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IN THE LAST THREE YEARS "WHAT HATH GOD

WROUGHT!"

IN September, 1858, an invitation to prayer "on behalf of the church. and of the world" was issued by the members of a small and comparatively obscure mission, situate at Loodianah, in the north-western part of India. This invitation was addressed to the whole church of Jesus Christ upon earth, of every name and denomination. The second weeks respectively in January 1860, 1861, and 1862, witnessed the church of Christ on its knees; and for seven days successively in each year the world was girdled with prayer, and the cry was, Lord, bless and revive thy church, and bring to Thyself a sin-stricken world-Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done on earth even as it is done in heaven."

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The question naturally arises, both with ourselves and with those who have been spectators in this movement, What have been the results of this unwonted supplication?

Now, in seeking to answer this question, you will find, if I mistake not, that, for amelioration of the condition of the human race, for the removal of obstacles and hindrances to its elevation and progress, for the breaking of yokes and the loosing of heavy burdens, and for the opening of doors of usefulness and evangelisation, there have been no such three years since the world began as the years which have witnessed so much united and intercessory prayer. Starting from the far East we shall find that

In the last three years, China, with its teeming millions, has been unexpectedly opened to our ambassadors, to trade, to travellers, and to missions. A rebellion has extended with surprising rapidity over a large portion of that vast empire, at the instigation of a singular body of fanatics, who cast down and destroy the idols wherever their power extends, and who circulate broadcast the Christians' Book, although they neither submit themselves to its precepts nor call themselves Christians. Whatever opinions may be entertained of these rebels, their mission is directed to the overthrow of a hoary system of idolatry; and in all this we see an unexpected preparation of the soil for a harvest of truth, whenever, in the purpose of God, it shall be ripe for gathering.

In the last three years, Russia has unexpectedly emancipated her serfs -slaves in all but name. Tied to the soil of their owners, and unable to obtain the legal sanctions of marriage without the license of their masters, they are now free labourers, enjoy the fruit of their industry, and are henceforth possessed of legal rights as regards home and family. I have ascertained from reliable authority that the number of the human race so benefited may be moderately estimated at 25,000,000, -2 number so vast that an illustration is needed to assist the mind in realising the amount of the blessing. Supposing that a formal act of APRIL, 1863.

VOL. XIII.

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manumission had been required to effect a record of the liberation of each individual separately, and that five minutes were occupied in each act, it would have occupied more than 230 years to have effected the liberation of the whole number. Bishop Colenso might argue that to liberate twenty-five millions of slaves in a day is arithmetically impossible. It has been done notwithstanding. A nation of freeman has been born in a day.

In the last three years, Austria, the most despotic of sovereignties in Western Europe, has lost Lombardy to the King of Sardinia; has torn up a Concordat with the Pope; extended toleration to her Protestant subjects, and commenced a career of constitutional government.

In the last three years, the following states, dukedoms, or kingdoms, have fallen in Italy:-Lombardy, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, the States of the Church, Naples, and Sicily; all of which have been incorporated with Sardinia, forming, with the exception of Rome and Venice, the kingdom of Italy. These changes might have been merely a series of moves on the political chess-board, without any moral or religious significance. But it is not so here. All has been gain to humanity, to progress, and to the kingdom of the Redeemer. Freedom political has brought with it free worship, free Bible, free school and free colportage, which had been denied under the previous régime. The Waldensian witnesses have arisen from their valleys and retaliated the murderous persecutions which they suffered at the hands of the Romish powers in Italy, by carrying the gospel to their Italian brethren. Nine thousand Italian priests have memorialised the pope to divest himself of his temporal power. The Bible is read even in the sight of the walls of Rome, and it is not an improbable event that, at any moment (the bayonets of France being withdrawn), the Epistle to the Romans by the Apostle of the Gentiles may be read and expounded in the city to which he addressed it 1800 years since.

In the last three years, France has abolished passports, and has entered into a treaty with Great Britain, by which the free interchange of commodities and manufactures has been secured. Henceforth it will be all but impossible to embroil in war two nations so intimately connected with, and indispensable to, each other as customers. Let it not be said that this is merely political. It is more; its moral results surpass those which are political, and cannot at present be estimated at their full value for the peace and prosperity of the world.

In the last three years, Holland has issued an edict, manumitting, on the 1st July next, all the slaves remaining in her colonies. These, I have ascertained, upon reliable authority, amount to 49,000 manumissions. And it is remarkable, that in the past year a work of religious revival commenced in a very singular way amongst those Surinam slaves. Aroused by God's own teaching, first communicated to one of them in a series of dreams (Acts ii. 17), they sought out a Moravian missionary, and the result has been that very many of them found that freedom

which makes "free indeed," at the very time that they were obtaining their personal liberty.

