Appendix D: Vindication of Prayer-Meetings

I psxl, my friends, that I owe you some explanation for troubling you with the formality of a written document, instead of that more easy addrs, to which you are probably accustomed on occasions like the present. But the reason is one which, I hope, will commend itself to your judgments. Having been informed that some of our countrymen here were not sufficiently aware of the precise nature of our object in holding such a meetings and that certain misapprehensions respecting it had probably obtained a lodgment in the minds of a few, I deemed it desirable to meet these in such a form as might be supposed to give a more deliberate and condensed view of the principles on which we wish to act, and the ends at which we wish to aim, than it would have been easy io afford in an extemporaneous exposition of them. It is of the first importance, that you in hearing, and we in speakings should be fully persuaded that we are doing what is right; we cannot oonfidenUy expect a blessing on what is undertaken with an embarrassed comdenee; and I feel, therefore, that I can fairly solicit, for a few moments, your best attention, while I attempt to show you on what firm foundations of scriptural truth we lean, in endeavouring even here, to hold forth the word of life.

Let me request you to turn, for a motto to our observations, to Malachi ui. 16, 17. In that chapter, from the 7th verse downwards, the prophet is obviously indignantly rebuking a great relifi;ious degeneracy which had come over the Jewish people; and which was exhibited, first, in withholding those ofibrings which He who gave them all tMr substance had cUum as his own, and sSterwards, with still greater hardihood, in setting their mouth against the heavens, and declaring Grod’s service a weariness and a loss. But, in the midst of this worse than barrenness which overspread the nation, there was a remnant, who, planted in the house of God, flourished, and brought forth fruit to his glory. There was a spot on which the weaiy eye of the prophet could rest with pleasure; where a few, in the midst of prevailing iniquity, assembled to converse on the things pertaining to the kingdom. ‘Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another;’ and, from the mention of their character, you may infer the themes on which they held converse. But if you would have these more fidly indicateijd, let us take them in the words of David: ‘All thy works praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power: to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.’* We speak not now of the blessedness that accompanied and followed their attempts to edify one another; of the Lord bending his ear, and that book of life in which their names were written, and that glorious acknowledgment which will be made of them as his most precious treasure; but we wish to fix your minds on the fact, that it is their very exercise which we seek to moke our otm. Our humble desire is to bear in mind the precept to ’ do good unto all men as we have opportunity;’ t and our humble hope rests upon the promise, which can never be shaken, that in all such attempts to make disciples to his faith, Jesus will be with his people alway, even unto the end of the world.:y: He has given all his servants various talents, and commanded them to occupy till he /comes; and it is an obvious enough thought, that the peculiar talent committed to our keeping is that knowledge of his Word, be it great or small, which the advantages of a professional have imparted. This talent, had it been His will, it would have been our rejoicing and our delight, to have laid out to more abundant interest at home; declaring, had he permitted us each in his own appointed sphere of labour, the unsearchable riches of Christ. And now, since he has yet left us a little strength, we do not feel at liberty to wrap it up, and leave it unemployed. We cannot resist the conviction, that, among our exiled brethren, the harvest truly is plenteous. Every time we go forth we see a multitude in similar circumstances to our own, whom the heavy hand of the Almighty, laid on themselves or their relatives, has brought to this island of the sea; who have such abundant leisure, that our brief assemblies will scarcely be felt as an incision on their time; at whose hearts, it may be presumed, the Bedeemer has been knocking, when they are thus called out from the bustle of the world; and who thus offer the fairest opportunity to any who might seek their everlasting good: and we should feel ourselves traitors to His cause if, with all this before us, we did not Ps. czlT. 10-12. t Oal. yi. 10. t Matt, xxviu. ao.

boooech the Loid of thehairest to send us oat as labouraea. And thflOy anuNig thooe who are in differit eiremoBUmoeB — among thoae reignlar dwellen hae whose kindnesft we have eiterieiioed in a land of strangers* we wuokl &m have some to join themselves with ns in holier bondsi, and, in company with uSy to seek the rich and peenliar blessing that rests upon them who fear the Lord, when they speak often one to another of his saving grace and power.

