The Special Prayer Meeting

A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, JULY 20, 1875,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"When he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the
mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered
together praying." Acts 12:12.

IT was a great wonder that the infant Church of Christ was not
destroyed. Truly, she was like a lone lamb in the midst of furious
wolves, without either earthly power, prestige or patronage to protect
her, yet, as though she wore a charmed life, she escaped from the hosts
of her cruel foes. Had not this child been something more than others
it had been slain like the innocents at Bethlehem–but being
Heaven-born it escaped the fury of the destroyer. It is worth while
asking, however–with what weapons did this Church protect herself? For
we may very wisely use the same. She was preserved in her utmost danger
from overwhelming destruction–what was her defense? Where did she find
shield and buckler?

The answer is–in prayer–"many were gathered together praying."
Whatever may be the danger of the times, and each age has its own
peculiar hazard, we may rest in calm assurance that our defense is of
God and we may avail ourselves of that defense in the same manner as
the early Church did, namely, by abounding in prayer. However poisonous
the viper, prayer can extract its sting. However fierce the lion,
prayer can break its teeth. However terrible the fire, prayer can
quench the violence of the flame. But this is not all–the new-born
Church not only escaped, but it multiplied! From being as a grain of
mustard seed, when it could all assemble in the upper room, it has now
become a great tree! Lo, it covers the nations! The birds of the air,
in flocks, find shelter in its branches.

Why this wondrous increase? What made it grow? Outward circumstances
were unfavorable to its progress–upon what nourishment has it been
fed? What means were taken with this tender shoot that has been so
speedily developed? Whatever means were used of old, we may wisely use
them today, also, to strengthen the things that remain and are ready to
die, and to develop that which is hopeful in our midst. The answer
is–the fact that on all occasions, "many were gathered together
praying."

While praying, the Spirit of God came down upon them. While praying,
the Spirit often separated this man and that for special work. While
praying their hearts grew warm with inward fire. While praying their
tongues were unloosed and they went forth to speak to the people. And
while praying the Lord opened to them the treasures of His Grace. By
prayer they were protected and by prayer they grew. If our Churches are
to live and grow, they must be watered from the same source. "Let us
pray," is one of the most necessary watchwords which I can suggest to
Christian men and women, for if we will but pray, prayer will fill up
the pools in the valley of Baca, yes, and open to us all the channels
of that river of God which is full of water, the streams whereof make
glad the city of our God.

We have heard a great deal of talk in certain sections of the Church
about going back to primitive times. They are introducing to us all
sorts of superstitious inventions, under cover of the customs of the
early Church. The plea is cunningly chosen, for primitive practices
have great weight with true Christians. But the weak point of the
argument is that, unfortunately, what they call the early Church is not
early enough! If we must have the early Church held up as a model, let
us have the earliest Church of all! If we are to have fathers, let us
go back to Apostolic fathers! And if we are to have ritual, rule and
ceremonies modeled on strict precedent, let us go back to the original
precedent recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

We, who are called Baptists, have not the slightest objection to go
back in everything to the Apostolic habit and practice–we reverence
the real primitive method and desire to follow the customs of the true
early Church. And if we could see every ordinance restored to the exact
mode in which it was practiced by the saints immediately after the
Ascension of our Lord, and during Apostolic times, we would clap our
hands with delight! 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To see
the early Church alive, again, would cause us unfeigned satisfaction.
Especially upon this point would we imitate the early Church–we would
have it said of us–"Many were gathered together praying."

May we have much prayer, much household prayer, much believing prayer,
much prevalent prayer–and then we shall obtain great blessings from
the Lord!

I. This morning my earnest desire is to stir up the Church of Jesus
Christ to increased prayerfulness. I have taken this text, as it
furnishes me with one or two points of great interest and is full of
practical suggestions. The first is this, LET US NOTICE THE IMPORTANCE
WHICH THE EARLY CHURCH ATTRIBUTED TO PRAYER and to Prayer Meetings. Let
this be a lesson to us. As soon as we begin to read in Acts and
continually as we read on in that record, we note that meetings for
prayer had become a standing institution in the Church. We read nothing
of "masses," but we read much of Prayer Meetings. We hear nothing of
Church festivals, but we read often of meeting together for prayer.

