Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-08-30
For PRAYER and Conference.


This is usually the designation of the
object of the more informal fraternal week
ly meetings of the churches. They are
held to give social opportunity to claim
the fulfllment of the Lords promise: If
two of you shall agree on earth as touching
anything that they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of my Father which is in
heaven for where two or three are gath
cred together in my name, there am in
the midst of them;" and TO meet also the
purpose which Peter had in mind in both
of his epistles, "to stir up your pure minds
by way of remembrance" These weekly
meetings for prayer and conference are
thus twofold in their aim; to deepen, en-
rich and render more warmly practical the
piety of the fraternity of the faithful, and
to call upon God for the spiritual blessings
which are more directly needed by those
uniting thus in supplication; and to i'm
plore the descent of the Holy Spirit, and
the energizing of all gospel agencies for
the repression of all i'll, the progress of all
good, and the conversion Of the world.
As the general rule in the practice of
Congregational churches, these two ele-
ments of direct asking from God by prayer,
and of mutual exhertation by conference,
are blended with considerable eveness; the
one preponderating over the other at any
given time, as the peculiarities of that time
may invite, or its occasion prompt While
it may perhaps be set down as the result of
long observation, that in circumstances Of
special religious feeling, when the spiritu-
atty of the church is enhanced and its
sympathies are peculiarly drawn out to-
ward the world lying in wickedness, it
seems to be easy and natural for more time
to be spent in, and more stress to be laid
upon duplication; and, correspondingly,
when the tides of spiritual feeling ebb low
and the people of God have more name
to live than life, there is a greater ten
dency to talk than to pray in the prayer
meeting, and the hour becomes one of dis
cussion more than supplication. This is
natural. 1t is easier for cold heart tC
moralize, or debate, or exhort man, than tC
speak to God. Prayer is not kindly du
ty for backslider. He cannot help being
unpleasantly conscious that he has los
what skill in petition he may ever have
had, and he does not care, by the leannes
of his applications, to notify his fellow
members of the aridity and baroness of hi
heart. In this loquaeious land of ours
there are often to be found persons whit
are ready to make remarks at the short
est notice, upon religious subjects as wei
as upon all others. And, so too, there ar
protesting christians whose idea of faith
fulness to Jesus consists in standing up
for him and whose idea of standing VI
for him is a drily literal one, involving
speech-horatory, more often objurgator!
as they suppose in his behalf. Som
men have such mania in this direction
that they never could retire to rest with
conscience quiet as over days dutie
faithfully performed, if that day had in
cluded prayer meeting attended by then
in which they have not borne some wor
of Testimony"
In various ways, then, and for variou
reasons, it is apt to come about that th
percentage of prayer diminishes and tina
Of conference increases, until sometime
this disproportion comes to be felt as
serious evil 1t is doubtless thus now i
the locality from which we have heard G
late this inquiry: "What measures shout
be taken to turn our church debating clu
into weekly prayer meeting"
There can be but one answer in the gen
eral--to all such questions. The tendenc
which is thus deplored is symptomatic.
shows that the vital force of piety is 10,
in the body. Bring up that force, reclair
backsliders, enkindle the hearts of tru
christians, seek and gain the refreshin
presence of the Holy Spirit-and the prom
Use puts that within the power of eve
1.-TWO Of you"-and all symptoms of deart
and disease will disappear, discussion wi
be turned into confession, and confessio
will beget Thanksgiving, and those VIII
have been frigidly standing apart, wi
melt and flow together, and the forces
the Gentiles will come in, and the glor
of the Lord will appear within the gates
that now mourning Zion.
Constitutional treatment and not pimpl
washes are what is needed by eruptive di
eases Of the body; and so the church tn,
has broken out into too much talk in i
prayer meetings, needs to go back and b
gin at the beginning, and be renewed
its whole spirit and essence of the Lord.
COngregationdlis'. a.s.a.