ТНЕ .

FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE.

SEPTEMBER, 184 4.

REMARKS

For the Foreign Missionary Chronicle.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTENDING ON THE MONTHLY CONCERT IN PRAYER. BY SAMUEL MILLER, D.D.

In the heart of every real Christian there is thanksgiving to make known our requests no sentiment more firmly fixed, or more ha- to God." And, accordingly, we find the bitually recognised, than that of his entire pious, in all ages, acknowledging their dedependance on God for every blessing, and|| pendance; imploring with humble importuthe necessity of unceasing prayer for all nity the blessings of which they felt their that he needs. Man can, in his own wisdom, need; and confessing their utter inability to devise nothing aright; he can, in his own gain them by their own wisdom or strength. strength, accomplish nothing. It is not by But further, not only do we find the pious human might or power, but by the Spirit of represented, throughout the Bible history, as the living God that anything truly good is importunately praying for the supply of their ever done towards promoting the spiritual own wants, but also as interceding for their interests of individuals or of mankind. In friends and brethren, and indeed for the his hands are the hearts of all men, and "he whole Church of God, and for the world of can turn them whithersoever he pleaseth, as mankind. This duty is founded on the dithe rivers of waters are turned." We may vine injunction; and also on the fact, that devise the most promising plans for doing every human being is bound to seek the good; we may gather round us the most happiness of his race, and of course, is ample means for carrying our plans into ef. every Christian peculiarly bound to desire fect; and yet, after all, unless He with and endeavour to promote the welfare of whom is the residue of the Spirit shall add the whole human family, and especially of his blessing, and make the means effectual, all who belong to "the household of faith." all will be vain. "Paul may plant, and And it shows the wisdom as well as the be Apollos may water, but God alone can give nignity of our God, that the discharge of the increase. He that planteth is nothing, this duty is always adapted to carry with and he that watereth is nothing; but God it its own reward. The more we feel and that showeth mercy." pray for our fellow-men, and above all, the This sense of our dependance for all good, more we feel and pray for the enlargement on the power and grace of God, is essential of the Redeemer's kingdom, for the return to the spirit of true religion. Until we have of our revolted world to God and happiness, some real, practical impression of it, we the more our benevolence is increased; the cannot either sincerely or rationally approach more we resemble our Father in heaven; God in prayer, or cherish those sentiments and, of course, the more our own spiritual which become us as sinners indebted to free improvement and happiness are promoted. and sovereign grace for every blessing. But not only is intercession a duty inHence we are exhorted to 66 pray without cumbent upon every Christian, and a duty ceasing;" to "pray always with all prayer adapted to carry a rich benefit along with its and supplication, in the spirit ;" and, ́"in || discharge; but it is equally evident that everything by prayer and supplication with UNION IN PRAYER is at once commanded, VOL. XII.-18

reasonable, and delightful. We are express- be importunate in praying for spiritual mercies: “Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he

ly commanded to pray for one another, James v. 16; and, if all who belong to Christ are 66 one body in Him;""and mem-establish, and till he make Jerusalem a bers one of another; if, when one member praise in the earth," lxii. 7. In like manner, suffers, all the members suffer with it; when the apostle Peter was thrown into and when one member rejoices, all the prison by Herod, the bloody tyrant, unceas. members rejoice with it ;" it follows that all ing prayer was made by the Church for his who really belong to that body, must and deliverance; and while they were actually will delight in social, united prayer; prayer engaged in supplications on his behalf, he in which the flame of love, kindling from was miraculously brought out of prison, and heart to heart, shall rise to the mercy seat happily conducted to the very place where with a brighter and warmer affection. his friends were engaged in interceding for him. It was evidently in answer to extraordinary and united prayer that the Israel. ites in the wilderness were made victorious over the army of Amalek. It was in an. swer to extraordinary and united prayer that the immense army of the haughty king of Assyria, which threatened the destruction of God's people in the days of Hezekiah, was destroyed in a single night. It is de. clared by the prophets Jeremiah and Daniel, to have been in answer to extraordinary and united prayer that God's ancient people were restored from the Babylonish captivity to their own land. And it is equally evident that it was in answer to special and united prayer, in conformity with the Saviour's command, that, after tarrying in Jerusalem a number of days, and spending their time in fervent supplication for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them from on high, the day of Pentecost brought enlargement and glory on the persecuted and struggling Church.

