gently heals. We would rather invite the mourner with ourselves to join in the prayer of our highly gifted and royally honoured living bard to the Great Father, " 'Forgive my grief for one removed, Thy creature, whom I found so fair. I trust he lives in thee, and there South Parade, Nottingham. THE PRAYER MEETING. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; it shall yet come to pass that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also."-ZECH. viii., 20, 21. However CHRISTIANS and churches have yet to learn the importance and efficacy of prayer. There seems to be on this subject the aboundings of unbelief. The closet, the family, and the social meeting read sad lessons. ready we may be to speculate or theorize, however liberal with our admis sions as to the utility and necessity of this spiritual exercise, yet actions condemn. Our infrequent intercourse with God, our formal devotions, our indefinite petitions, speak us guilty. Alas! for this wide-spread infidelity! How the church and the world are injured! How truly rich we might be if we did but pray aright; how consistent in character; how loving; how useful! Think on the moral power that would be employed; on the fertility, beauty, and increase of Zion, that would be secured. The closet is for individuals. Then we retire from all human intercourse, enter into our quiet chamber, and shut the door behind us, praying to our Father in secret, and our Father who seeth in secret rewards us openly. The family altar is for households. There are mercies and bless. ings received as families, for which there ought to be acknowledgement and praise; and there are household wants which ought to be revealed to him who is the giver of all good. So important is family worship, that the prophet thus speaks, "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name." And the social prayer meeting is for the church and congregation. It is a mutual good to secure united or collective blessings. It is a public good. Then we meet as intercessors, as God's spiritual priesthood. With the breastplate on our hearts, bearing the names of others, we stand in the presence of our God, and request for them unspeakable blessings. We believe if the records of prayer were fully known, every great good, temporal or spiritual, would be traced to its virtue or prevalence. Our prayer meetings are the bulwarks of the nation. Our prayer meetings are the stability of thrones. Our prayer meetings beat the sword into plough. shares, and spears into pruning-hooks. Our prayer meetings open up streams in the desert, and give the water of life to thirsty millions. Their motto is the song of the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.' Oh, how important are prayer meetings! Their value cannot be described, or their influence marked. Like an ever-widening circle, their good is constantly spreading and increasing; and when the hallowed atmosphere of united prayer encircles the globe, and is the vital breath of every creature, what wonders it will accomplish! Omnipotent, it will move heaven and earth. But we would have the reader to contrast the prayer meeting now with the one to which reference is made in our motto. Now there is too often formality. This is manifest from the frigid petitions that drop from the lips. There is no unction-little spirituality. How often have we to confess that our bodies only have been at the prayer meeting? The thought and desires have otherwise been engaged than in pure prayer. If we were to subtract the formal from the spiritual how little of the sincere and truthful would remain! But let us not be mistaken; we do not plead for noise. There may be much vociferation, great volume of voice, and no real devotion. God dwells in the solemn still quietude of the prayer meeting. But if formality be a prevailing fault in our day, in our motto there is anxiety. Read the passage, and mark the manifestations of deep earnestness. How sincere ! With what intensity they seem to pray! How interested! Their whole souls are occupied, when one runs to another, saying, "Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts." Now there is vagueness. Judging from many prayers, you would imagine that there is no definite object in view. True, they may express numerous important petitions, and include in their supplications nearly every object; but rest assured, where there is a going round the world, there is great vagueness and indefiniteness in the mind. If the heart is truly occupied and engaged, it cannot stop to pick up every passing object. The eye and desires are fixed, and they must hasten to plead for those objects that are overwhelming the spirit. In the prayer meeting of the motto there is definiteness. They have an object in view in coming together; and that so occupies and fills the thoughts that they go and talk of it one to the other, saying, "Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts." Now little difficulties interfere with the attendance. A short distance to walk-a wet or cold night-the visit of a friend, and many other small things, are sufficient obstacles. The merest trifles are huge mountains when the heart is cold and the will indisposed. But in our motto there is the time and the trouble of city going to city-the inhabitants of one town going to the inhabitants of another, asking them to come to the prayer meeting. A people so painstaking would not be frightened by