Such, brethr»i, is, simply and broadly, the end we have in view. And the meatu by which we intppose to attain it are those which €rod himself has sanction; to praisehos name — for praise is comely; to ponr out our hearts before him — for he is the hearer of prayer; to read his Word — for it is able to make yon wise unto salvation; and to expound and enforce it, and carry its message of recGneilifttion round yon all; for we are commanded to edify and exhort one another, and it pleaseth God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.* We know that a pearl of great price is hid in the field of the €roqi; and we wish to tell you where and how you will find it We know that in Christ are hid all the treasnres of wisdom and knowledge; and if, by any exhortation of ours so much as a single soid should be led to sue for & participation in these riches, we have our reward.

Against such an end, pursued by means whi(^ we humbly think are simple suitable, and scriptural, it is hard to think what objections can be urged. Yet tha some doubt or hesitation regarding it exists in the minds of not a few, we have been so frequently told, that we cannot help believing it. But we are willing to think that such a feeUng could originate only in not perceiving the otM of our enterprise in this its naked simplicity, — in fixing the attention on tome of the details on which possibly conscientious difficulties might arise, and so forgetting, for a time, the great and overwhelming object we contemplate, namely, the directing our fellow-sinners and fellow-anfferers to what we know and are pgnuaded are the only pore and exhaustless fountains of comfort and joy.

Permit me briefly to examine, in the clear light of Holy Scripture, a few of those special difficulties which some may feel, when asked to give their attendance at such sn assemblage as ours.

1. And, finty it is possible that a feeling of hesitation may arise in the minds of some, from the fact that our

*1 Cor. 1.81.

iBeekings are held in an iMeouteerated place. And here I -wroold wish to treat with all respect the minntest scmples and hereditary feelings of Christians who are members of these churches, in which a peculiar importance and sane* tity is attached to the edifices that are set apart for the -worship of (rod. But I would call upon them to reflect cm this very plain distinction, that it is one thing to view these with veneration as being reshncud to the service of our Maker — «.nd quite another thing to imagine that, in any form, whether public or private, the service of our Maker is to be reticted to them. These two things must not be confounded; and yet it is only by confounding them that any reason can be given for objecting to the social worship of Grod in any place whatever. What the Apostle Paul says of meats may, with perfect fairness, and on the self-same principle, be applied to places, when used as we propose. * Every creature of God,’ he says, ’ is good, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.* And tell me, where is the place which these same means will not sanctify t or, where are we informed that our conjoint prayers will be unheard, or the word of exhortation ineffectual, simply because the prayers ascend and the word is uttered in a building not formally consecrated to sacred objects?

But let us look a little more narrowly at the evidence of Scripture on this subject. Let us go back, for instance, to that ancient dispensation, in which there was more of the embodying of sacred truth in outward forms, than any one pretends we now have under the Gospel; and there we shall find in the wanderings of Israel, that it was not so much the place that consecrated the worship, as the worship that ennobled and dignified the place. God’s own promise is indiscriminate: ‘In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee, f And equally unconfined was its performance, insomuch that, whether they encamped by the palm-trees of Elim, or the waters of Meribah, or the coast of Edom, or the plains of Moab, — in all alike did he remember their offerings, and accept their burnt sacrifice. % But, coming at once to the New Testament economy, our Saviour repeats, almost in the same terms, that precious promise of the Old, — Wherever two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them, to bless them and to do them good.’§ And lest we should mistake the nature * 1 Tfm. ir. 4, 5. t Bxod. xx. 24. t Pnlm zx. § Matt. xvUi. 20.

of his kingdom, he points ont plainly to the woman of Samaria the spiritual character of the worship he demands. * Anxious, like all of us, when the truth begms to sting our consciences, to avoid the personal question, she tries to bring him to settle for her a point of speculative controversy, whether Mount Zion or Mount Gerizim ’ is the place where men ought to worship! ‘In reply, he tells her, that ’ the hour cometh when they should neither in that mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father,’ — intimating most plainly, that plaoesy thenceforth, would be eomparatiieUf unimportant; but that a spiritual’ worship, wharewr rendered, would be acceptable and well-pleasing. Nor need we go farther than his own example for an illustration of what he means; for he made the mountain and the shore the scenes of his preaching, and, in an upper room, instituted that ordinance in which his people are to show forth his death till he come. And, in tluis particular, the apostles were not greater than their Lord. Peter, when the angel delivered him from the prison, ’ came to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark; where manytcere gathered together prcufing ;*f and to this primitive prayer-meeting he declared his great deliverance. And to Paul, when he had his Master’s work in hand, it was all one whether he preached in the jail at Philippi, t or on Mars Hill at Athens, § or in an upper chamber at Troas, or at Tyre kneeled down on the sea-shore and prayed, II or at Rome, * in his ovon hired kowte, for two whole years, taught those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.’** In all these ways he gave ample illustration of his own saying, that ‘God dwelleth not in temples luade with handi3.’tt And if it were lawful, in pursuing such an argument, to refer to the practice of any of God’s people in more modern times, it would be pleasant to speak of those of whom the world was not worthy — the

