The New York herald., 1875-09-24
EIGHTEEN YEARS OF PRAYER.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE FULTON
STREET DAILY PRAYER MEETING.

STREET DAILY PRAYER MEETING
The eighteenth anniversary of the Fulton street
daily noon prayer meeting observed yesterday in
the Middle Dutch church, in Lafayette place and
Fourth street. whose pulpit and altar table and sur
roundings very tastefully adorned with flowers
and sprgs Of green The front Of the church we're
reserved for ccrgymen OF the different denominations
male quartet occupied prominent position within
the altar rails. and sung led the singing of half
dozen original hymns written for this occasion They
started badly, singing their first hymn TO an old and
familiar tune-"Duke Street'-both out of time and
tune, only with the congregation but with them
selves. The burden of the hymns was the occasion
and the object of the gathering together For
eighteen years this daily prayer meeting has
been maintained with varied and varying
success. 1t the pioneer of similar
meetings which have since been established and held
in all the great cities of this land and in many cities of
the world beside 1t has given rise to literature of
prayer which has been published in seventeen volumes
and in steel engravngs Of The First Half Hour of the
meeting Its influence has gone round the earth, and
yesterday while the Rev. DR.. Chambers who presided,
speaking he paused take from pile of requests
for prayer written in Chinese by native of Can
ton China in which the writer asks the prayers of the
meeting for his mother, who is sick and aged and un-
saved This was the only request read named
bers remarked that this the eighteenth annver-
sary of the Fulton street prayer meeting that that
place was a memorial of what God pleased to do
for in this country during the great revival of 1857
and the following years. The meeting, he thought,
remarkable for the fidelity with which it has ad-
hered TO its original purpose Efforts have been made
divert that meeting to other purposes, good in them
selves but not what the meeting was established for.
1t is a remarkable thing, too, that
THE LAST MEETING
should be duplicate Of the first Many look back
to this meeting the agency the hands ofhe Spirit
in bringing them to Christ This is occasion when
we not only look backward but forward also. We ex-
pect baptism of the Holy Spirit in this land but if
that expectation is dependent any man it will
fail and to naught Prayer then offered by
the Doctor and subsequently by DR.. Carkson and by
DR. Morley, OF Toronto.
Bishop Cummns of the Reformed Episcopal
Church. who followed Dr. Chambers, remarked that if
Paul land in this city to-day he had doubt that
this meeting would be the first place he would seek
For when he landed in Europe for the first time in the
city OF Phillppi, he sought out prayer meeting I'M
mediately. But the Bishop went further and de-
cared that if Jesus Christ should appear in bodily form
the earth He would visit the Fulton street meeting
first The conversion of the world, the Bishop re-
Marked has been made dependant upon the prayers OF
Gods people. Referring to the greater works than
Chriss that His disciples should perform after His
ascension the Bishop said these works were not to be
miracles but the conversion OF human souls And
Peter, after he had received the Holy Ghost
on the day of PentecQst the means
OF converting than all that the Masters ministry
had converted. He would not depreciate the Gospel
but without prayer il is poweress to the world.
And is 1t not fact that all the great men of God have
been men OF prayer? Was 1t not so with Paul, with
Luther and his compeers, with Laimerand with Knox?
And if the world is TO be converted to Christ it is to be
by the prayers OF His people We are looking for
revival in New York Let not trust in men, Tor we
snail be disappointed but pray Tor the baptism of the
Holy Ghost If the Church of Christ is TO be
united it must be by prayer With what feelings of sor
row heard that
opened and continued sessions without word OF
prayer invocation to the Father in heaven. What
kind of unity To expect from such conference?
AIr Charles Earle layman, gave some interesting
"reminiscences his experience and i'll the
Fulton street prayer meetings, after which Dr. Hastings
asked Where are we in the history of the Church of
Jesus Christ? What the typemarks Of Christianity
to-day We have been studying the life OF Jesus Christ
the son OF God and the son OF Mary, and we compre-
hend something OF the power and mission and work,
and the need Of baptism OF the Holy Ghost
U, for revival of pure religion herel There
is a wonderful amount OF force in this meet
ing to-day 1t Is memorial meeting The
Lords Supper Is monument, and what bronze
marble can surpass II Z This meeting IS u monument
OF the revival OF 1897. Dr. Hastings then cued out
against the selhshncss OF men who pray only Tor them
selves while souls perishlng around them, and said
that nothing would throw cOldness over minister
readily that The Lord turned Jobs captivity when
he prayed his friends and the Lord will turn
until we pray for others.
Rev. William Lloyd remarked that this the eigh-
teenth anniversary of his conversion and that he
of the remote effects of the Fulton street prayer
"a
efficacy of prayer 1t is the glory faith that it can
soar beyond the realm of the dcmonsrable and rest
where eagles wings never fly. The great want of
the of hearers in our churches to-day is state Of
mental recepvty tor the word preached and in
10 prayer God the hearts of men, that they
shall receive the truth One effect OF standing up IN
meeting to ask for prayer that the person
aware that some one is praying for them. AS cry
out, 'Oh, of the Lord, awake,' the Lord cries
back us, 'Put thy strength, Oh Zion; put thy
beautiful garments Oh Jerusalcm!" Before we have
revival III the Church must have sanctihed minis
try, and there rises upon our ears to-day
COMMAND OF GoD:-
eye that bring glad tldngs got you up to the high
mountain If you would have elevated ministry
YOU must live elevated lives. All around Gods
high mountains OF prayer of prophecy. of purpose of
promise, where live in the bessedness OF its
fold and there, too is the mount OF power A tele-
gram from George H. Stuart of Philadelphia read at
this point announced the death of Rev. Dr. John Cham
bers of that city, ana sent congratulations to the meet
ing. Mr.. Henry King, ayman who, six and half
years ago, was, according to his own statement, a
broken down sinner, when the Lord led him into the
Fulton street prayer meeting and he saved and the
desire Tor the Intoxicating cup which was his besettng
sill, was completely taken away IRON him. Rev. X. 5.
Macarthur (BaptlsD and Dr. William NJ. Taylor, of the
Broadway Tabernacle, brought up the of the
in the Church Of Christ advising against scientific and
phosophic preaching and maintaining that the best
way to preach error down is to preach truth up. The
latter led the baptism OF the Holy Ghost to pre-
pare men for this activity. And to show our love TO
God should to Him AGAIN and again in prayer;
should live holy lives and constantly labor promote
His cause and kingdom. The benedction was pro-
nounced by Dr. Ormiston praise meeting held
in the church in the evening and thus the eighteenth
nniy ar1ur IN eli