minor diffi culties. The lion in chains would not deter them. They would climb Mount Difficulty, and wade the flood. If Now there is inconstancy. The attendance of many at the prayer meeting is special and extraordinary-an attendance at times and seasons. there are extra meetings their place is filled, you may see them night after night assembled for prayer: but no sooner are the special services at a close than they overlook the ordinary meetings. This is a fitful religion, that ought ever to be denounced. It is one of the greatest evils of the day. It tells a sad tale, and speaks the lack of principle. But in the prayer of the motto there is constancy. The words rendered, "Let us go speedily,” may be read, let us go continually let us never cease to go-let us go always. And this is the prayer God asks. His words are, Pray without ceasing;" "Pray always;" "If the blessing tarry, wait for it." 66 Now there is little effort to increase the number that meet for prayer. It is Are not the majority of those that attend the social meetings satisfied with coming themselves? Do you find them saying, "Come with us, and we will do you good?" How awfully we overlook our fellow creatures! not so in our motto. There is great effort. The inhabitants of one city go to another, and say, "Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts." Now the prayer meeting is attended by the few. How rare the cases where you find the majority of the church meet for prayer; nay, will you find in many instances twenty out of every hundred? How sickening and sad! The very heart breaks! Anguish overwhelms the soul! The very meetings that are most spiritual and useful, most despised and neglected! How awfully God is insulted by such manifestations! Has he not appointed prayer, and encouraged the social gatherings of his people? We would not despise the prayer meeting of the two or three: no, it answers an important purpose, and Christ is with them. But is it not dishonouring to Jesus, for the many of his professed children to neglect meeting with him in the social prayer meeting? The first christian prayer meeting was numerously attended. The apostles, brethren, and women, were there, to the number of one hundred and twenty. See, too, Acts xii, 5, 12. And the prayer meeting recorded by Zechariah is attended by the inhabitants of cities-towns meet together to "pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts." 66 Now there is unwillingness to attend the prayer meeting. This is seen by what the people say, Oh, it is only a prayer meeting!" by a want of punctuality, and by being irregular. If there was real interest it would soon manifest itself. There would be no unnecessary disturbance of the devo tions by late attendance, and no empty seats. On the countenance there would be written delight and earnestness. What a prayer meeting that of the motto, when cities are heard to exclaim, “I will go !" 66 Grand truth! The prayer meeting of the motto yet is to be the blessing of the church. Oh, this interesting word, "Yet!" 'It shall yet come to pass," &c. What light it scatters during this dark night of the church. It is the pole-star of expectation and hope. It is as the wings of the morning, the harbinger of that day when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun; and the light of the sun sevenfold, as the light of seven days. What a cheerless world would this be, but for such joyous and encouraging words! They are chinks through which glorious light shines. They have telescopic power-penetrating mists, and nearing the distance. Buoys, that bear up the desponding soul. Nightingale notes, that may be heard in the lonely hours of eve. Let God be praised for the word "Yet." The pure soul may be oppressed with the low state of Zion-her broken walls and her disfigured stones-" yet" the time draws nigh when she shall be a fair temple, all glorious within and without. There may be sadness of spirit over the few that congregate together for acts of worship and devotion, "yet" the time must come when the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, "Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts." Happy day, when congregations, towns, and cities, flock to the prayer meeting! Let our readers write out an every day practical answer to the following instructions:-1. Guard against a fitful spasmodic religion. 2. Let your christianity be that of knowledge or principle. 3. Serve God, and con tinue in prayer under every circumstance. 4. Crowd the prayer meeting. Have no sympathy with that theology that would make conversion only the work of ministers or men. The Spirit is the great agent; therefore ear nestly seek divine influence. With those that are christians speak often to God. ANON, THE SHIPWRECKED SAILOR, OR THE MOTHER'S PRAYERS ANSWERED. "WHAT a wintry night!" These words were spoken on Christmas eve, in the year 18-. The village clock had just struck eight. The weather was unusually severe. For some hours the sky had been overspread with dark clouds, and persons, as they hurried towards their homes, said to each other, "There will be a storm." Their predictions were now surely verified. The snow was pattering on the window panes, and forcing its way through every cranny, as if to find a shelter for itself; while the wind, as it whistled and moaned and howled, seemed to say, "It is a wintry night indeed." "What a wintry night," repeated the voice. "It must