with this the institution of social prayer was revived, and by statute separated, in its observance ever after, from the altar worship, whether under the Tabernacle or Temple service. As the law was given very soon after entering the wilderness, Moses would put into operation that law in regard to both the altar worship and the grove worship. Consequently, that generation, which entered the land promised to Abraham, was a race well trained in all the statutes and ordinances of worship as observed by their fathers.

CHAPTER II.

SUMMARY SKETCH FROM MOSES TO CHRIST.

DIRECT history, in form, makes very little reference to

the worship of the grove till the times of the revolt of the ten tribes. We are, however, more than compensated in the abundant moral evidence furnished in another form.

That revolt was quickly followed by a general decline of religion, and by the gross corruption of divinely instituted worship. Among those corruptions was that which sunk the proseucha into oblivion. The humble prayer-meeting, with its spiritual exercises and its sweet communion with God, was lost to those apostate sons of praying fathers. The grove was changed from being the place of quiet and retirement for prayer-as at the river side, where praying women, in after and better times, resorted-to a place for the revels of the noisy worshipers of Baal, and the blood, and smoke, and incense of his bloody sacrifices. Thus that ordinance, which always flourishes where true religion is strong in its vital and spiritual power, was, for political reasons of state policy, suppressed by the leading spirits of the revolt.

The entire silence on the subject of the abuse of the worship of the grove, during the long period from Joshua to Jeroboam, and then afterwards that abuse so often and so prominently denounced, is evidence that it did not prevail during that period of silence. This is the more evident from the record of the lives, and labors, and character of the men of those times-the Judges, the Kings, the

Prophets sent of God, and the Priests, the expounders of the law, and the guardians of the public institutions of religious worship.-And still more, from the character of the writers of the devotional books penned by inspired men, from Moses to Elijah. Here we may find the compensating testimony condensed, and embracing the true history of the state of religion during that eminently historic period of the whole history of that historic people in their formulary of worship. The hymnology of every worshiping people, in every age, in every country, of every religion, true or false, of every creed and kind of forms practised, will reveal the distinctive features of their worship. So we learn from the devotional complexion of the Book of Psalms, whose compilation commenced with Moses, and was carried forward during that entire period, and forward till near the closing of the O. T. canon. These inspired songs, prepared for the use of the church, and representing what should be the character of her religious devotions in all ages, at the same time reflect upon the usages and form of service to which they were at first adapted. Many of the Psalms use a form of expression plainly requiring an application to the social worship of the saints in social meetings, distinct from the family, from the altar, from the tabernacle, and from the temple. Now, if the Book of Psalms, most of which was prepared during the historic period before us, is full of allusions to social exercises, and so much of it adapted to private social devotions, the historical evidence is conclusive, that during that long period the fellowship prayer-meeting was known and observed by the pious people of God, who spoke often one to another, and who, in the familiar language of their manual of social praise, were in the habit of saying one to another, and singing, “All that fear God, come, hear, I'll tell what he

did for my soul." "Extol the Lord with me, let us together praise his name.

"My God, my soul's cast down in me;

Thee, therefore, mind I will

From Jordan's land, the Hermonites,

And even from Mizar hill".

the "little" hill of social worship, when far from access to Zion hill.

"Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye

That his attendants are,

Even you that in God's temple be,

And praise him nightly there "—

the prayer-meeting of the priests, who by wards and during the night watches held private meetings out of season, and at hours when no other worship or service, public or private, was held.

"With my whole heart I will God's praise declare,

Where the assemblies of the just, and congregations are."

Bethsud," is the "private," as well as public assembly, "I am companion to all those who fear, and thee obey "that is, "I associate with " the fearers of God in select social worship. We might multiply quotations of like character from the book breathing so much of the social and private devotional spirit and form.

ye

With reference to the captivity and return, Jeremiah. predicted social prayer: "Then shall ye call upon me, and shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jer. xxix. 12, 13. This was fulfilled in Daniel when he set his face to seek the Lord by prayer and supplications, with fasting. Dan. ix. 3. It was fulfilled in Ezra at the river Ahava. It was fulfilled in

Zech. vii. 2: "When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men to pray before the Lord." It was fulfilled as in Mal. iii. 16: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard" their social prayers.

In seeking historical evidence it is proper to refer to the habits the devout Hebrew captives would carry with them in their captivity. So we find them grouped together by the rivers of Babylon, in solemn, sad devotion-in praise with unstrung harps, while far from temple service-while remembering Jerusalem they send up their prophetic prayers: "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom." Daniel called his pious and worshiping associates together for select social prayer according to the custom and religious usages of his fathers. "And Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his followers should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon." Can it be doubted by the student of history that Daniel and his friends were familiar with that great principle underlying this call for a special prayer-meeting?—"That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything 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." Esther, in her extremity, according to the well-known usages of her people, bade Mordecai "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan. I also, and my maidens, will fast likewise." Since prayer is an established concomitant of fasting, this was an example of the prayer-meeting.

Emergencies furnish the surest tests of men's real principles, and their faith in God. When in affliction, they