It is said that Peter considered the thing–I fancy that he considered
it all round, and thought, "Where shall I go?" And he remembered that
it was Prayer Meeting night down at John Mark's mother's house–and
there he would go because he felt that there he should meet with true
Brethren. In those days they did things by plan and order, according to
that text, "Let all things be done decently and in order," and I have
no doubt that it had been duly arranged that the meeting should be held
that evening at the house of John Mark's mother. Therefore Peter went
there and found, as he probably expected, that there was a Prayer
Meeting going on.

They were not met to hear a sermon. It is most proper that we should
very frequently assemble for that purpose, but this was distinctly a
meeting where, "many were gathered together praying." Praying was the
business on hand. I do not know that they even had an address, though
some will come to the Prayer Meeting if the pastor is present to speak.
But you see James, who is generally thought to have been pastor of the
Church at Jerusalem, was not there, for Peter said, "Go show these
things to James," and most probably none of the Apostles were there,
because Peter added, "and to the Brethren," and I suppose by that he
meant the Brethren of the Apostolic college.

The eminent speaking Brethren seem to have been all away and, perhaps,
no one expounded or exhorted that night, nor was there any need, for
they were all too much engrossed in common intercession. The meeting
was convened for praying, and this, I say, was a regular institution of
the Christian Church and ought always to be kept up. There should be
meetings wholly devoted to prayer! There is a serious flaw in the
arrangements of a Church when such gatherings are omitted or placed in
a secondary position. These Prayer Meetings should be kept to their
objective–and their great attraction should be prayer, itself. An
address if you like. A few burning words to stir up prayer if you like.
But if you cannot have them, do not look upon speech-making as at all
necessary!

Let it be a standing ordinance in the Church that at certain times and
occasions many shall meet together to pray, and supplication shall be
their only objective! The private Christian will read, hear and
meditate, but none of these can be a substitute for prayer. The same
Truth holds good upon the larger scale–the Church should listen to her
teachers and receive edification from Gospel ordinances–but she must
also pray. Nothing can compensate for the neglect of devotion.

It appears, however, that while Prayer Meetings were a regular
institution, the prayer was sometimes made special, for we read that
prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God, "for him," that
is, for Peter. It adds greatly to the interest and not a little to the
fervency of prayer when there is some great object to pray for. The
Brothers and Sisters would have prayed if Peter had been out of prison,
but seeing that he was in prison, and likely to be put to death, it was
announced that the Prayer Meeting would be especially to pray for
Peter, that the Lord would deliver His servant, or give him Grace to
die triumphantly. And this special subject gave enthusiasm to the
assembly.

Yes, they prayed fervently, for I find the margin of the fifth verse
runs thus, "Instant and earnest prayer was made of the Church for him."
They prized the man, for they saw what wonders God had worked by his
ministry and they could not let him die, if prayer would save him. When
they thought of Peter and how his bleeding head might be exhibited to
the populace on the morrow, they prayed heart and soul–and each
succeeding intercessor threw more and more fervency into his pleading.
The united cry went up to Heaven, "Lord, spare Peter!" I think I can
hear their sobs and cries even now. God grant that our Churches may
often turn their regular Prayer Meetings into gatherings with a special
objective, for then they will become more real.

Why not pray for a certain missionary, or some chosen district, or
class of persons, or order of agencies? We should do well to turn the
grand artillery of supplication against some special point of the
enemy's walls. It is clear that these friends fully believed that there
was power in prayer, for, Peter being in prison, they did not meet
together to arrange a

plan for getting him out. Some wise Brother might have suggested the
bribing of the guards and another might have suggested something else.
But they had done with planning and betook themselves to praying. I do
not find that they met to petition Herod. It would have been of no use
to ask that monster to relent–they might as well request a wolf to
release a lamb which he has seized.

No, the petitions were to Herod's Lord and Master, to the great
Invisible God. It looked as if they could do nothing, but they felt
they could do everything by prayer! They thought little of the fact
that 16 soldiers had him in charge. What are 16 guards? If there had
been 16,000 soldiers, these believing men and women would still have
prayed Peter out! They believed in God, that He would do wonders! They
believed in prayer, that it had an influence with God and that the Lord
listened to the believing petitions of His servants. They met together
for prayer in no dubious mood. They knew what they were doing and had
no question as to the power which lay in supplication! Oh, let it never
be insinuated in the Christian Church that prayer is a good thing and a
useful exercise to ourselves, but that it would be superstition to
suppose that it affects the mind of God!

