Earlier text: Heralds of the Morning and The Coming KingThe Growth of Electrical Industry
“HARDLY more than fifteen years ago,” says the World’s Work, quoting a statement made by an employee of a large electrical works, “there were perhaps 100 electric cars in existence. Last year my firm alone had orders for railway motors equaling in power 500,000 horses. Only a few years ago we surprised ourselves by making 125 electric lights in a week—a new record. To-day we are making about 2,000. A few years ago the average size of our motors was five horse-power. To-day it is fifty instead of five.” STRAWS showing the blowing of a wind of sentiment in the direction of a confederacy of the Christian denominations, are frequently to be noted at the present time. For example, the editor of the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Herald speaks in a recent issue of the tendency of the age “toward united effort by kindred interests for the common good,” and inquires, “Why can not religious bodies affiliate more closely, and unite on a common platform for the betterment of the world?” “It is about time,” he adds, “for the union sentiment to federate the faiths.” Federation and unionism have, in secular affairs, been productive of strife and great injustice. In religion the results are sure to be even worse. Questions for Our Soul's Answer
By H. E. Rickard
THE coming of the annual week of prayer reminds us that the privileges and opportunities of the past year are gone, never to return to us again. How have we improved these opportunities? Have we always been kind and tender toward our friends? Have we been as thoughtful and patient as we ought toward our enemies? Or have we been standing where the psalmist stood when he said, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”? He was in that condition “until,” as he says, “I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedest them down into destruction.” Then have we felt so sorry for them that we could say, as he did, “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins”? Have our hearts yearned for the perishing as they should?9 Let us answer these questions honestly between ourselves and our God, and, wherein we have failed, let us seek help from Heaven to do better. This special season of prayer is for this very purpose; and we all know, from past experience, that when we faithfully observed the season of prayer, we received a rich blessing, and were much strengthened in the Master's service. H. E. RICKARD, of Quebec. Brief Contributions From Conference Presidents
AT the last moment before the week of prayer, we are glad to present the following earnest testimonies from conference presidents, stirring words of battle cheer and of exhortation for such a time as this. Notice throughout the united sound of the keynote of the message—the finishing of the work and the coming of the Lord. Shall We Answer the Call?
WE are asked to raise eighty thousand dollars during the week of prayer for the extension of the work into new fields, and the support of our beloved brethren and sisters who have gone at the call of God as missionaries into all parts of the world. Shall these faithful servants of God be sustained in the field, and others sent to meet the increasing calls coming from all parts of the world? What shall we answer? Self-denial may be required on our part, but the recompense will be a hundredfold. We are but stewards of the means entrusted to our care by God. In this call God is testing our loyalty to him. We have been thrilled by the reports of the progress of the work in foreign lands. The earth is to be lightened with the glory of the third angel’s message. Thrice blessed are those who respond to the divine call of God to service. Let us unite to “afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.” Ezra 8:21. The following solemn words from the pen of Mrs. E. G. White were printed some time ago in the REVIEW. Note their import:— “The work of God, which should be going forward with tenfold its present strength and efficiency, is kept back, like a spring season held by the chilling blast of winter, because some of God’s professed people are appropriating to themselves the means that should be dedicated to his service. Because Christ’s self-sacrificing love is not interwoven in the life practises, the church is weak where it should be strong. By its own course it has put out its light, and robbed millions of the gospel of Christ.” “Why is it that there are not more missionaries in the field to-day? Why are the calls that come in from every land for men to spread a knowledge of the truth passed by unheard? Is it because there are none to send? The laymen, though they have the precious light of truth, excuse themselves on the plea that they can not preach. But this excuse will not avail. Laymen can minister. It is their privilege to lay hold of divine power with one hand, and with the other to reach forth to save humanity. To defraud God is the greatest crime of which man can be guilty; and yet this sin is deep and wide-spread.” “Through the prophet Malachi, God says: ‘Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’” Shall we not hear this exhortation? Shall we not change the order of things, and co-operate with Christ? Thus is pointed out one of the sins that keep back the power of God from his people. May this and every barrier to the progress of the message and its triumph be removed from the church during this week of prayer. To this end may we all unite earnestly in the week of