The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-24
HoBoKEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Relations and the Conflict Betyycc en-
Science and observation-disclosures OF
PRAYER nv tho Rev. DR.. Marshall.

The Relations and the Conflict Between
Science and Observation-Disclosures or
Prayer by tho Rev. Dr. Marshall.
The text OF Dr. Marshalls sermon yesterday was
taken from Luke XII, 37-"Ask, and 1t shall be
given to you; seek and you shall find; knock. and
it shall be opened unto YOU" THIS is one OF
Christ's most precious utterances; and, In order to
show how the injunction might be best fulfilled,
He suboined the Lords Prayer, from which it Is
plain that one OF the grand requisites Of prayer is
that 1t be made in the name Of Jesus prayer is
the Christians vital bread" prayerless man is
necessarily irreligous; he is spiritually dead, as
the body is dead when the blood no longer courses
through the veins. Prayer is q presentation Of
wants to Cod; it is petition to jesus. Through
the lips OF the prophets God enjoined mankind to
pray; and, although many false prayers are con-
stantly breathed nevertheless the world is full Of
genuine prayer. The chief
REQUISITES OF PRAYER
are, right motive, right spirit, humility, importu-
nifty, faith and perseverance, Among the many
Instances OF Gods love lor man is the TACT that
1'thc spirit maKeth intercesson in our behalf and
hepeth our lnfirmties.n 1t is truly an act of In
finite cendescension Of God to allow man to come
to Him. Hence. in him who prays there should be
q deep desire to repay this love and to become
pure ana holy, like Christ. Hence, too, the whole
soul. the intellect the win and the heart, should
be addressed to God. The VIII, than which no
devotion that the SOUL ike a bird about to take
flight, Is ready to soar on the wings of prayer
Wherever It's interest demands. Through this SYM
metry OF action of the powers of the soul in PRAYER
rivers have ceased to ROLL great fires have been
quenched, celestial bodies have stood STILL Jonah
was saved even in hell and Elias rapt to heaven.
In face OF these wonders can we doubt that our
earnest prayers for blessings will be heard 1t is
true that
TEMPORAL BLESSINGS
are raincd alike upon the just and the unjust and
that prayer should be offered Tor spiritual rather
for all our absolute necessities God will not fail to
supply them. There are many unscriptural prayers
offered; words are vain; ntterances are phar-
saical. Failures to obtain the desired boon are
seized by sceptics to dsprOve the efficacy OF true
prayer. There are developed inteNects and wills in
boosted revolt against It. The conclusions OF
physical science are quoted against It, But mate
rial tests will not do for spiritual things. The ma
terial and the spiritual are two separate orders.
The mode OF procedure and investigation IN the
one has no analogy to that OF the other. DID
anatomists ever discover the memory, the under.
standing or the will by
ANALYSIS OF TIE HUMAN DRAINf
Physical effects are produced only In harmony
with the laws which God hath made, and which He
tests IN the spiritual order is as great folly as TO
submit the profound CONGRATULATIONS OF Ike Ter and
Newton to the judgment OF an IDIOT. AS well might
we expect to ind In the intellect OF the degraded
savage a due appreciation Of elOquence or poetry.
The reverend gentleman continued at length on
urged his hearers to pray frequently and well.
Among the congregation were several professors
OF the stevens institute and OF other educational
establishments, who listened with manifest pleas
ure to the preachers eloquent observations on the
absurd conflict between science and prayer. After
sGod--the pastor concluded by Offering up q prayer
n Intentions.