Those who say this have foolishly thought to please us by allowing us
their scientific toleration to go on with our devotions, but do they
think we are idiots, that we would continue asking for what we knew we
should not receive? That we would keep on praying if it would be of no
more use than whistling to the winds? They must think us devoid of
reason if they imagine that we shall be able to keep up prayer as a
pious exercise if we once concede that it can have no result with God!
As surely as any law of Nature can be ascertained and proven, we know
both by observation and experiment that God assuredly hears prayer and,
instead of its being a doubtful agency, we maintain prayer to be the
most potent and unfailing force beneath the skies!

We say in the proverb, "man proposes but God disposes," and here is the
power of prayer, that it does not dally with the proposer but goes at
once to the Disposer and deals with the First Cause! Prayer moves that
arm which moves all things. O Brothers and Sisters, may we gather power
in prayer by having faith in it! Let us not say, "What can prayer do?"
but, "What cannot it do?" for all things are possible to him that
believes! No wonder Prayer Meetings flag, if faith in prayer is weak.
And no wonder if conversions and revivals are scarce where intercession
is neglected.

This prayer in the early Church, we remark, in the next place, was
industriously continued. As soon as Herod had put Peter into prison the
Church began to pray. Herod took care that the guards should be
sufficient in number to keep good watch over his victim, but the saints
of God set their watches, too. As in times of war, when two armies lie
near each other, they both set their sentries, so in this case Herod
had his sentries of the night to keep the watch, and the Church had its
pickets, too. Prayer was made of the Church without ceasing–as soon as
one little company were compelled to separate to go to their daily
labor, they were relieved by another company–and when some were forced
to take rest in sleep, others were ready to take up the blessed work of
supplication.

Thus both sides were on the alert and the guards were changed both by
day and by night. It was not hard to foresee which side would win the
victory, for truly, except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes
but in vain! And when, instead of helping to keep the castle, God sends
angels to open doors and gates, then we may be sure that the watchmen
will wake in vain, or fall into a dead slumber! Continually, therefore,
the people of God pleaded at His Mercy Seat. Relays of petitioners
appeared before the Throne. Some mercies are not given to us except in
answer to importunate prayer. There are blessings which, like ripe
fruit, drop into your hands the moment you touch the bough. But there
are others which require you to shake the tree again and again, until
you make it rock with the vehemence of your exercise, for then, only,
will the fruit fall down.

My Brothers and Sisters, we must cultivate importunity in prayer! While
the sun is shining and when the sun has gone down, still should prayer
be kept up and fed with fresh fuel, so that it burns fiercely and
flames on high like a beacon fire blazing towards Heaven! I would pause
here a minute and urge my dear Brethren to attach as much importance to
prayer as the early Church did. You cannot think too much of it.
Believing prayer, dictated of the Spirit and presented through Jesus
Christ, is, today, the power of the Church, and we cannot do without
it! Some look at her active agencies and prize them, and they suppose
that prayer might be dispensed with.

You have seen the threshing machine going along the country road from
farm to farm. In front there is a huge, black engine which toils along
the road. And then behind you see the machine which actually does the
threshing. A novice might say, "I will hire the threshing machine, but
I do not want your engine. That is an expensive affair, which consumes

coal and makes smoke. I do not require it. I will have the machine
which actually does the work, but I do not need the engine." Such a
remark would be absurd, for of what use would the machine be to you if
the motive power were gone?

Prayer in the Church is the steam engine which makes the wheels revolve
and really does the work! Therefore we cannot do without it. Suppose a
foreman were employed by some great builder and sent out to manage
works at a distance. He has to pay the men their wages weekly and he is
very diligent in doing so. He neglects none of his duty towards the
men, but he forgets to communicate with headquarters–he neither writes
to his employer, nor goes to the bank for cash to go on with. Is this
wise? When the next payday comes round, I am afraid he will find that,
however diligent he may have been towards the men, he will be in a dire
predicament, for he will have no silver or gold to hand out because he
has forgotten to apply to headquarters.