prayer, with a spirit of consecration of all our powers for service to God, who has bought us with an infinite price. R. A. UNDERWOOD, of Northern Union. THE Lord appeared unto Solomon at one time, and said: “I have heard thy prayer, and . . . if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” We have a message and a mission, but we are not giving that message and fulfilling our mission as it is our privilege, and as God would have us. This is evident from the fact that we are compelled, just now, to retrench in the great mission fields. We are not “tied up” for want of workers to go to needy fields, though more could be used than are prepared to go, but it is the lack of means that causes retrenchment and delay in our missionary operations. The Macedonian call is being sounded clear and distinct, “Come over and help us;” and the Mission Board is actually having to say, “No, we have not the means with which to go.” The week of prayer is not for the sole purpose of raising money, but it is for earnest study, meditation, and prayer, that we may sense more fully the time in which we are living, and our great need. Every soul should be stirred with the earnest appeals, and should respond to the call of the hour. We have not asked for eighty thousand dollars because we thought that in so doing we might get sixty thousand dollars. Let no one reason in this way. The condition of the fields, the growth of the work, and the pressing, earnest calls from the mission fields demand all that has been asked. The liberality of our loyal believers in the past has been appreciated, and the givers have been blessed in giving. It is true that there are many calls for means, but this is an evidence that the work is advancing, and new fields are being entered. Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together during the week of prayer, but plan your work so you can attend all the meetings and receive all that God has for you. W. H. THURSTON, of Canadian Union. Keeping the Armor Bright
By Urbanus Bender
The great missionary campaign in which we are engaged is not the beginning nor the end of the work of God's people. It is but one of a series of special moves in the great warfare which will never end till Jesus comes. There is no discharge in this war. Eccl. 8:8. Some, growing tired of service, will throw off their armor, and desert the ranks. Others will fall upon the field, but still this army of the Lord will move on till “their warfare is accomplished.” As an important feature in this great movement, the Lord has called his people to appear before him for a week of prayer. The Saviour of the world realized the necessity of prayer, and often do we find him communing thus with his Father. If the Son of God needed help from above, how much more we! “Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.” In the week of prayer just before us may we be willing that the Lord shall lay upon us the burden of answering the world's cry by giving ourselves and our means for service. URBANUS BENDER, of Arkansas. Preparing for Blessings
By A. S. Kellogg
Now is the time for each of us to begin to lay plans to enter upon this week of prayer in a way that will make it possible for us to obtain the greatest amount of good in this short period of time. At this time the world will be reveling in its folly, and sowing to the wind, only to reap a whirlwind. It is an eternal law that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” This being true, what shall be the nature of our sowing during this week of prayer, set apart as it is, we believe, in God’s order as a special season when we are to draw nigh to God that he may draw nigh to us? From the front comes a call at this time for eighty thousand dollars, not a large amount considering the great work before us, “the gospel to the world in this generation.” How the heart of every worker must be stirred as he reads the echoes from the far-away harvest fields, as they come from time to time through the Mission Board. Now it is from Burma, then from Korea, then again from a new province of China that is claiming our attention, and is calling for help. Calls are coming from nearly everywhere. The world is astir. These calls must be answered by our Mission Board. We, in turn, who are favorably located in the home field must answer the call in a practical way, and see to it that our means and our influence shall be exerted to the utmost, to the end that the eighty thousand dollars called for shall be supplied, and thus the mind of the Lord be met at this important time, and the cause of truth receive a mighty impetus. Let nothing prevent the full blessing from reaching all. Not only should large offerings be made, but let each one see that the admonition of Mal. 3: 10 is fully followed. It is indeed fitting that all the tithe should be brought in, that the blessing may be received, and the work go forward. A. S. KELLOGG, of California-Nevada. Feeding the Weary Multitude
By F. M. BURG
