The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-17 00:00:00

POLL EARLY!

INVITATION TO UNITED PRAYER,
For the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on Friday, the Ist

of January, Ig4l, being
THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW YEAR

Dearly Beloved in the Lord,—For the past four years I
have had the delightful privilege of sending an invitation to
those " who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," to
unite IN A GENERAL CONCERT FOR PRAYER FOR THE
OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE FIRST DAY
OF THE N ESP YEAR. Each succeeding invitation has,
through the divine goodness, been responded to by increas-
ing numbers ; and their united prayers have been graciously
answered by fresh tokens of the divine favour. Among
other proofs of this I may mention, the merciful continu-
ance of peace in Christendom ; our own domestic tranquil-
lity ; the prosperous state of our religious societies ; the in-
creasing numbers of faithful ministers and newly-erected
churches ; and the higher tone of piety of many of the can-
didates for holy orders. For from whence do these blessings

arise: Assuredly from the Lord, restraining " the unruly
passions of sinful men," and enabling the partakers of His
grace to bring forth these " fruits of the Spirit." These
delightful causes for praise and thanksgiving, assure us that
the Lord is the God " who hears and answers prayer."
They also say to us, as Moses said to the children of Israel,
"Go FORWARD." Stop not with past entreaties to a
Throne of grace, but follow His steps who says, " For Zion's
sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I
will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as
brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burn-
eth." We are urged to this devotional ardour by the same
causes which first led to this general concert. For still,
alas ! infidelity stalks abroad ; still nominal Christianity pre-
vails ; still Papal superstition and Mahomedan imposture
hold their sway ; and still uncounted million. of heathens
are bowing down to idols. " The whole world lieth in wick-
edness." These loud calls to go forward become more im-
perative from the very remarkable manner in which the ap-
proaching year opens upon us. To mention only a few of
its striking aspects, for this paper requires brevity,
First—THE STATE OF THE JEWS. They are, by the pro-
vidence of God, placed in a peculiarly interesting position.
The persecutions they have endured at Damascus and
Rhodes, have excited a general sympathy in their favour.
Various circumstances have brought them into the notice of
merchants, literary characters, philosophers, and, above all,
of politicians. With such anxiety are they regarded by the
different cabinets of Europe, that it is upon this issue, who
shall possess the land which God gave to their forefathers,
that the question of peace or war now depends : and their
return to Palestine under the guarantee of the allied powers
has been suggested as the most effectual mode of preserving
peace among the nations.

- Whilst they are thus providentially placed before Christen-
dom, there is a very unusual stir among themselves. Many
of them are confidently expecting the immediate coming of
their Messiah, and are anxious to proceed to Jerusalem, to
be there at His appearing. A remarkable spirit of inquiry
prevails among them : in some a desire to reform their reli-
gion, in others to examine the New Testament, and in a still
greater number to lay aside the traditions of the Talmud,
and take the Books of Moses as their guide.
" The dry bones " are beginning to shake, and appear-
ances bring the words of the Psalmist to our minds : " Thou
shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favour
her, yea, the set time is come, for thy servants take pleasure
in her stones, and favour the dust thereof."*
Such is the present state of the Jews. Surely it is a loud
call to us, for prayer to the God of Abraham, to pour out
upon them the Spirit of grace and supplication, and to pre-
pare the Gentiles for the great events which the inspired
prophecies declare are then to take place.
Another important circumstance which the opening year
presents is, THE CONDITION OF THE EASTERN CHURCHES.
These churches, as it is well known, have been for a long
season in a low and depressed state. They have for the most
part " a name that they live, but they are dead ;" bowed
down both by their own superstitions, and the hard bondage
of their Mahomedan masters.

For centuries their almost lifeless state was comparatively
overlooked. But from the reports of several Christian ti a-
llersf who have lately been among them, strong feelings of
sympathy, and earnest wishes for their revival, have been
produced. There are grounds for believing that some active
measures will, ere long, be adopted for at least attempting
their spiritual restoration. Who that has any zeal for the
glory of God, or reflects upon the former state of these
eastern churches, but cordially desires that these measures
may be successful? Who would not pray—Lord, revive thy
work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years
make known, in wrath remember mercy ?

