For many years it has been customary for the religious bodies composing the Evangelical Alliance, and under the direction of that organization, to observe the first week in January as a special season of prayer. A program is published, assigning special topics for each day,-such as prayer for the Church, its unity, spirituality, and its service in home and foreign mission work, for the family and for nations, etc. This practice originated in the mission field, in a desire for greater blessing on the work there and upon the churches at home. Often it has been a time of real and marked blessing; for when was our God ever sought in truth, even if not " after the due order," and did not richly reward the seekers? Surely it is the duty as well as privilege of Christians every where to remember those who are thus engaged, and to pray for them. It is not, therefore, in any spirit of criticism that we would examine this observance in the light of Scripture. We know that God's Word, though sharper than any two-edged sword, only lops off unsightly and useless excrescences, never injures what is the real fruit of the Spirit. We would suggest, as a danger to be guarded against, that the regular recurrence of a set time each year do not become a mere matter of form. If the "set times of Jehovah " (Lev. 23:) could degenerate into " feasts of V? the Jews " (Jno. 2:), how much greater the danger in the case of times merely of human appointment! In all things, we are apt to follow habit and precedent, and not the leadings of the Spirit of God. The moment a practice becomes habitual and fashionable, it loses the freshness and spontaneity which are ever the characteristics of a work of God.

Then, too, while it is right to pray for rulers and governors, and for the Church and its work, to mix these two, and to pray that nations as such may become Christianized, is only to repeat the old error of looking for a millennium without Christ,-to degrade the Church from a heavenly bride to an earthly nation. It is a re-assertion that the " course of this world " is upward and not downward. Alas! that this is the common faith of the professing church, is but too evident.

What a sad denial of the need of prayer for unity is the existence of the various sects, and members of these coming together to pray " that they may be one," without apparently the slightest exercise of conscience as to how displeasing to God their own position is. Surely it is well for all who pray for unity to remember the words of the Psalmist-" If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me," and of the apostle, who in asking the prayers of the saints, assures them of a good conscience on his part, " in all things willing to live honestly." How can prayers for unity be intelligently earnest and sincere, when those who make them continue to hold and practice that which means disunion? Here, as in all things, there must be truth if we would not mock God, and a readiness to act for Him and so remove the hindrances which prevent His answering our prayers. What refreshing, what power, what a testimony, would result from a spirit of true prayer amongst God's people, manifesting itself in obedience to His word ! May He awake His people to these things!