“But,” says one, “to give this glad tidings of the coming King to all the world is a work of such magnitude that we have little ground to hope for its accomplishment before the lapse of generations to come.” Note for a moment the case of the loaves and fishes in our Saviour’s hands. Suppose the little boy who had this limited supply of edibles had distributed them among the hungry multitudes; would their wants have been supplied? Why not?—Because naturally there was not a sufficient quantity. The only thing that made it possible for the hungry throng to be filled from this scant supply was that the food was yielded into the Saviour’s hands to be distributed. That done, the people were fed, and an abundant supply remained. That is what is needed now: we have only a few loaves and fishes, as it were, and the multitudes are to be fed. All we have—money, property, time, mental acquirements, etc.—can never of itself do the work, even as the loaves and fishes of themselves could not feed the thousands. The blessing of God is needed. And his blessing can not be given till all is yielded to him. This done, the great work before us of giving the gospel of the kingdom to all the world in this generation will be done as easily as the thousands were fed from the scant supply. This is the meaning of our week of prayer, and the annual offering to missions in connection with it. The first requisite is to give all we have to this work; then in answer to the earnest prayer of faith, God’s blessing will rest upon the offering, and as truly miraculous will be the results as when the multitudes were fed. And let none think that he will lack aught by giving all to the spread of this blessed message. Remember that when the lad placed all he had in the Saviour’s hands, and with it the people were fed, there remained an abundant supply—twelve baskets full were taken up. Will not God’s people then have more of the necessities of life if they will give all to God now for the advancement of this work, and then seek earnestly for his blessing upon the gift? Why not prove the Lord in this at this time, and make this week of prayer a pentecostal season? F. M. BURG, of Western Oregon. At the Altar of Sacrifice and Service
By H. S. Shaw
EVERY living child of God is urged, for his own good and for the good of the common cause, to lay aside every weight, and turn his face toward Jerusalem, and pray. Let the father and the mother take the children to the place appointed for prayer; for the Lord will be there to leave them a blessing for themselves and their children, which may prove their salvation from the pitfalls that Satan is laying for their feet in the year to come. Present your Lamb, for yourself and your little ones, even the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Then go to your secret chamber, and give your children to the Lord. Consult him about the best way to bring them up. Ask him how is the best way to invest your means so that you and your little ones will be on the safe side in the whirl that is just ahead of this world. Tell him that you would rather give your money to his needy cause than to teach your children to spend it for the things that perish in a little time. Talk to him freely about that extra team you have that you do not need, and that extra farm that you can as well do without. Tell him that you are willing10 to make that bank account smaller by a draft for the cause of God. Tell the boys and girls and the brethren and sisters about the multitudes of people who are waiting for us to arouse ourselves and put on the garments of sacrifice. And if you should be a man who has no extra money or land or goods, ask him to cause a blessing to pass your way, that you may have a mite to give into the Master's hand. Say, “O Lord, save us, not in idleness but for service;” and when this people, beloved of God, shall submit their all to his care, Heaven will touch the earth in blessing, and victory will be on the lips of every one. H. S. SHAW, of Minnesota. Ready for Greater Sacrifices
By A. J. BREED
WE call upon our brethren in the Upper Columbia Conference to begin at once to plan for the week of prayer. Let each member of the family, as far as possible, have some part in helping to raise means for this work. The Lord has greatly blessed the brethren of the Upper Columbia Conference by giving good crops, and good prices for whatever they have had for sale; and now that the call comes for us to return some part of this means entrusted to our care, to be placed at the disposal of the General Conference Committee and applied to the most needy fields, not only to sustain the missions already established, but to open up the work in fields not yet entered. In response to the urgent calls for help and the great necessities of the work, a number of the Eastern conferences have placed at the disposal of the General Conference a part of their laborers and means to help carry on the work. We believe Upper Columbia will feel in sympathy with such a move, and be willing to make greater sacrifices than it has ever made to help carry on this good work. As we near the end, the importance and responsibilities of this work will be greater, and the calls for means correspondingly greater, until every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall have this gospel of the kingdom, which is to be “preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” A. J. BREED, of Upper Columbia. The Solemn Day at Hand
By J. W. WATT
THIS is a solemn hour indeed. Sixty years ago in October, according to a plain prophecy, Jesus, our High Priest, entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, and the antitypical day of atonement began. In the earthly sanctuary service, the work of atonement occupied but one day, a comparatively short time,— just one day of the year. Can we believe that the antitypical work of atonement will continue much longer? Surely probation will soon close. In view of this, do we not need to seek the Lord? Many have gone along year by year dissatisfied with their own experience, thinking, “Sometime I shall gain a better experience, and walk with the Lord.” My brother, my sister, is not the present a favorable time to make a full and complete consecration to God of all that we are or ever can be, either in this world or in the world to come? May the Lord, by his Spirit, help us all to awake out of sleep, and to put on the whole armor of God and work for the salvation of souls as we have never worked before. The Record of Another Year