A third particularly attractive object brought into view, as
the new year dawns upon us, is the great enterprise which
has lately been undertaken for the EXTINCTION OF THE
SLAVE TRADE, AND FOR THE GENERAL CIVILIZATION
OF AFRICA, through the medium of the Gospel of Christ,
assisted by commerce, and agriculture.:
In other parts of the dominions of the Most High, there
may have been plans formed of a still more benevolent na-
ture ; but among those which have been put into the hearts
of any of the inhabitants of this lower world it is difficult to
conceive one more in unison with the mind of our blessed
Saviour. He, at the very time he was seeking " the Lost
Sheep of the House of Israel," said, " other Sheep I have
which are not of this fold, them also 1 must bring, and there
shall be one fold under one Shepherd." Benevolent, how-
ever, as such an enterprise is, it is the Lord alone who can
make it successful. The ships and vessels which are to
carry the various persons who have offered themselves for
this service are about to sail from England. Upon them,
humanly speaking, the issue of this glorious undertaking de-
pends. NV ho would not pray for them ? Pray, not only that
the great and gracious God may preserve them from the
perils of the sea, from wasting sickness, and pestilential
fever ; " from the terror of the night, and from the arrow
that flieth by day ;" but that He may give them " the spirit
of love and of power, and of a sound mind ;" direct all their
counsels ; grant them favour in the sight of the natives, and
dispose their hearts to welcome their arrival, and receive
with joy the glad tidings of the gospel.
These are some of the striking circumstances which are
presented to us at the dawn of the new year, and which urge
sincere Christians with sincere alacrity to commence it BY
A GENERAL CONCERT FOR PRAYER FOR THE OUTPPOUR-
ING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. I would then affectionately
invite them thus to unite on FRIDAY, THE FIRST OF JA-
NUARY, 1841.

The following suggestions are respectfully offered, to assist
them in this devotional concert :

Ist. Let Christians follow the example of our blessed Lord
(Mark i. 25), who rose up a great while before day for secret
prayer. Let them thus secure the blessing of him, who
says, " pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy Father
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
2nd. Let them call upon the Lord in their families, for his
spirit to be poured upon themselves and their households,
their neighbours, their country, the ministers of the Lord,
the churches of Christ, the remnant of scattered Judah and
outcast Israel, and upon the gentile world.
3rd. Let the ministers of the Lord afterwards privately
meet with their brethren of their own communion, in earnest
prayer for themselves, their flocks, the whole body of Christ,
and the world at large • and then specially consult together
upon the most effectual means for hastening the coming of
the Lord's kingdom, and particularly for the continuance of
such a general concert for prayer, that the year may proceed
according to this devout commencement.

4th. Where circumstances will admit of a morning service,
let the congregation be assembled, and in addition to the ap-
pointed prayers and a suitable sermon, let all who are
devoutly disposed partake together of the supper of the
Lord ; or

sth. As may be more convenient, let the whole congregation
meet in the evening for public worship, and let an appropriate
discourse be preached.
May the Lord accompany these means of grace, or such
others as may be adopted, with his abundant blessing. Oh !
may it indeed be a season of special refreshment from the
presence of the Lord.

Let this be the prayer of all who read this paper, and as
the new year is now approaching, it would be a great kind-
ness if those who approve the object, and have influence
over the press, would republish and circulate this inviation,
which any one, into whose hands it may fall, has full per-
mission to do.

Peace be with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity.
Thus prays their affectionate brother and servant in the
Lord.

JAMES HALDANE STEWART
St. Bride's, Liverpool.

* This interesting state of the Jews has led to the delivery
of a course of lectures at St. Bride's, Liverpool, by several
clergymen,
upon the past, present, and future purpose of
God towards the Jews, which are now in the press, and will
very soon be ready for publication by Messrs. Hatchards,
Piccadilly.
. t See, among other interesting publications upon this sub-
4eei, " An Address to the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, respect-
ing the present state of the Eastern Churches, and the pros-
pect of usefulness among them," by the Rev. R. W. Free-
mantle, A.M.
T. See Sir T. Fowell Buxton's Works on the African Slave
Trade and its Remedy, and the published Report of the Pro-
ceedings of the Society.

The late general Sir Joseph Stratton has bequeathed about
£70,000 to the college of Edinburgh, being the bulk of his
Personal fortune.