Now, Brothers and Sisters, the minister does, as it were, distribute
the portions to the people, but if he does not apply to his Master to
get them, he will have nothing to distribute. Never sever the
connection between your soul and God! Keep up a constant communication
with Heaven or your communications with earth will be of little worth.
To cease from prayer is to stop the vital stream upon which all your
energy is dependent–you may go on preaching and teaching, and giving
away tracts, and whatever you do–but nothing can possibly come of it
when the power of Almighty God has ceased to be with you!

Thus much on our first point. May the Holy Spirit use it and awaken the
Churches to unanimous, intense, importunate intercession.

II. Next we notice THE NUMBER ASSEMBLED which is a rebuke to some here
present. The text says, "Many were gathered together praying." Somebody
said the other day of Prayer Meetings, that two or three thousand
people had no more power in prayer than two or three. I think that is a
grave mistake in many ways, but clearly so in reference to each other.
For have you never noticed that when many meet together praying, warmth
of desire and glow of earnestness are greatly increased? Perhaps two or
three might have been all dull, but out of a larger number someone, at
least, is a warm-hearted Brother, and sets all the rest on a flame.

Have you not observed how the requests of one will lead another on to
ask for yet greater things? How one Christian Brother suggests to
another to increase his petition and so the petitions grow by the
mingling of heart with heart, and the communion of spirit with spirit?
Besides, faith is a cumulative force. "According to your faith so is it
done unto you," is true to one, to two, to 20, to twenty thousand! And
20,000 times the force will be the result of 20,000 times the faith!
Rest assured that while two or three have power with God in their
measure, two or three hundred have still more! If great results are to
come, they will be accompanied by the prayers of many.

The brightest days of all will never come except by the unanimous
prayer of the entire Church, for as soon as Zion travails–not one or
two in her midst, but the whole Church travails–then shall she bring
forth her children. Therefore I do earnestly pray, Brethren, to make
the numbers gathered in prayer as great as they can be. Of course, if
we come together listlessly–if each heart is cold and dead–there is
only so much more coldness and deadness. But taking for granted that
each one comes in the spirit of prayer, the gathering of numbers is
like adding firebrand to firebrand and piling on the burning coals–and
we are likely to have a heat like that of coals of juniper which have a
most vehement flame.

Now this is not a very common occurrence and why is it that so many
Prayer Meetings are so very thin? I know some places in London where
they talk about giving up the Prayer Meeting, where instead of two
services during the week they have compassion on their poor overworked
minister and only wish him to hold forth for a few minutes at a sort of
mongrel service, half Prayer Meeting and half lecture. Poor dear
things, they cannot manage to get out to worship more than once in the
week, they are so much occupied. This is not in poor Churches, but in
respectable Churches.

Gentlemen who do not get home from the City and have their dinner till
seven o'clock cannot be expected to go out to a Prayer Meeting–who
would have the barbarity to suggest such a thing! They work so
extremely hard all the day, so much harder than any of the working men,
that they say, "I pray you have me excused." Churches in the suburbs,
as a general rule, have miserable Prayer Meetings because of the
unfortunate circumstances of the members who happen to be burdened with
so much riches that they cannot meet for prayer as poor people do. Some
of you who have your delightful villas are very careful of your health
and never venture out into the evening air to Prayer Meetings, though I
rather suspect that your parties and socials are still kept up.

I say this not with particular reference to anybody, except if it
happens to refer to you, and if it does refer to you, the reference is
very special. After all, dear Friends, this is a personal matter. It is
of no use my standing here or you sitting there and complaining that so
few come to the Prayer Meeting–how are we to increase the number? I
would suggest to you a way of increasing it, namely, by coming
yourself! You may be aware, perhaps, that one and one make two, and
that another one will make three, so that by additions of ones we shall
gradually get up to thousands! The largest numbers are made up of
units, so that the practical point of all is, if choice blessings are
to be gained by numbers coming together for prayer, the way for me to
increase the number is to go there myself. And if I can induce a friend
to go, also, so much the better.

I have a very high opinion of the early Church, but I am not sure that
quite so many would have been gathered together that night if it had
not been that Peter was in prison. They said to one another, "Peter is
in prison, and in danger of his life, let us go to the Prayer Meeting
and plead for him." Did you ever know a minister who was often laid
aside by illness and always found his people pray better when he was
ill? Did it ever strike you that one reason for his being afflicted was
God's desire to stir the hearts of his people to intercede for him?
Their prayers are better than his preaching and so his Lord says to
him, "I can do without you. I will put you on the bed of pain and make
the people pray."