By G. F. WATSON
Do we realize that another year has almost passed since we last met in our annual week of prayer? Yes, another year, with all its blessings, its joys, its griefs and sorrows, has passed into eternity, and we are one year nearer the coming of our dear Lord than when we last met. But is it time the only thing that tells us that we are nearer the end than we were one year ago?—No, by no means. The condition of earthly affairs speaks loudly of the approaching end; even the daily papers are asking if the last great battle is not at hand. But, again, are these all that tell us that the end is at hand?—Ah, no. But the progress of the dear old message that is loved by you, dear brother, dear sister, calls out to you and to me, to get ready, for “the end of all things is at hand.” I wish, beloved, that every one of you could have heard what was said, at our council at College View last September, by those who are in touch with the giving of this last message to a lost world. I am sure it would have brought the end much nearer. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” A few more marches, a few more battles, and we shall be at the gates for the last great struggle. Dear ones, this coming week of prayer means more to me than any I have thought upon during the last twenty-five years. Is it not time for us to strike a blow that will be heard all over this sin-cursed earth,—a blow for God and his truth,—a blow for the saving of lost men and women,—yes, a blow that will shake the throne of our enemy, and the enemy of our God? Brethren, we shall need God more the coming year than ever before; and God’s cause needs us, and all there is of us. I do believe that God has chosen Seventh-day Adventists to finish his gospel work in the earth, and I also believe that this people is going to finish the work; and would it not be well pleasing to our Lord for us to close the year 1904 with a mighty stir in the camp of Israel, not only with good resolutions for the year 1905, but with eighty thousand dollars as a help in the pushing of the work that must be done the coming year? I am sure that this sum can and should be raised by Seventh-day Adventists throughout the world. May the dear Lord help me and mine to do our part, as well as to encourage others to do their part. G. F. WATSON, of Colorado. Unity in Prayer and Service
By L. F. Starr
NOTICE carefully the promise to united prayer: “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:19, 20. The union our Lord requires is far more than a simple agreement as to what is desired. The Pharisees and Sadducees were agreed in their desire to put to death the Son of God, but there was no love between them. The unity which God requires comes through minds actuated by a common spirit of love which will bless others. We must have this spirit of fellowship to find acceptance with God. If “thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar [be it a gift of prayer or song], and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matt. 5:23, 24. Oneness of heart, as well as of object, is what Christ insists on in his promise to united prayer. The Bible abounds in illustrations encouraging believers to unite in prayer. The prayer of Nehemiah and his people (Neh. 9:1-38) marked the beginning of a great revival after the return from the Babylonish captivity. Acts 1:14; 2:46; and 4:24-31 are excellent examples of the united prayer before and after Pentecost. The early history of Seventh-day Adventists and of the advent message is a marvelous commentary on the efficacy of persistent, united prayer. The pioneers in this movement toiled, sacrificed, and prayed in a way which puts many to shame in these days. May reader and writer get a new grip on the truth that there is power in prayer. Let the petition arise, “O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of years,” that we may be more earnest in service, that our gift may be larger than ever before, that the message may be soon carried to all the world, and bring that blissful, immortal day. The Greatest Thing in the World
By W. J. Stone
As I look over the past year and see what has been accomplished by seventy-five thousand professed Seventh-day Adventists, and compare this with the results of one tenth the number of laborers thirty years ago, or think what a thousand laborers might accomplish in one year if they really believed that “the end of all things is at hand,” and possessed a zeal that would certainly characterize a people that believed the Lord would come in this generation, I am profoundly convinced that a change must come to this people, and we must have an experience unknown to many of us. There must be a loosening of our hold upon the things of the world, and a grasping of eternal things. Then we shall see a mighty forward movement, and as much accomplished in one month as we now see in a year. Do we not all desire that our whole being shall be thrilled with a sense of the importance of the message? And is not this our greatest need? Then shall not this week of prayer be so spent that the thing we need so much may be