* Slaughtered taints, whose bones Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold,* —

and who worshipped the God of their fathers amid those scenes which are still fragrant with their memory. But enough surely has been said to show that ’ the word of God IS not bound ’ :{:]: within such narrow limits as some might fancy; that we may have a blessing even here, like

♦Johnlv. 20, 21. t Acts xii. 12. t «>. xvi. 82. lb. xvii. 22. |Ib.xx.8. ir Acts xad. 6. lb. xxvUi. ult. ft lb. xvii. 24. J$2’Rm.U.9.

Paul, when many came to him in his lodging;’ * and thart, as it is said in Scripture of believers ‘Ye are the temple of God; ye are God’s building,’ f — so, ichereeer a true worshipper is found, there is a lawful and a holy temple. 2. But I go on to notice, tecondly an objection which some may feel in reference to the persons who may be engaged in conducting these meetings: that some of them have never been specifically ordained to the care of congregations or parishes at home. I shall not here insist on the fact, that want of health was the sole impediment, but present such views of Christian duty as perfectly satisfy my own mind, and I trost will satisfy yours, that, matters bj:ig as they are, we are bound not to keep silence, but to do what we can in the way of edifying our brethren. Now, surely, you will not suspect my rev. friend J and myself of any wish to bring down the honour, or invade the privileges of the Christian ministry, as an ordinance of Gtyd. Nay, rather, like the great apostle of the Gentiles we magnify our office; yet we dare not magnify it at the expense of the cause of Him whom we call our Master. “We regard it, certainly, as one of the great appointed means of establishing and extending his kingdom among men, and we feel that the triumphs of his cross are connected, in a good measure, with the efforts of those appointed leaders whom his providence has placed in the front of the battle against unbelief and sin; but we dare not foiget, that the same Holy Volume which commands them to ’ preach the word ’ — to be ’ instant in season and out of season ’ — to * be examples of the believers * — to

* give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine ’ — and to * give themselves tchoUy to these things, that their profiting may appear to all,’ § — enjoins it as strongly upon every Christian to ’ hold forth the word of life,’ II and to

* seek that he may excel to the edifying of the Church.’ U In very many passages of sacred writ, this mutual duty of instruction and exhortation is manifestly implied. Thus, Jeremiah, in prophesying of a day of glory, which has certainly not yet dawned in its full brightness on our dark and bewildered world, mentions this as one of its blessed peculiarities, that they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord,’ minifestly implylag, that, till then, the duty of

* Acta xxviii. 23. 1 1 Cor. iii.; xvi 9.

X Rev. Mr Langford; he survived Mr Halley only two days, i 1 and 2 Tim. I Philip, ii. 16. % I Cor. xiv. 12.

nrntiuJ iDfltnictioii would be in full foToe and ^^peratm. Paul, too, enjoins it on the Thessalonions to ’ edify one another, * and on the Hebrews to * exhort one azrother.’ f And if example be wanted, we find David, who was neither a priest nor a Levite, vowing that he would * teadi transgressors God’s ways; ’ % and, at the great penecation, after the death of Stephen, the members of the Chordi ’ scattered abroad every where, preaching the word,’§ while the apostles alone remained at Jerusalem; and, in fine, Aquila and PrisciUa, a Jewish tentmaker and his wife, expounding the way of God more perfectly to Apollos, who, although an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, did not <^iaHMn to sit at the feet of these humble disciples of Jesus. These principles and examples from the Word of Grod, are a warrant for our humble efibrts, on which, as on a rock, we can take our stand. We claim no authority over conscience, derived from any qficial statkm, but only such as our m^Bsage may give us; we seek not to * have dominion over your faith, but to be helpers of your joy f IT and all we wish is, ’ by manifestation of the truth, to commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.’