Now, I have an opinion that the best way for these people to really do
good for their pastor is to pray that they always be kept in a right
condition and may not need his sickness as a stimulus to prayer! If
Churches become slack in prayer, those whom they most value may be laid
aside, or even taken away by death–and then they will cry to God in
the bitterness of their souls! Could we not do without such flogging?
Some horses want to be reminded, now and then, with a little touch of
the whip. If they did not need the lash they would not get it. And so
it may be with us, that we need Church trials to keep us up to the mark
in prayer–and if we need them we shall have them! But if we are alive
and earnest in prayer, it may be that Peter will not get into prison
and some other trying things will not happen, either.

III. The third thing in our text is THE PLACE OF ASSEMBLY. That we will
dwell upon this morning as a suggestion. "The house of Mary, the mother
of John, whose surname was Mark." This was a Prayer Meeting held in a
private house and I want to urge all my Brothers and Sisters here to
consecrate their houses by frequently using them for Prayer Meetings.
This would have an advantage about it–it would avoid all smell of
superstition. There still lingers, among people, the notion that
buildings may be consecrated and rendered holy. Well, it is so babyish
an idea that I should have hoped the manliness of this generation, let
alone anything else, would have given up the notion!

How can it be that inside four brick walls there should be more
holiness than outside, or that prayer offered in some particular seat
should be more acceptable than prayer offered anywhere else? Behold,
this day God hears prayer wherever there is a true heart–

"Wherever we seek Him, He is found And everyplace is hallowed ground."

Meetings for prayer, held at the house of the mother of Mark, at your
mother's house, at your brother's house, at your own house, will do
much to be a plain protest against the superstition which reverences
holy places. There was a meetness in their meeting in this particular
house, the house of Mark's mother, for that family stood in a very dear
relationship to Peter.

Do you know who Mark was, in reference to Peter? If you turn to Peter's
First Epistle, in the fifth chapter, you will read, "Marcus, my son."
Ah, I am sure Mark would pray for Peter, because Peter was his
spiritual father! I should not wonder but what Mark and his mother were
both converted on the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached that famous
sermon. Anyway, Mark was converted under Peter, and so both he and his
mother often invited Peter to their house and when he was imprisoned
they had the special Prayer Meetings at their house, because they loved
him greatly. There is sure to be prayer for the pastor in the house
where the pastor has been blessed to the family. He need not be afraid
but what his own sons and daughters in the faith will be sure to pray
for him!

These meetings had a good effect upon Mrs. Mark's house. She, herself,
no doubt, had a blessing, but her son, Mark, obtained peculiar favor of
the Lord. Naturally he was not all we should like him to have been, for
though his uncle Barnabas was very fond of him, Paul, who was a very
good judge, could not put up with his instability. But he obtained so
great a blessing from the Lord that he became, according to the
unanimous tradition of the Church, the writer of the Gospel of Mark! He
might have been a very weak and useless Christian if it had not been
that the Prayer Meetings at his

mother's house warmed his heart. And he might never have used his
graphic pen for the Lord had not the conversation of the good people
who came to his house instructed him as to the facts which he
afterwards recorded in the precious Gospel which bears his name.

The house received a blessing, and so will you, too, if your house
shall be, every now and then, opened for special prayer. I urge upon
the followers of Jesus Christ to use their own houses more frequently
than they now do for holy purposes. How largely might the Sunday
schools in London be extended if all the better-instructed gathered
together Bible classes in their own houses and taught them during the
Sabbath! And what a multitude of prayers would go up to Heaven if
Christians who have suitable rooms would frequently call together their
Brothers and Sisters and neighbors to offer prayer! Many an hour is
wasted in idle talk. Many an evening frittered away in foolish
amusements degrading to Christians, when the time might be occupied in
exercises calculated to bring down untold blessings upon the family and
upon the Church!

Prayer Meetings at private houses are very useful, because friends who
would be afraid to pray before a large assembly and, others, who if
they did so, would be very much restricted in language, are able to
feel free and easy in a smaller company in a private house. Sometimes,
too, the social element is consecrated by God to promote a greater
warmth and fervor so that prayer will often burn in the family when,
perhaps, it might have declined in the public assembly. I never knew
the little Church of which I was pastor before I came here to be in
such a happy condition as when the members took it into their heads to
hold Prayer Meetings in their own houses! I have sometimes, myself,
attended six or seven in an evening, running from one to another just
to look in upon them, finding 12 in a kitchen, 10 or a dozen in a
parlor, two or three together in a little chamber!