accomplished in us, and for us? What every Seventh-day Adventist needs now, is to stand where he can daily hold sweet intercourse with God, and constantly be kept and guided by his almighty power. It is my greatest desire to maintain such a relation to God day by day that I may constantly have the guidance of holy angels. The work entrusted to us as a people, in God's sight is the greatest thing in the world to-day. Why should we not regard it in the same light? When we comprehend the solemn meaning of this message to all the inhabitants of the world, everything else will sink into insignificance. Then why not throw our whole souls into this work, and arise and give this message to the world quickly? A call is made for eighty thousand dollars to meet present demands. This is none too much; and if we all have the spirit possessed by Christ when he sacrificed all for our salvation, this amount will be easily raised. God has placed in the hands of Seventh-day Adventists many thousands of dollars; and what is it for, if not to be invested now in giving the message to all the world quickly? One dollar is worth more to the cause now than a thousand will be after probation closes, when many will come with their means— too late; their money will avail nothing. May this week of prayer accomplish11 for God's people all that God desires it shall. It may, if we will let it. Shall we do it? May this be the time of a greater practical revival than has ever been witnessed in this denomination, and may we set the pace that shall continue until the work shall triumph gloriously. “Portentous Signs Are Thickening Round”
By S. G. Huntington
WHILE all preceding weeks of prayer have been important, and have served us their purpose, yet it must be apparent to every wide-awake Seventh-day Adventist that, owing to the portentous times in which we are living, the week of prayer just before us should demand our thought and attention above all others heretofore. Every one who reads the daily papers with an understanding of what the Bible says relative to the last days must realize that those days, in all their solemn reality, are right upon us. The signs are fulfilled; the end is near; we see but one thing lacking. This is the preparation of the remnant church. Brethren and sisters, shall we not, with a united effort, make the coming week of prayer one of personal consecration? And may the Lord grant that as we partake of the riches of God's grace at this time, our hearts may go out after those who know not the truth. S. G. HUNTINGTON, of West Virginia. “Showers of Blessing”
By John G. Walker
No one can afford to slight this opportunity for prayer, even though it calls for a sacrifice, as the time for God to favor Zion has come, “yea, the set time is come.” Souls are to be sought for, prayed for, labored for. Earnest appeals are to be made. Fervent prayers are to be offered. God’s Word declares, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Besides the personal benefit to be derived, God designs that this season of prayer shall result in “the sealing of his people into a bond of unity that can not be broken. Pressing together in love and unity, and encouraging one another to advance, we are to gain strength and courage for the assistance of others.” The united prayers of God’s people are to bring the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at some time before the end of probation. Why not at this season? Shall we be less earnest than the apostles, whose earnest prayers brought to them the “riches of the Spirit’s power”? They grasped the imparted gift, and “the sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power, and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief,” so that thousands were converted in a day. The same scenes are to be enacted again. We appeal to every family, Make an earnest effort to be present at the meetings of this week of prayer. Parents, invite your children to attend. Children, be willing to divide the time with father and mother if duties at home demand constantly the attention of some of the household. Upon the church elders we urge, Look up the record of last year, and enlist the interest of your brethren in doubling the annual offering to the glorious cause of missions. To the brethren and sisters we write, Look not upon this call as one to be lightly regarded, but as an agonized and almost despairing cry from the millions of earth’s sin-bound slaves. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” JOHN G. WALKER, of North Dakota. This Generation Shall Not Pass
By J. M. Rees
“THIS generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” These words of the Saviour are spoken after answering the disciples’ question, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” He told them that the sun should be darkened, the moon refuse to give her light, and the stars fall from heaven. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.” These signs must all appear before the Lord will come. Have the people witnessed the sun, moon, and star signs?