A DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER.
By Editor
"AND Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." Matt. 9:15. Fasting is an expression of sorrow. It would not have been fitting while the Lord of life and glory was with his own. It is specially fitting in times of moral declension, backsliding, and when the cause of God is in deep affliction. All through the Bible we have such instances. When Israel fled before their enemies, they fasted. Josh. 7:7; Judges 20:26; 1 Sam. 7:6. Moses, Elijah, and Christ, fasted even forty days. Ex. 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Matt. 4:2. When God's people fell into sin, and he could not consistently bless them because of this, fasting was one special means of grace to bring them into God's favor. Ezra 8:23; Neh. 1:4; 9:1. The most devoted servants of God, in times of anguish and spiritual darkness, have fasted and prayed for the outpouring of the Spirit. Dan. 9:3; 10:2; Acts 27:33; 2 Chron. 6:5; 11:27. We have reached an age of great spiritual darkness. The possession of the form of godliness, with little of the power, is that which marks the age in which we live as the "last days" of the earth's history in its present state. In spite of all the light we have as a people, we are deeply afflicted with this spiritual apathy. We are very near the day of God, and do not sense it. We greatly need to humble our hearts before him with fasting, weeping, and earnest prayer. While others are rushing on with carelessness, surfeiting, and love of pleasure, we ought to feel our need of God, and seek him with all the heart. Our camp-meeting season is just before us. How exceedingly important it is that these meetings should be spiritual seasons of great encouragement. Satan's power to harden the heart and make people unfeeling, seems to be stronger and stronger, so that our sermons do not have the success of former years. We must have, at least, a proportionate increase of God's blessing, to do the work committed to our hands. Our faithful missionaries are struggling hard to break through the barriers of long entrenched error, and let in the precious light of truth, to gladden honest souls. They have a hard battle to fight. They need the prayers and sympathy of all who love God, especially our beloved Bro. Andrews, one of the faithful pioneers in this work, who is struggling with disease which human power can never cure. Consumption seems to have marked him for the grave. But our God is a mighty God. He greatly blessed and strengthened him at the time of fasting last appointed; and we will continue to hope that he will hear the united prayers of our people in his behalf, and spare him to help us in this great work before us. Just at this juncture, when he has learned the language and become familiar with the situation, and has had encouraging success, his loss would be very great. God is blessing him spiritually with great peace and courage. His articles were never more clear or weighty. Shall not our united prayers, as a people, ascend to God in his behalf, for restoration to health as long as he lives? Shall we not fast before God, and humble our hearts before him, that we may not lose the valuable labors of this faithful man? In accordance with these suggestions, we hereby appoint Sabbath, May 21, as a day of fasting and prayer. We recommend our people, when they can, to assemble in their places of worship, and read such portions of Scripture as relate to fasting and special answers to prayer, and that all our people humble their hearts before God, and seek him with all the heart. Pray that he may forgive our sins as a people, and bless our camp-meetings, encourage our ministers to labor faithfully in the work, and give us an outpouring of his Spirit; that he may bless our missionaries, and especially our beloved Bro. Andrews, if living, and raise him to health again. May God greatly bless this appointed fast to the good of our people everywhere, GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.