bestowed upon us, there would be occasion for the more thoughtful among us to exclaim with the poet-laureate, 'Let knowledge grow from more to more, But vaster-we are fools, and slight, But I believe that there is little fear of such forgetfulness. A few men of science-eminent perhaps in their respective departments, but too narrow-minded to grasp the true teaching of the wonders which are being revealed to us-may set up their own genius as a god to worship, or may fall down in grovelling adoration before the science of the day; but the true leaders of scientific progress-our Newtons and our Bacons, our Herschels and our Humboldts-have taken a nobler view. They valued science indeed for its own sake; and they of all men have worked hardest in the service of science. But they valued science chiefly because it shewed them that man is truly made in the image of his God; and for this further reason, that every new result of their labours shewed them more and more clearly the truth of the words sung of old by the inspired Psalmist : 'Wonderful are Thy works, O Lord; in wisdom Thou hast made them all!' LONDON'S TWELVE DAYS PRAYER. 'Seek the peace of the city, . . . and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.'-Jeremiah, xxix. 7. Do the sacred words lose any of their force because we have taken them from the context to which they belong, to give them a passing application to another and a very different city from that of which they were first spoken? We all know the circumstances which led to their utterance. The Babylonian Captivity was yet but just commencing; the young, the great, the noble of Judah's kingdom, were enduring the yoke of captivity -strangers in a strange land. No tie bound them to the proud city of Babylon but the bond of captivity; a conquered people in the city of their oppressors, to them the prophet's message came-Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.' Did not the city and the whole nation of these proud captors reap the benefit of the prayers of God's people, when such men as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, and holy Daniel, who sat in the gate of the king, was made the first of the three presidents who ruled over the whole kingdom? But we need not pursue the history any further: though the words recur to us with peculiar force just now, when a city, far greater in population though smaller in extent than Babylon of old, has recently asked for the prayers of its inhabitants; and since we are not writing for Londoners only, may we not venture to say that 'Seek the peace of the city, and pray unto the Lord for it,' is a message which may be heard in every part of this country; for surely every heart in England owns some nearer tie to this great metropolis, than did the captive Jew to Babylon the Great. Probably most of those who read these pages have heard something about London's Twelve Days Mission, and Twelve Days Prayer; therefore, perhaps, a brief outline of the purposes for which this Mission season was set apart may not be out of place. It has been roughly estimated, that taking into account London's three million inhabitants, we may say that one million are attendants at the Church of England services, one million more at Dissenting and Roman Catholic places of worship, and the remaining million are living in habitual neglect of all the ordinances of public worship-indeed, many of them apparently beyond the reach of all ordinary means of pastoral supervision. It was in view of these statistics, which we fear involve a terrible but too true reality, though we do not vouch for their strict accuracy, that a body of London clergymen agreed to set apart twelve days, before entering upon a new year's Advent, for united supplication and special efforts to reclaim the portion of the population which ordinary ministrations failed to reach. An address, signed by those who had taken a leading part in the movement, was sent to the Incumbent of every Metropolitan church, suggesting that twelve days, from Sunday, November 14th, to Thursday, November 25th, should be devoted to 'earnest prayer and preaching for the conversion of sinners;' that bearing in mind the stronghold of carelessness and ungodliness, which is beyond the reach of ordinary ministrations, some unusual effort should be made in opening churches, Mission-rooms, and school-rooms, daily, for services, sermons, classes, prayer-meetings, and whatever spiritual exercises might be suitable to this one end-'the conversion of men's hearts from the love of the world and sin unto the love of God and our Lord Jesus Christ.' No uniformity of method was to be attempted or even suggested; every clergyman being left to select such hours, and appoint such services or meetings, as he considered most suited to the needs of his own parish; the union consisting in making simultaneously this special supplication to God and appeal to man, and in remembering in prayer not only each one his own needs, but also each one the needs of his brethren.' This common ground was to be the basis of an effort which might have embraced every church in London; and when the twelve days were ended, the Church would have entered upon a new year's Advent, furthered by the prayers of thousands for a blessing upon her work in the coming year. The Bishops of London and Rochester, and the Bishop-designate of Winchester, expressed their sympathy in the work; and when the Mission season commenced, between sixty and seventy London churches had been set apart for these special Mission Services; and about fifty more, without identifying themselves with the movement in all respects, held their own special and extra Mission Services. We may add to this list many more where some special efforts were made, and services and prayer-meetings held, during the twelve days, without being actually considered on the list of 'The London Mission,' as it was called. Let it be understood that we are not venturing to express any opinion as to the peculiar features which distinguished some of the Mission Services, or wishing to advocate anything like religious excitement, or Services which have no place in the Prayer Book: we only desire to speak of the effort as one of united prayer and special services; and when we speak of special services, we mean those taken from our own beautiful Church Services, though abridged according to the exigencies of the particular congregation, or hour at which they were held. The Services were intended to be simple, and, we may say, homely. The Lord's Prayer and Versicles, one or two Psalms, a few selected verses-perhaps from the Book of Proverbs-for the First Lesson, a Parable from the New Testament for the Second, one