INVITATION TO UNITED PRAYER,

FOR THE

OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

On Thursday, 1st of January, 1846.

BEING THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW YEAR.

DEARLY BELOVED IN THE Lord,

The privilege which I have enjoyed for the last NINE years, of inviting you to commence the new year, by

UNITING IN PRAYER FOR THE OUTPOURING OF THE

HOLY SPIRIT, is, by the kind providence of God, again vouchsafed to me. And it is with a heart desiring to express its thankfulness to the Giver of all good, for countless mercies, that I would renew my annual invitation for this GENERAL CONCERT FOR PRAYER, which, by Divine permission, will be held on THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1846.

The present is a period which very particularly calls for such a devotional union; for surely the important events which have occurred during the present year, and which it is probable will be more unfolded in the coming one, are of a nature which, in a very special manner, make the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in his enlivening, enlightening, purifying, comforting, and sanctifying grace, especially needful. Oh! that our Heavenly Father, for his dear Son's sake, may

first grant to his people the Spirit of grace and supplication, and then, in answer to their prayers, fulfil that gracious promise, "Open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

To mention only a few of these remarkable events :First. The grant of the Firman for building a Protestant church in Jerusalem by the Sultan, which has been at length obtained through the powerful influence of her Majesty's ambassador at Constantinople.

The following sentences are extracted from this interesting state paper: It has been represented, both now and before, on the part of the British embassy residing at my court, that British and Prussian Protestant subjects visiting Jerusalem, meet with difficulties and obstructions, owing to their not possessing a place of worship for the observance of Protestant rites, and it has been requested that permission should be given to erect, for the first time, a special Protestant place of worship, within the British consular residence at Jerusalem. My royal permission is therefore granted for the erection of the aforesaid special place of worship. And my imperial order having been issued for that purpose, the present decree, containing permission, has been specially given from my imperial divan.

When, therefore, it becomes known unto you, Vallee of Said, governor of Jerusalem, you will be careful that no person do, in any manner whatever, oppose it.'Written on the first day of Ramazan, 1261.'

This Firman may strike the student of prophecy from its date, 1261, or, that year of the Hegira; one year beyond the term for which it is said, “The holy city shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles." (Rev. xi, 2.)

It is the more interesting, as it records that the grant has been made, for the first time for a Protestant place of worship, and this by the desire of the Queen of Great Britain and the King of Prussia, reminding us of that well-known prediction, "Kings shall be thy nursingfathers, and their queens thy nursing-mothers; and as it also affords a very pleasing example of the benefits to be derived from the spiritual union of Protestants in the cause of our blessed Saviour. Seeing then that full liberty is now obtained for erecting a Protestant church in Jerusalem, and this when our mission there has all the advantages of a representative of the Protestant church, who is by birth a Hebrew, but by the grace of God a sincere believer in our Lord Jesus Christ; has at the same time a band of faithful watchmen set upon her walls (Isaiah lxii. 6, 7), " who hold not their peace day nor night;" seeing also that it is written, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech. iv. 6); who would not entreat the Lord to pour out the abundance of his Holy Spirit, "That out of Zion the law may again go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah ii. 3.)

A second event which calls for this devotional union, is the very remarkable success which has attended the preaching of the gospel in France, and the present movement of the Roman Catholics in Germany. In France whole communes have left the church of Rome, and placed themselves under the teaching of Protestant ministers. One French pastor alone, during the last year, was instrumental to opening six churches, and gathering in six Christian flocks, all of whose members were previously either Romanists or indifferent to all scriptural religion.

As to the movement in Germany, however difficult it

may be to speak of its exact nature, every one who takes an interest in the welfare of his fellow-sinners must desire that it may lead to that saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, which may give peace here, and eternal glory hereafter. And this can only be obtained by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Oh, may this gift be very largely bestowed for our blessed Saviour's sake; that those who are at present in bondage to the church of Rome, may attend to the divine warning-" Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.'

Such a grant is the more necessary from a third event connected with the present year-the encouragement given by our rulers to the church of Rome.

No doubt they have done this with the best intentions, and from a desire to promote the welfare of her Majesty's subjects; but not taking the word of God as their sure guide, they have, alas! overlooked the unscriptural tenets of the church of Rome, and the dangers to which those who are in her communion are exposed. But you, my beloved brethren, who unite with our Protestant forefathers in their belief regarding that corrupt church, you regard those concessions with serious alarm and poignant sorrow; the more so from the jeopardy into which our dear Protestant brethren in our sister island have been brought; and from the schism lately made in our church by some of the leaders of the Tractarian novelties, who have left our communion, and united themselves to the church of Rome; now more active than ever in spreading her pernicious

errors.

Surely these are loud calls for prayer, that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we may retain our privileges as the Protestant nation, that our divisions may be

healed, and that our beloved brethren in Ireland may stand fast in the faith-cheered by that gracious word, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer." "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

There is yet one more event of which I desire to remind you, which in a very special manner should lead to this concert for prayer. The desire which has lately arisen in the church of Christ, for the scriptural union of all sincere Christians.

This invitation must of necessity be brief-but this subject is of such vital importance that I trust to your indulgence for stating the following reasons for every sincere believer exerting himself to the uttermost to promote this union.

The

1st. That the whole Church of Christ in its present position, is in a state of sinful disobedience to the command of our blessed Lord "to love one another." guilt connected with this state, will lay as a heavy burden upon the conscience of every one who reflects upon the frequency and urgency with which this command is enforced, and the little regard which has in practice, been shown to it. For who that sincerely asks himself, Have I loved my Christian brethren with the love wherewith my blessed Saviour has loved me, but must feel guilty? And feeling his guilt, he will desire that this burden may be removed. Whilst, therefore, he entreats forgiveness for the past, his aim will be that his love may be fervent for the future; believing that the insensibility of Christians to this burden may have been a principal great cause why our prayers have not met with greater acceptance.

2ndly. That the great Jehovah delights in union : whilst there is a diversity in all His works, his purpose