We saw a great work of Grace then! The biggest sinners in the parish
felt the power of the Gospel! The old saints warmed up and began to
believe in young people being converted and we were all alive by reason
of the abundance of prayer! Brethren, we must have the same abundance
of prayer–pray that we may have it! We have been distinguished as a
Church for prayerfulness and I am jealous with a godly jealousy lest we
should go back in any degree. I do affectionately suggest to you with
much earnestness of heart that we should try to increase the number of
the places where many shall be met together praying. I do not know
where the mother of John Mark is, this morning, but I hope she will
start a Prayer Meeting in her large room.

She is well-to-do, I believe, because her brother Barnabas had land,
and sold it, and I suppose she had property, also. We will use her
drawing room. If a poorer friend has a smaller and poorer room, we
shall be glad of the loan of it, for it will be more suitable for
persons of another class to go to. Perhaps they would not like to go to
Mrs. Mark's drawing room, but they will come to your kitchen. All sorts
will have an opportunity of praying when all sorts of chambers are
dedicated to prayer!

IV. I have a little to say about THE TIME OF THIS PRAYER MEETING. It
was held at dead of night. I suppose they prayed all through the night.
They could say, "We have been waiting, we have been waiting, all the
night long." After midnight the angel set Peter free. Peter went to the
house and they had not gone to bed, but many were met together praying.
Now, as to the time for Prayer Meetings, let me say this. If it happens
to be an inconvenient hour, and I should think the dead of night was
rather inconvenient, nevertheless go! Better hold Prayer Meetings at
midnight than not at all! Better that we should be accused, as the
Christians were of old, of holding secret conventicles under the shadow
of night, than not meet together for prayer.

But there is another lesson. The dead of the night was chosen because
it was the most suitable hour, since they could not safely meet in the
day because of the Jews. It becomes those, who appoint the times for
Prayer Meetings, to select as good an hour as they can–a quiet hour, a
leisure hour, an hour suited to the habits of the people. Still, let us
remember that whatever hour is appointed, if we come together with true
hearts, it will be an acceptable hour. Better still, it would be well
if there could be meetings for prayer at all hours. Then every hour
would be an acceptable hour and if one happened to be unseasonable,
another would be convenient–and all classes of Believers could thus
meet together at some time or other to pour out their hearts in prayer
to God.

Oh, Brethren, if your business will not let you meet in the middle of
the day, meet in the middle of the night! If you cannot come together
for prayer at the times that are generally appointed, then have Prayer
Meetings at such times as

will suit yourselves, only let there be a unanimous resolve throughout
the whole Church of Christ that much prayer shall be presented to the
Most High.

V. Notice, in the last place, the SUCCESS OF THE PRAYER MEETINGS AS AN
ENCOURAGEMENT TO US.

They prayed and they were heard at once. The answer came so speedily
that they were, themselves, surprised! It has sometimes been said that
they did not really expect Peter to be set free. And that their
astonishment was the result of unbelief. Perhaps so, but I doubt it,
for you must remember that their prayers did set Peter free, and
therefore it does not look as if it could have been unbelieving prayer.

I trace their surprise to another cause. I think they expected that God
would somehow or other deliver Peter, but they did not think He would
deliver him in the dead of the night. They very likely had appointed in
their own minds that something would happen the next day and, so, their
surprise arose, not from the fact that Peter was free, so much as from
his being out of the dungeon at that particular time, and in that
particular manner. I cannot judge that to have been an unbelieving
prayer which really did win the day with the God of Heaven.

Dear Friends, the Lord Jesus waits to give us great blessings in answer
to prayer. He can send us surprises quite as great as those which
astonished the assembly at midnight. We may pray for some sinner and
while we are yet praying we may hear him cry, "What must I do to be
saved?" We may offer our prayers for the sleeping Church and while we
pray, it may be answered. But, the Church still sleeps. She has had a
smiting on the side, of late, but has not yet girded herself and come
out of the prison of her coldness and conventionality. But if we
continue in prayer we may see, with astonishment, the Church rouse
herself from sleep and come forth to liberty. We cannot tell what will
happen. Prayer operates in so many ways, but operate it will, and we
shall assuredly have our reward!