be fearful on the I am afraid we shall hear of many shipwrecks." The speaker seemed to be about fifty years of age. She was the widow of a naval officer. Her dress, though plain, was arranged with evident taste. There was, in her manners, the polish which can only be acquired by mingling with good society. Her countenance was mild and placid, with an expression of sadness which shewed too plainly that she was no stranger to sorrow. She sat and listened to the storm as it raged without, and the sigh she heaved, and the tear she wiped away, sufficiently indicated that she felt again the griefs of former years. sea. Her cottage, however, was not a gloomy one, even on that gloomy night. The children were merry. The hearts of the five fatherless ones were warm and glad. It was Christmas eve. The room was decorated with the holly and the mistletoe. The yule log was burning, and, as the boys had dressed it with evergreens, it seemed almost to share the festivity, and crackled, and blazed, and threw a cheerful light on the merry faces that were gathered around. "I have been thinking," said the mother, "of my dear Sam. Poor boy, his place is empty. He seems wanting to complete the circle to-night. The storm brings him very fresh into my mind." The reader should be acquainted with the history of the absent one. He was the first-born. Great attention had been paid to his training, and many a prayer had been offered on his behalf. But his temper was wayward, and the gentle influence of his pious mother seemed to be in vain. At the age of fourteen he would submit to no control. He had been kept in check by the rigid discipline of his father; but his father was now dead. Scarcely was the funeral over before the waywardness of the boy began to appear. He would leave home," he said; he was not going to spend his life in that village. He would go to sea. His father had done, and so would he. If his mother would not consent to his going he would go without her consent. He was not intending to remain there much longer." Impelled by his urgency, she obtained a situation. The ship was to sail in a month. 66 The preparation was made. The day of separation too speedily came. It was indeed a trying day. There was but one in that family whose eyes were tearless. The mother watched her son in his departure, until his form was lost in the distance, and that day seemed as gloomy to her as the one on which she committed her husband to the tomb. Years passed away. The wanderer did not return. The news that the Dolphin was lost arrived, but no further tidings. The stricken parent was long inconsolable. The acute anguish of fresh sorrow had now, however, passed away, and the words were more calmly spoken, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord," 66 66 'I cannot help thinking of my dear unfortunate boy," she said, and every other voice besides her own was silent. "You all remember poor Sam. It does not seem long since he left us; and yet I have endured a life-time of sorrow. None but a mother can fully understand my grief. Perhaps it was such a night as this when he perished. It would be a relief to me to know something of his last moments. I do hope he is in heaven. I taught him the right way, and never since the day he left have I bowed the knee in prayer without remembering him. Surely it cannot all be useless. Can it be that the prayers of a mother, even for a rebellious son, can be altogether in vain. No, no-it cannot be;" and she relieved herself by a flood of tears. This incident threw a gloom over the family circle. This gloom, however, did not continue long. The spirits of the youthful party soon regained their elasticity. The log blazed cheerfully. The sound of the church bells mingled with the roar of the tempest. The widow wiped away her tears and smiled, while she said, "Now, my children, sing our favourite hymn." In a few moments the cottage was ringing with the sweet melody, and even little Willie was singing with all his might, "Here we suffer grief and pain; Scarcely was the first stanza completed before a gentle tap was heard. The singing ceased. Who could be coming on such a night? The door was half-opened, and in the darkness was discerned the form of a sailor. Before there was time to examine his person minutely, he said, with quivering lips, "I beg your pardon, Madam. Will you help a poor sailor? I have been travelling all day, and have had but little food, and now night has come I do not know where to find shelter. I was shipwrecked a fortnight ago, and lost everything, and am now making the best of my way home. Will you, my good lady, help me?" The last sentence was spoken so imploringly, that it reached the mother's heart. How could she turn him away! Perhaps her own boy had needed shelter. She hesitated, therefore, only for a moment, and said, "Come in." The half-starved man partook freely of the humble fare placed before him, and then seated himself with the party around the fire. He was not long permitted to be silent, for the widow soon inquired, "Did you say you had been shipwrecked?" "Yes," he replied, I was wrecked about a fortnight ago. It was the second time I escaped with my life. About two years since I was wrecked off Norway. That was the dreadfullest wreck. All beside me perished. We had sailed from Christiania only two days before, with a cargo of timber, when a strong gale blew, and the ship ran ashore on a rocky coast. In less |