—Yes, the third and last one of the three came Nov. 13, 1833, seventy-one years ago. The Lord still says “This generation shall not pass,” before he comes, although seventy-one years of it are already in the past. Praise the Lord. Do we believe it as much as we did twenty, thirty, forty years ago? or are we beginning, as we see so small a remnant of time left to this generation, to grow a little nervous, and to wonder if our bearings have been just right as to the meaning of the words, “This generation shall not pass”? I am sure our position is right. Jesus is coming, and this generation will witness it. In view of this solemn fact, are we drinking of that Living Fountain? Are we making preparations to buy the field? The Lord is now calling for consecrated workers,—those who are willing to leave all and consecrate all to him. As the time is very short, the Master tells those who are willing to bear this great and wonderful message to the world that the call is the supper call, the last call. The Lord says, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the cities, also into the highways and hedges. Go quickly; make haste, for there is much to be done, and so short a time in which to do it. The week of prayer is just before us,12 and I trust it may be a week of consecration to the Lord. It should be a consecration of our families, our property, our all. It took more than forty thousand dollars to take the truth to foreign fields last year, and now how we rejoice to know that new missions have been opened, and that new lands and new tongues are calling for this truth. Those who are nearest in touch with the work in the world-wide field tell us that we must double our annual offerings this year, and in place of forty thousand dollars they call for eighty thousand. This is evidence that the world is being warned, and we rejoice in that thought. We can raise the eighty thousand dollars if we are of one heart and of one mind. Then shall we not all arise as one man, declare the message, and go home to glory? J. M. REES, of Southern Illinois. The Week of Revival
By C. McREYNOLDS
THIS week of prayer must be a time of great reviving among us in all of our churches, and in every isolated Adventist home. A revival of the spirits of God’s people is much needed. Hearts are hungering for such an experience personally, and longing to see it in their church, but they are wondering who will come to lead them, and perhaps writing to those in charge for a minister to help them in this important effort. Some churches, whose membership is scattered, are thinking of the difficulties and seeming impossibility of meeting each day or evening for the services. While they are considering these, the enemy of the Lord is flaunting before their eyes in panoramic view the utter uselessness of making the effort, and is preparing some to throw a dampening chill over the zeal of others. We are told in the Testimonies of the unseen conflict that is carried on on every camp-meeting ground, an unseen battle between the angels of God and the hosts of evil; and so it is now all over the land, in our churches and companies, and with our isolated members as well: Yes, and we shall decide the question as to which power will gain the victory in each case. “To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.” Which power shall have the victory in your case? One very important question is, How may we have a revival? There is nothing else so reviving as the presence of the Lord by the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed that we might be “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Eph. 3:16); and the Lord by Isaiah thus speaks to us: “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isa. 57:15. The uplifting, reviving influence of the Holy Spirit is the great revival so much needed at this time. May we have it? “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.” Luke 11:9-13. Mark this, he does not say to ask or seek in a public meeting only. No; the promise is to each individual, and we may each have a revival wherever we are, and whatever our surroundings may be. Then it is by earnest prayer that we may have a revival. The best, most effectual and lasting revivals ever experienced in churches were begun by protracted prayer-meetings, and these were sometimes poorly attended at first. C. McREYNOLDS, of Kansas. The Right of Petition
By W. J. FITZGERALD
The right of citizens to petition earthly governments for the alleviation of distress and the granting of favors is among the most highly prized of human rights. We can not too highly regard the privilege of approaching the throne of the universal King. Prayer consists of thanksgiving for past and present mercies, and of expressions of desire and confidence for blessings to come. Have we not all many personal reasons for returning thanksgiving? And do we not all need the Holy Spirit's power in richer fulness, that we may advance more rapidly in the development of personal Christian character? But that which, in a special way, causes us to rejoice and urges us to seek God earnestly, is the consideration of the work of the Lord. The prosperity that has accompanied the preaching of present truth in all parts of the world shows clearly that God's hand is over his work, and that his power is flooding the earth with the light of the third angel's message. Weary pilgrims may lift up their heads in confidence and expectancy, assured that their redemption is drawing nigh. He who feels truly grateful for the progress of the past year will realize our great need for the year to come. Our hearts must be moved with compassion for the myriads of human beings who grope their way to and fro in the darkness that covers the earth, and with zeal for their enlightenment. Truly they are sheep without a shepherd. How plenteous is the harvest! but, O, how few are the laborers! It is surely time to heed the Saviour's admonition to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. W. J. FITZGERALD, of Eastern Pennsylvania.