Accordingly our Master in heaven, in a variety of instances in his word, has recog. nised both the duty and the encouragement of this union in prayer on the part of his people. "I say unto you, that if any two of you shall agree on earth touching any. thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. xviii. 19. And not only have we this explicit promise, but the example of such prayers; and the remarkable success with which they were crowned, in the inspired history, are as numerous as they are striking. When the ancient Church was threatened with destruction by the conspir acy of wicked Haman, the pious Esther, being warned by Mordecai of the impend ing danger, sent word to the whole body of the Jewish people to spend three days in united fasting and supplication to God for deliverance. They did so ; and by the most wonderful dispensation of Providence, they were delivered from the power of their enemies.

When Daniel was called upon by It was a deep persuasion of the reality the king of Babylon to interpret that king's and importance of these considerations which forgotten dream, he engaged a number of led to the commencement of that cONCERT his pious friends to unite with him in prayer IN PRAYER, on the first Monday of every that he might be enabled to comply with the month, which has been so long observed by king's order; and that was revealed to him, a large portion of the Protestant churches which all the wise men and astrologers of in this country and in Europe, and which it the Babylonish court sought to find out in is a leading object of these pages to recomvain. So when the prophet Ezekiel pre-mend to the attention and observance of dicted that the house of Israel was "about those who profess to love the Redeemer's to be cleansed from all her iniquities, to have kingdom. her waste places built up, and her ruins to become like the garden of Eden," he sub. joins in the next chapter, "yet, thus saith the Lord, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them." Ezekiel xxxvi 37. In the same strain does the pro phet Isaiah call upon the people of God to

This plan of stated union in prayer for the revival of religion, and for the spread of the gospel, was commenced in the CHURCH or SCOTLAND, almost exactly one hundred years ago.

In the month of October, 1744, a number of Ministers in Scotland, taking into

of prayer for the effusion of the Holy Spirit was so excited, and extended in various parts of Scotland, that the friends of religion became more and more satisfied that their agreement was both wise and useful. Nor was this pious union confined to Scot

consideration the state of God's church, and of the world of mankind, "did judge, that the Providence of God, at such a day, loud. ly called such as were concerned for the welfare of Zion to united and extraordinary supplications to the God of all grace, suitably acknowledging Him as the fountain of land. A large body of ministers in New all spiritual benefits and blessings in his|| England concurred in the measure; and, church; and earnestly beseeching him, among the rest, the venerable Mr. Edthat He would appear in his glory, and fa- wards, afterwards President of the College vour Zion, and manifest his compassion to of New Jersey, and whose praise is in all the world of mankind by an abundant effu. the churches, laboured with no small success sion of his Holy Spirit on all the churches; to recommend and promote the great plan. that he would revive true religion in all parts There is reason to believe that this laudable of Christendom; that he would bless all na-concert in devotion, though it sometimes tions with the light of the gospel, and fill the whole earth with his glory."

languished, has never been wholly abandoned since the original agreement.

In 1784, soon after the close of our re

The authors of this plan, after seeking by prayer for divine direction, determined on volutionary war, this union in prayer re the following method of carrying it into ef.ceived a new impulse, and commenced a fect-viz. to set apart such time on Satur- new progress. About this time, also, it reday evening, and Sabbath morning, every ceived another modification as to time, week, for the purpose before stated, as other being, for the most part, observed only once duties might allow; and, more solemnly, in cach month, viz. on the evening of the the first Tuesday of each quarter, (begin- first Monday. One church after another, ning with the first Tuesday of November, and one denomination after another, not then next ensuing,) either the whole day, or only in the United States, but in various part of the day, as persons may find them- parts of Christendom, fell in with it, until selves disposed, or think their circumstances we may safely say, it now pervades the will allow; the time to be spent either in greater part of the evangelical world. Even private praying societies, or in public meet- in Asia, in Africa, and in the Islands of the ings, or alone in secret, as shall be found Sea, when the first Monday of each month most practicable, or judged most convenient, arrives, the voice of united prayer is heard, by such as are willing to join in this ser- ascending to the King of Zion, beseeching vice. It was expressly understood by those Him to pour out his Spirit on the nations; who entered into this agreement, that they to revive his work where the gospel is en. were not to consider themselves as rigor-joyed; to hasten the conversion of a fallen ously bound to the particular days or hours world to God. specified, whatever their circumstances at the time might be; nor yet to regard those days as holy, or set apart by divine authority, but that specified seasons should be agreed upon, chiefly for the purpose of guarding against that influence and forgetfulness to which all are so prone; and securing that concurrence and union in the divine exercise, which are so adapted to warm the heart, and to enlist the social principle in the best of all causes."