3. But I hasten to advert to a third difficulty, which, although I have not heard it alleged, may perhaps, silaiitly and unexpressed, have an influence on some mind — viz., the supposition, that this meeting might interfere, in some way or other, with those for reading prayers and the Scriptures, which are held in the English chapel. In answer to this, it were possibly enough to remark, that we have purposely fixed on a different day and hour; and to say, in reference to those for whom our meetings are chiefly intended, that, among the blessings by which God lightens our afflictions, probably one of the greatest is, that necessary retirement which gives us abundant leisure; insomuch that I believe there is not a stranger here, who could honestly and in conscience affirm, that want of time alone prevents him from attending both. Other reasons there may be — some of them perhaps conclusive — against attiding the one sort or the other of these meetings; but never surely can our presence at the one so completely absorb our time, as to prevent us, if we choose, from appearing at the other. This reply, I say, might possibly be deemed sufficient; but I wish, in one or two sentences more, to

* 1 ThcBf. V. 11. t Heb. x. 25. t P«. U. 13. i Act» viii. 1-4. J

I Acta xvui. 24. %2 Cor. i. 24. lb. iv. 2. sdbow you, that we do not set our foot within the province occupied by these other assemblas, and consequently cannot in any way impede their fair and legitimate operation. This will be manifest, if we look at the religious eCKercises performed in them, — reading prayers and the Scripture lessons for the day. Now, in alluding to the first of these, I do not forget that I am addressing those, most of whom have, from their childhood, venerated the Prayer-book. Such a feeling is natural and commendable, if it be not pressed to a superstitious extreme; if we remember, all the while, to secure to the Bible its due supremacy, — convinced that the words of eternal life challenge the chief concern of an immortal spirit, and ought to be placed on an eminence far remote from every work or compilation of man. But your regard to the Prayer-book is, I doubt not, rational as well as warm. You consider it an excellent medium for expressing the desires of a Christian congregation, and for this end you use it; but you do not run into the extravagance of thinking that it is equally fitted for every conceivable end of worship — for expressing every variety of want, which may meet us in the ample field of the world. For example, as every form most be framed on some suyosition, it is framed, as you well know, on the idea that all who use it are sincerely devout; and hence, most obviously, there are large classes. of persons, — first, the absolutely careless, — and then, those on whose minds the truth is just dawning, — those who are convinced, but not converted, — not far from the kingdom of God, yet only almost persuaded to be Christians, — to whose feelings it can only give an incidental and imperfect utterance. But again, among the events of life, there are many, of course, for which a form, if it is to be of a moderate size, can make no provision at all; and others, such as affliction, to which it can only allude lightly and briefly. And tell me now, ye who are in trouble yourselves, or whose friends are in deadly combat with the last of enemies, if it is merely a short allusion that will satisfy the’ yearnings of the heaart, or if it would not soothe you more, in varied expression, suited to every changeful feeling of your souls, to carry your anxieties to the ear of your Father in heaven I Now it is our impression, that, for ail this, we want something more elastic and flexible than an unchanging form; and, reserving to the Liturgy its proper place and its proper honours, we apprehend, that, in this more near and familiar iatrcoursey there will be more of that indeaoribable sympathy of soul with son!, which constitutes the great felicity of social deTOtion, if we make use of what is called extemporaneous prayer; in which, he who is to conduct the supplications of the rest, having meditated beforehand on his own wants and theirs, leaves, to the kindling impulse of the time and the place, the words in which hu desires shall be clothed. In this way, we ‘think we shall be better enabled to meet the peculiar necessities of our present circumstances; to affect our own souls, which is the first step towards affecting yours; and, by enlarging on our special difficulties and sorrows, to endeavour to come up to the meaning of the scriptural injunction, * Pour ye out your hearts before him.**

And now, one word respecting the other part of our service. Neither does it occupy the same ground with the reading of the Scripture lessons. We propose, not merely to read a passage of the Word of Grod, but to found on it some short exhortation. And surely, this will not be deemed superfluous, when yon reflect, how seldom the truth which we know is didy considered; how often the letter of Scripture passes under our eye, and yet the lesson it teaches, if not uied home upon us, is overlooked or disregarded; and that, on the very principle on which we deem an exposition desirable, it has pleased Crod himself to give line upon line, and to institute the ordinance of preaching.