I selected this topic just now for this reason. The American
evangelists who have been so useful in this great city have gone from
us and the great assemblies which they gathered are no more. There must
have been many converted–I cannot but believe that many thousands have
received the Lord Jesus Christ and I have no sympathy, whatever, with
the remarks of those who are alarmed that our friends have not touched
the lowest class of society. I believe they have touched every class of
society. At any rate, their business was to preach the Gospel to every
creature, and they have done so with great impartiality and
earnestness.

If the poorest did not go, it was not because they were not welcome.
But they did go! I am an eyewitness to it. I know that many who went
nowhere before did attend the Bow and Camberwell Halls, and the fact
that the congregation looked respectable by no means proves that they
were not of the working classes, for what working man is there among us
but tries to dress as neatly as he can when he goes to a place of
worship? There are plenty of friends here who work hard for their daily
bread, but looking around they all seem, by their dress, to be
well-to-do. No one has a right to judge, that because a man does not
come to worship in rags, he cannot, therefore, belong to the lower
portion of the working class, for it is not the habit of the working
men of London to go to places of worship in their everyday clothes or
in rags.

I saw with my own eyes that multitudes assembled there were of that
class which did not habitually hear the Gospel! I am sure that good was
done and I do not care who quibbles. The practical point is–What is to
be done now? We must keep up this work. And how? Not by those large
assemblies, but by all the Churches being revived all round–and the
numbers in all the places of worship becoming more numerous–and at the
same time becoming more prayerful. Let us pray now. We need prayer to
train the converts, to keep God's people warm, now they are warm, and
to make them yet more so.

What wonders we have obtained in the Tabernacle in answer to prayer! We
began this work with a little handful of Christian men I remember the
first Monday night, after I came to London–there was a slender
audience on the Sabbath, but thank God there was almost as many at the
Prayer Meeting as on Sunday! And I thought, "This is all right. These
people can pray." They did pray, and as we increased in prayer we
increased in numbers. Sometimes, at Prayer Meetings, my heart was
almost ready to break for joy because of the mighty supplication that
was offered. We wanted to build this great house–we were poor enough,
but we prayed for it, and prayer built it! Praying gave us everything
we have! Praying brings us all manner of supplies, spiritual and
temporal.

Whatever I am in the Church of God this day, I owe, under God's
blessing, to your prayers. As long as your prayers sustain me, I shall
not flag nor fail. But if your prayers are gone, then my power is gone,
for the Spirit of God is gone and what can I do without Him? All
through the Church of God the true progress is in proportion to the
prayer. I do not

care about the talent of the speaker. I am glad if he has talent. I do
not care about the wealth of the congregation, though I am glad if they
have wealth. But I do care beyond everything for the deep, real,
earnest prayer–the darting up of the souls of Christians to God–and
the bringing down of the blessing upon men from God!

And if this were the last word I had to address to this congregation, I
would say to you, dear Brothers and Sisters, abound in prayer! Multiply
the petitions that you put up and increase the fervor with which you
present them to God! When my venerable predecessor, Dr. Rippon, was
growing old, this was one of the things everybody noticed about him,
that he always prayed earnestly for his successors. He did not know who
they might be, but his prayer was that God would bless the Church and
his successors in years to come. And I have heard old Christians say
that our present prosperity might be traced to Dr. Rippon's prayers.

Oh, let us pray! I believe we have had a revival very much in answer to
the multitudinous fervent prayers that were put up here and elsewhere.
And now that God is beginning to bless the Church in answer to prayer,
if she stays her hand she will be like that king of old who had the
arrows and the bow put into his hands and shot once or twice, whereas,
if he had shot many times, God would have destroyed Syria before him
and established his people. Take down your quivers full of desires and
grasp the mighty bow of faith! Now shoot again and again the arrow of
the Lord's deliverance and God will give us multitudes of converts all
over London and throughout the world!

"Prove me now herewith," says the Lord of Hosts, "and see if I do not
open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that you shall
not have room enough to receive it." God bless you, for Christ's sake!

PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–Acts 12:1-19. HYMNS FROM "OUR
OWN HYMN BOOK"–1,009, 978, 1,000.