This original agreement was limited to two years. At the expiration of that time it was agreed to continue it for seven years longer. In the mean time, so many praying associations were formed, and such a spirit

A few years since, our General Assembly, observing that this service was thinly attended by many of our congregations on the evening of a week day, recommended to such of our churches as might find the change more convenient, to attend upon it on the first Sabbath afternoon of every month, for the purpose of securing a more full attendance. Accordingly, in a number of churches, this plan has been adopted.

Is it not easy to conceive of a service better adapted to arrest the attention and engage the cordial co-operation of the people of God than that described in this plan? It has often appeared wonderful to the writer of these pages, that, on the monthly

Christ. I would seriously caution all suck persons against indulging the confident hope that they really belong to the spiritual King. dom of the Redeemer.

Let none say, as an excuse for neglecting the monthly service in question, that it is a mere human appointment, and therefore not obligatory on the conscience as are the Christian Sabbath, and the ordinances con nected with that holy day. True, indeed, it is a human appointment in regard to the time and the frequency of its occurrence; but so are all the lectures and prayer meetings which occur on any of the secular evenings of the week; so are the special services preparatory to the administration of the Lord's Supper, which are observed without scruple in a large number of Christian churches. But what should we think of any one professing to be a Christian,, who should turn his back on these services under the pretext that they are not specifically enjoined in the word of God? Surely we should regard such an one as giving miserable evidence indeed of Christian character; and should consider his professed reverence for the word of God, as a hypocritical cover for the absence of all spiritual taste, and of all real concern for the prosperity of the Redeemer's kingdom.

returns of this season of united prayer, there should not be more feeling, and more deep interest directed toward this solemn service. Were we left to calculate what might be expected from the nature of the case, we should be ready to say, surely, on the return of this season, every member of the Church of Christ will be found in his seat uniting in the common supplication. Surely, every one who claims to be a Christian will be seen bowing before the throne of grace, and pleading for mercy to the Church and to the world. But, is it found in experience to be 80 ? Alas! would that it were! But no, in many cases not half; and in some not a third of the communicants of our churches make their appearance in these exercises of special devotion. A considerable number of those who are never absent from their seats in the ordinary services of the sanctuary on the Lord's day, are seldom drawn to the place where special prayer is wont to be made for the revival of religion, and the enlargement of the kingdom of Him whom they profess to regard as the only hope of the world. How shall we account for this melancholy fact? Is the Spirit which bears the disciple of Christ to the House of God on the holy Sabbath, a different Spirit from that which he is called upon to exercise at the monthly return of the concert in prayer But the plea of not having an express for the revival of religion, and the spread of commandment for the observance of a par. the glorious gospel? This will hardly be main-ticular day at the beginning of every month tained. How shall we account for it, then, to unite in praying for the revival of relithat so many professors of religion, in other gion, and for the spread of the gospel, is alrespects deemed exemplary, allow them. together delusive and unwarranted. That selves habitually to neglect a service which we are bound by divine authority, to pray might be expected so strongly and peculiar- without ceasing for these objects, is abunly to interest every Christian heart? dantly evident from passages of the word of indication is, undoubtedly, anything but fa. God almost numberless. That we are vourable to the Christian character of such bound, not merely to pray in secret, but to individuals. Those who love the Saviour, unite with our Fellow Christians in intercedwill, infallibly, love his kingdom; and ing for the enlargement of Zion, is equally those who sincerely love his kingdom, will, evident. How frequently, and at what parof course, take an interest in it; will be ticular times and places they shall come todisposed, in proportion to the sincerity and gether for this purpose, must be matter of strength of their affection, to pray for its agreement among those who unite in the prosperity, and to exert themselves, accord-service. How shall they ever statedly come ing to their ability, to promote its advance. ment. How, then, shall we estimate the spiritual character of those who manifest little or nothing of the interest and the disposition which have been described? They are certainly wanting in one of the best evi. dences that they belong to the kingdom of

The

together without agreeing on some time and place for that purpose? And does this voluntary agreement, as to the time and place for the performance of a commanded duty, destroy its character as a duty? Surely it were unreasonable to suppose this. But when such a union is, either formally or ta

citly, agreed upon,-and is afterwards neg-may apply here, as well as in a multitude of lected by those who do not really unite in temporal things, the old proverb, "Where the duty in any other social form, or at any there is a will there is a way." And O! other time, it is not possible to acquit them where there is a heart which knows anyfrom the charge of turning their backs on a thing of sincere love to Christ, and fervent plain and obvious Christian obligation. love for the souls of men, this way will generally be found by those who have bodily health to allow of their enjoying the precious privilege.