Year: 1869

Festivals and Prayer Meetings.


There are few subjects fuller of interest
than the origin and development of religious
festivals How the fast has become feast,
how in the feast the prayer has been forgotten,
how, in short, we have clung to the forms
while we have wandered far from the spirit of
early religious customs, would form the theme
of long and, if properly treated, interesting
and instructive essay. 1t is not our purpose
to 60 formally into the subject at present
The week which has just ended, however, has,
though unknown to many, been SO much OF a
religious week, SO much week of festival
and prayer, that it demands passing notice.


By general consent and in obedience
to the instructions Of the Evangelical
Alliance. the past week has been q week
Of prayer all over Protestant Christendom.
During the course of the week there has
been celebrated by the Latin, Greek, Anglican
and all other Episcopal churches the ancient
feast of the Epiphany. We have thus had,
nominally at least, all over Christendom dur
ing the course of the week solemn and special
religious observances. Remembering that
''the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence"
and that ''the effectual, fervent prayers of the
righteous avail much, it is not'unnatural to
conclude that the weeks that re to come will
be benefited in no small degree by the week
which is ended. In hundreds of thousands of
churches millions of worshippers have done
homage TO the religion Of Jesus, and in earnest
tones have called upon Almighty God to bless
and prosper His own cause among the sons
and daughters of men. Much of this was no
doubt purely formal service, but much of it
also must have been genuine and sincere.
Such celebrations show us that Christianity is
yet living thing among men, and encourage
the belief that for the sake of the righteous
who remain the world, wicked as it is, will for
little longer be spared.


The Epiphany is very ancient religious
festival. Among the primitive Christians
the feast Of the Epiphany lasted twelve
days, the first and the last days being OBJ
served with more than usual solemnity The
first day Of the feast was called the Greater
Epiphany. The last day of the feast was called
the Lesser Epiphany. The word, which is
purely Greek, and which signifies 'smanifesta-
tion," or appearance" aptly explains the
ceremonial The first of the twelve days, or
the Greater Epiphany, commemorated the in
carnation-the manifestation of God in the
''iesh." The last of the twelve days, or the
Lesser Epiphany, commemorated the appear
ance of the star which led the Magi to Bethle-
hem, the descent of the spirit like dove on
Christ at baptism, and the miracle performed
by Jesus at the marriage in Cana of Galilee-
triple manifestation confrmatory of the
divinity Of Jesus In course of time, however,
the Nativity and the Epiphany began to be re-
garded as two separate festivals. Pope Julius
is said to have insisted on distinction of
the two feasts as early as the middle of the
fourth century, and in the year S13 they
were observed, some say, for the first time,
certainly then generally, as separate feasts.
AZ Twelfth Day the Epiphany occupies a
prominent place in early English history,
although Twelfth Day in England and,
indeed, all over Europe, was a day Of
feasting and revelry, of cakes and ale, rather
than day of prayer. Prayer, however, was
never wholly neglected, and it is gratifying to
know that in this far away land and in these
late ages Of the world the day, so far as OBJ
served, was rather day Of prayer than day
of feasting. The week of prayer is Of COM
paratively recent origin. 1t is said to owe its
origin to band of Presby yterian missionaries
in India, who, in the year 1853, resolved
henceforward to hold the second week in
January az week Of special prayer. The
idea was laid hold Of by the Evangelical
Alliance in 1861, and was recommended to
the churches.


Epiphany aud the Week Of Prayer have thus
united the whole OF Chrstendom-the Greek,
the Latin, the Anglican. the Catholic and the
Protestant churches. With one and all il has
been a week Of prayer and solemn festival.
Considering the iniquity which abounds in the
Old World and the New, it is not to be denied
that all the violence Of which prayer can pro-
pery be made the vehicle Is needed. Let us
hope that the prayers win not be in vain,
that the world generally will benefit by them,
and that New York city in particular will be
saved from the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah
and the other cities Of the plain.


The Pari. Conference and the Eastern