The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-06-20
Invitation to Prayer for the General PreSby
terian Council, to meet at Edinburgh
on 3rd to 10th July, 1877.

In obedience to that longing for Christian Union
now so general ministers and members of the Pres
byterian Churches throughout the world, adhering
to the Standards of the Reformation, are to meet,
| in General Council, at Edinburgh next July From
the United Kingdom and the United States from
eight or ten Continental countries, from the British
Colonies, and from several of our Mission fields,
two or three hundred brethren will come together,
either as representatives Of Churches or in their
individual capacity with the earnest desire, through
prayer and mutual conference, to advance through
out all their borders the Kingdom Of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.
Some of themselves, writing from the ends of
the earth, have expressed strong desire that this
gathering should be preceded by united prayer
Deeply sympathizing with their feeling, we have
taken upon us as friends of the movement, to give
form to this wish, and invite ministers and mem
bers of our Churches generally to implore God S
blessing on meeting which will in some degree
represent and influence between twenty and thirty
thousand Christian congregations while trusting
that many will remember 1t from time to time, at
prayer-meetings and on the Lords Day, we would
respectfully suggest that on the two preceding Sab
baths, oath June and lst. July, 1t should be espe-
cially kept in view.
If we might venture to suggest topics, they would
be such as these-Thst it would please God to
make this meeting the means of presenting to the
world anew those fundamental truths of Divine
Revelation which, as they are the soul and kernel
of the Reformed Confessions, are still the power
of God unto salvation to every one that beieveth
That while keeping down alrivalry and vain glory,
the brethren may SO commend and enforce the true
features Of the Presbyterian system as to promote
increased purity and efficiency in all their wide
spread organisations That through knowledge of
each others methods and experience, the various
Churches may be better fitted to grapple with pre-
vailing errors and evils, and promote Christian
work among all classes of the people; That the
weaker and struggling Churches may derive much
announcement from the sympathy and prayers Of
the stronger That the Council may have an es-
pecial blessing in considering the condition of the
heather world, and the command laid by our Lord
on his Church to preach the Gospel unto every
creature That the spirit OF Christian liberty, and
at the same time, of Christian charity, may per-
wade all the meetings; That kindly and brother
" feeling may be shown toward other Evangelical
Churches That practical methods of co operation
NAV be found, in evangelistic and philanthropic
work, alike in Christian lands and the vide realms
of heathendom, by which the movement may be-
come permanently useful And that there may be
such abundant tokens of the Divine blessing from
first to last as to make it truly time of refreshing
from the presence of the Lord.
"Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and
We shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.
ALEXANDER DUFF, d. d.
VIM. ROBERTSON, d. d.
ANDREW THOMSON, d. d.