or both Canticles, the Creed, and two or three of the Prayer Book Collects. Then perhaps some timehonoured and familiar hymn, such as or some Litany hymn, sung before and after what we may perhaps call an address rather than a sermon, in which, in the simplest and most earnest words, the clergyman spoke to the people, pointing out sin and its only remedy, shewing man's weakness and only source of strength, his utter ruin and helplessness, and the only way of recovery through Jesus Christ. The hour fixed for these Evening Services was generally a late one; and even then many of the congregation would drop in long after the Service or even sermon had begun! Working men in rough clothes, as they came from their day's labour; women with their aprons on, just returned from a day's washing or charring-these formed a considerable portion of many of the evening congregations; indeed, so numerously were the Evening Services attended, that in some places it was found necessary to hold an additional and supplementary service. It has been estimated that between thirty and forty thousand persons daily took part in the Mission Services. Of these undoubtedly a large proportion were among the more earnest-minded of Church people, who had met together in fervent supplication that others might learn to prize the blessings so inestimably precious to themselves; and who shall say how many more, in the privacy of their own chambers, joined the company of the faithful in this season of special supplication? Of the results of the Mission we do not presume to speak positively, for the highest results which can be hoped for are far beyond the reach of all human knowledge, and known only to the All-seeing; yet so great had been the success of the services, so many amongst the poor had been brought to Church, hitherto utterly neglectful of public worship, that it was felt by the clergy that the season begun in prayer and communion, would be most appropriately ended with thanksgiving. There was something very solemn in London's Twelve Days Prayer. Very solemn it was to remember every morning that when ordinary people were rising to the ordinary duties of daily life, some congregations had been hours before upon their knees in fervent prayer for the world which perhaps thought so little about them; something which recalled Keble's words, that from many a place unthought of there Rises for that proud world the saints' prevailing prayer.' Why do we feel almost startled when we read of services and classes continued till eleven or even later at night, to be re-commenced at five or six o'clock in the morning? and all this in the dull dark gloom of a London November! Is it that our cold hearts shrink from the actual self-sacrifice which such hours involve? Might we not hear the voice of loving gentle reproof saying to us, 'What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?' It is certainly surprising to read of congregations in such a neighbourhood as Soho being numbered by hundreds at six or half-past six in the morning, women with infants in arms, men in their working clothes. And when we hear of upwards of one hundred communicants assembling before seven o'clock on a week-day morning, not to mark any one special day in the Mission, but when the Holy Communion was celebrated each morning of the twelve days, we cannot but feel that God has blessed the special efforts put forth to win souls to Him. Little, perhaps, does the world in general know how thankfully men of business avail themselves of the opportunities now so frequently held out to them of short daily services. How many are glad of the mid-day break in their work to go to some city church, where they will be in time to join in the Litany, or some short service! how many are able to sanctify the day by attendance at one of the early morning services before working hours have begun 'Plying their daily task with busier feet, Because their secret souls a holy strain repeat!' Who shall attempt to say what may be the results of London's Twelve Days Prayer? That it will bring down a blessing who can doubt, though it may not be given to us to see at once where and in what way the blessing comes. Only may we hope that some drops from the abundant shower will fall even on those who have had no other share in the Mission Services than an interest in their fellow Christians' prayers. Perhaps this season of united supplication will have helped to arouse the spirit which we fear too often slumbers-the spirit of fervent prayer, without which no good work can prosper, with which so much may be given to us, 'exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.' May our gracious Lord never limit His great gifts by the measure of our feeble prayers, saying to us, 'According to your faith be it unto you.' 6 Who amongst those who in heart followed the Twelve Days Prayer, could fail to be struck with the singular coincidence which closed the Mission Season on the 25th of November, a day when the ordinary Second Lesson for Morning Service contains our Lord's Prayer for His Church? When could that beautiful chapter come home with such power to those who love to think that they were remembered in the words, Neither pray I for these alone, but for all that shall believe on Me through their words,'-as when they read or heard it read in its ordinary course on the day which ended this season of united prayer? It was just one of those undesigned coincidences which, like the chapter which comforted King Charles on the morning of his execution, shews how the Church's Daily Services are able to meet her children's special needs. One event added greatly to the solemnity of the Mission season. Shortly after the Mission Services were commenced, the Archbishop of Canterbury was struck down with a severe attack of illness, which it is not too much to say has awakened a sincere and most heartfelt sorrow throughout the whole of England. One of the acts which signalized the first day or two of his Grace's attack, was a letter written to one of the London clergymen who had taken a leading part in promoting the Mission Services, expressing his warm sympathy in the movement, and asking the prayers of those engaged in it. This simple touching message, and the circumstances under which it was sent, gave a solemnity to the remaining week of the Mission which could not fail to add a deeper earnestness to the prayers of those engaged in it. Who could know so well what Mission Work in London meant, as the beloved Archbishop who had spent twelve such years of work in presiding over its vast diocese? Years during which he had penetrated every depth of London life-equally at home at its East or its West End; now entering a |