In the last three years, the Atlantic Ocean, which we have now in imagination crossed, has witnessed beneficent changes. Captain Gordon, engaged in the execrable slave traffic, having run a cargo of Africans upon United States territory, has been hanged as a pirate and his slaves liberated; while other vessels used as slavers have been forfeited and sold. Thus a law of the United States, passed in 1807, but virtually inoperative, has been for the first time put in force for the protection of the helpless beings brought from Africa. During the last year also a treaty has been entered into by Great Britain and the United States which concedes the right of search of vessels bearing the American flag, so that the protection of that flag for the purposes of the infamous traffic is now withdrawn.

In the last three years, God has been answering prayer by "terrible things in righteousness" (Psalm lxv. 5) on the continent of America, and in our own land. One Christian nation-England-had planted slavery in her colonies there, and another Christian nation-the United States-had retained it when she obtained her independence, and the system grew and increased until 500,000 slaves, left by England, had increased nine-fold. One nation grew rich in planting and selling slavegrown-cotton, and the other grew rich in purchasing and working it into fabrics. In the last three years the judgment has come directly upon one nation by a fearful civil war, and indirectly on the other nation by collapse of her staple manufacturing interest; as it has been said, "God. sent the sword upon one, and laid the rod upon the back of the other." Even here there is reason to believe that prayer on both sides of the Atlantic had some share in the mitigation of judgment; for was it not in the midst of prayer in 1862, 'even while we were yet speaking,” that the welcome tidings fell on our ears, that war international, and that of the most dreadful character as between brothers, would not be added to the judgments inflicted.

The war has been over-ruled to the breaking of the yoke of slavery to an extent which could not have been anticipated by the most sanguine three years since. The slaves in the central district of Columbia have obtained their freedom by purchase. More than 200,000 slaves have, in various ways, escaped from bondage by the operation of the war. Many thousands of freed blacks are receiving education and reading the Bible at Beaufort and parts adjacent, in South Carolina, Men of colour have been declared citizens of the United States. An emancipation edict, second in importance only to that of Russia, has been issued, declaring freedom to 3,000,000 slaves on the first of January of the present year. While, lastly, the vast Territories of the Union (as large nearly as the continent of Europe) have been reserved for freedom by United States legislation.

In the last three years, Christianity, which had been persecuted in

100 IN THE LAST THREE YEARS "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT!"

Madagascar, even to extinction, as it was believed, has risen to life, and stands upon its feet, multitudes professing their faith in Christ, and adorning their profession.

In the last three years a great revival of religion has taken place amongst the black population in Jamaica.

In the last three years there has been manifested a spirit of hearing, in our own and other lands, such as has not been witnessed heretofore. Not only the naves of our Cathedral churches, but theatres, halls, exchanges, and the open air have been resorted to by thousands and tens of thousands, for the purpose of listening to the preaching of the gospel. This is so much the case that, exclusive of churches and chapels, seven theatres, three large music-halls, and a public bath, are filled with attentive listeners every Lord's-day evening in London alone.

The change which is passing upon all things mundane has not failed to attract the attention and to excite the remarks of the men of the world.

But the Christian occupies a higher stand-point-enjoys a wider, even a heavenly horizon, and possesses an object-glass of Divine construction to aid his vision.

"Who can tell

But all the harsh and dissonant sounds, which long
Have been-are still-disquieting the earth,

Are but the tuning of the varying parts

For the grand chorus, which shall usher in

The hastening triumph of the Prince of Peace!

Yes; His shall be the kingdom."

Men of the world, however, are often constrained to notice in all these things the wonder-working hand of God.

I ask then, shall we relax? shall we not rather redouble our prayers? And if we are to be found in future "praying always with all prayer," should we not also be found "watching thereunto with all perseverance ?” (Ephes. vi. 18), which includes, I presume, persevering watchfulness for answer to prayer which has been offered in faith. In this latter respect, I fear the church has been negligent, and has not yet risen to the realisation of the fact that it is an infallible, divinely-appointed conductor of blessing to the church and to the world.

In view of this shortcoming, let us determine for the future to pray more believingly, and to watch more perseveringly. The sight of God evidently working in the earth should act as a stirring trumpet-call to us, who are privileged to be co-workers with Him, to be more and more abounding in the work of the Lord."-Substance of an Address by Benjamin Scott, Esq., Chamberlain of the City of London, delivered at an Opening Service in the "Week of Prayer," 1863.