flocked to it, to pour out their supplications together. Christians of both sexes, of all ages, of different denominations, without the slightest regard to denominational distinctions, came together on one common platform of brotherhood in Christ, and in the bonds of Christian union sent up their united petitions to the throne of the heavenly Giver. This union of Christians in prayer struck the unbelieving world with amazement. It was felt that this was prayer. This love of Christians for one another, and this love of Christ, this love of prayer and love of souls, this union of all in prayer, whose names were lost sight of, disarmed all opposition, so that not a man opened his mouth in opposition. On the contrary, the conviction was conveyed to all minds, that this truly was the work of God. The impenitent felt that Christians loved them; and their love of souls made them earnest. The truth now commended itself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. They felt that this was not the work of man, but the work of God. They were awed by a sense of the Divine presence in the prayer meeting, and felt that this was holy ground. Christians were very much humbled. Impenitent men saw and felt this. They felt that it was awful to trifle with the place of prayer; sacrilegious to doubt the spirit, the sincerity, the efficiency, or the power of prayer. It began to be felt that Christians obtained answers to prayer; that if they united to pray for any particular man's conversion, that man was sure to be converted. What made them sure? What made them say that "they thought this man and that man would soon become Christians?" Because they had become the subjects of prayer. And men prayed in the prayer-meeting, as if they expected God would hear and answer prayer. Every week the spirit of prayer increased, and the revival spread all over the city of New York and its suburbs, so that in the fifth month from the commencement prayermeetings were held not only in places of religious worship, but in theatres, concert rooms, public halls, workshops and tents, where crowds attended, filling the places to overflowing; and it has been computed that when the revival was at its height not less than 150 meetings for prayer were held daily in New York and Brooklyn-all, without one single exception, partaking of the same general character. Now the revival rapidly extended to other parts of the Republic. Prayer-meetings almost simultaneously were established in all parts of the land, both in city and country |