18 



up to a sense of their duty in this matter, and an increasing 

 number of the Clergy are manfully grai>pling with the foe. The 

 Doctors are yielding to the force of tiuth, and the educated 

 classes are giving serious attention to this movement. The press 

 is also realizing its importance — the old proverb is again being 

 verified " That truth is great and will prevail," but the battle 

 will be fierce and difficult. The enemy will die hard ; we shall 

 need to work with all our might and i)ray with all our heart that 

 God will be pleased to give the nation a speedy deliverance. I 

 would therefore invite all who are so disposed to join in a common 

 petition to the throne of God day by day, and for that purpose 

 append the following form of words which are used by the Mem- 

 bers of the Church of England Temperance Society's Prayer 

 Union : — 



" God, whose blessed Son was manifested that He might 

 destroy the works of the devil, and make us the children of God 

 and heirs of everlasting life, look down in mercy upon all those 

 who are engaged in Thy name in combating the deadly sin of in- 

 temperance. We confess, O Lord, that in the time past of our 

 lives we have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, in the 

 indifference we have shown to the progress of this terrible evil 

 among us. We own, with deep shame and humiliation, that by 

 reason of the abounding drunkenness in our land, cruelties have 

 been perpetrated in countless numbers, and of the deepest dye ; 

 the sacred love of family has been torn and riven asunder ; the 

 sorrowfid sighing of women and children, by thousands and tens 

 of thousands, has gone up and entered into Thine ear ; even now 

 the land is defiled with the blood which the drink is continually 

 shedding ; and while in our own lands souls are kept in bondage 

 and are perishing with none to help, through our fault the name 

 of Christ has come to be largely blasphemed among the Heathen. 

 It is because Thy mercies fail not, but are new every morning, 

 that we have not long since been consumed. But, Lord, we 

 repent of these our misdoings ; we pray Thee to give true repent- 

 ance to ourselves, and all the people whom Thou hast called by 

 Thy name. And now that we are associating, in Thy name, to 

 meet the evil with special remedies, grant that Thy Holy Spirit may 

 be with us to direct and prosper us. Be to us, Lord, a Spirit of 

 wisdom in all our councils, a Spirit of unity and brotherly love in our 

 several associations, a Spirit of ghostly strength in the enterprises to 

 which we may address ourselves ; so that casting away all self- 

 confidence, and depending upon Thy most mighty protection, we 

 may triumph over all the opposing work of the enemy. Give 

 us the grace of patience under trial, of perseverance under every 

 seeming want of success, of meekness under reproach, of endurance 

 under temptations, whether of the flesh or spirit, and above all, of 

 singleness of aim and motive, that in all we do we may seek Thy 

 glory and the good of our fellow-men. Shed abroad in our hearts 

 the love for our perishing brethren, that we may be willing for 

 their sakes to deny ourselves in lawful indulgences, if by so doing 