Where the promneet of exertion, then, are so toly distinct, there need not, surely, be any dread of inteiference; nay, rather, there is room for the most perfect harmony of operation. We are persuaded, that whatever benefit arises from the one will be reflected back upon the other; and, in any event, if good is done at either, we therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

4. After these specific difficulties are thus disposed of, it only remains to allude to the genend ohfeetUm of Amuuhi naUiref that such strictness as attendinc on week-day meetings, in addition to our Sabbath services, is unnecessary, — that it is carrying to an excess what is otherwise good, - — that it is, in fact, being righteous overmuch.’ i* Such, I trust, is not the f eeUng of any one who now hears me; certainly it cannot be the feeling of any whose conscience has ever felt the weight and importance of eternity. It was not the feeling of Moses, when he said to the people * Ps. 1x0. t Ecciet. vU. 16.

Teerpeotang ike service of God It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life ;* nor of David, when his soul rose in that fervent aspiration, * Blessed are they that dtoeQ in thy house; they will be «eiK praising thee;’ * nor of Paul, when he said, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;’ f Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.’ t Nor is it the working of an ingenuous mind, touched in any measure with the love of our heavenly Father, to say, ‘How little may I do, and yet be safe I’ but rather, How much can I do, that I may grow in grace and in fitness for glory 1’ But, indeed, where is the warrant or appearance of safety, if the hours devoted to God are counted a weariness, and the pittance of your time which so brief a service requires is given with a grudge, as a sombre and gloomy exception to the pleasant tenor of your days! Let us look, then, to our everlasting peace. The day is coming, — with some of us it even now is, — when we must be csJled aside, by a summons which none can resist or evade, from our usual labours and contemplations, and a still small voice will whisper to us that we mtutjind time to die: and oh! were it not our risest course now to find time to prepare for that inevitable call? Eternity, like the God who inhabiteth it, is * not far from any one of us!’ a fese step, or the bursting of a little tube, may loose the silver cord, and break the golden bowl; and ‘then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it;’ § but oh I who shall say that that spirit will be rejoicing in His presence, if it has not been so prepared on earthy as to have a taste for the songs and services of heaven!

It would be our desire, although doubtless followed out most inadequately, to make our Uttle assemblies the scene of such a preparation. And surely we have ample encouragement in our text from Malachi: * The Lord hearkened and heard them; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upoa his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.’ This promise is one that has been proved by eiqperience. I have no right to speak of benefit that may have resulted from such meetings even here; but I may say freely, that, in te like assemblages at home, I have witnessed the glistening eye, and the heaving frune, and

Ps. IxxxiT. t CoL 111. 16. t Bph. vi. 18. Bodet. xU. 7.

all the siens of strong emotion — and seen the dearest evidence, in lives devoted to Oody that this was not a inmsient glow, hut the working of a deep and pervading principle. And ’ the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.’* And now, my friends, is it not a good and a holy woik which we have taken in hand? Is it not one in which we may well claim your presence, your indulgence, your sympathy, and your prayers! We shall be * wiUi yoo in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.’f K the ’ treasure* of the Gospel ’ is in earthen vessels,* we feel that we are the feeblest of the earthen4r O let us have your prayers, that this very weakness may turn to God’s glory; that the very circumstance of the inadequacy of the instruments may give forth a still more effective demonstration, that ’ the excellency of the power is of God f § ’ pray for us, that the word of God may hftve free conne and be glorified;’ pray that we may * obtain mercy of the Lord to be faithful f pray that we may ’ speak a woid in season to him that is weary f If piay* in diort, that the Lord’s presence may be in our assembl»Bs, that His blessing may follow them, and that His kingdom may oome in power to our hearts and your own.

«Ii.Ux. 1. tlCor.ii. 3. tSCor.iT.7. 2 Tbcss-iiL I.

I 1 Cor. Tii. SB. H I>. t 4.