RELATION OF PRAYER TO MISSIONS.
IN 1829 some prayerful souls in Boston formed a Band of Faith, agreeing to meet monthly to give and pray for the conversion of Japan. When the contributions had reached the sum of $600, they loaned it to the American Board until Japan should be opened. Many fervent prayers were offered. Twenty-five years passed away, and still Japan folded the beauty of her mountain-sides about her, grimly closed her ports, and dared a foreigner to set foot upon her shores. Many of the original members of the Band of Faith had gone from earth, not having seen the desire of their hearts, when, in 1854, came Commodore Perry's treaty. This was followed by the treaties of 1858 and 1869, and then commenced a series of victories for Christ unparalleled in the history of modern missions. The Christian church has again and again within the past decade taken up the refrain of, "Glory to God in the highest." The statistics of the missions in Japan show the marvelous response of God to the prayer of that handful of men and women in Boston sixty-one years ago.—Christian at Work.