The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-11
The Sympathetic Character
Of the Saviour.
FAITH AND ASPIRATION
Rev. Father Kearney on the Star
OF Bethlehem.
CHRIST AN ExAMPLAR FOR YOUTH.
LYRIC HALL.

portions OF the Hebrew Psalms and the Bible and
an extract from the Persian Scripture. Alter his
invocation ana o hymn he said The week of
prayer ends to-day. The week OF prayer is an In
sttution suggested and sustained BY the Evan
gelical Alliance, an institution OF now some years.
standing, the object Of which Is to Join the
thoughts and desires ana aspirations OF all Chris
tendon in q concerted effort to draw down fresh
supplies OF the Holy Spirit upon the world. 1t is
q Christian Institution. company OF atheists
would never have thought OF IL, for they dis
believe in q personal God. A society OF
theists would not have proposed 1t, for their
God expresses It's thought and win In
the laws Of nature. society OF positivisfs
would not have proposed it because they believe
In humanity as the source OF all spiritual and
moral power. society OF Spiritualists might per-
haps fall in with such an Institution through their
latin in the mlnistering OF departed souls, but
their philosophy would render 1t unlikely. The
Catholics would not have proposed week of
prayer because according to their theory, there Il
ALWAYS a perfect communication between Chris.
tendon and the Holy Ghost The week Of prayer.
therefore, Is not only Christian institution but
Protestant institution, because Protestants be-
ueve In the special interpretation Of the Holy
Ghost and prayer as the means Of securing it.
The subjects proposed for prayer merit some
notice. Monday, the FIRST day, was devoted to
IOTWaEQ-OaCkWdTQW
gratitude, forward with expectation and hope.
Tuesday their thoughts went abroad to national
objects OF prayer. After this the senti-
ment draws back nearer to the heart,
and the objects OF prayer were our chill
oren, our homes, our mothers all teachers,
all ministers. Then, again, the thought goes
abroad TO foreign lands and the object OF prayer
is the prevalence OF spiritual liberty the establish
ment OF peace among the nations VI the world.
Alter this the thought OF tie missionary work
comes up and Cnrlstendom 10 called on TO pray
for the reclamation Of those who have wandered
into error. This done, prayer goes upward, and
Christendom is called on to pray that the Church
OF Christ may be simpler, purer, stronger. And
to-day the subject OF preaching II peace among
all the membe-s Of the Christian family. Now, re-
mark what etitions are. In the nrst place
the spirit isN erent from the spirit which
prevailed fe. ago; tho spirit OF bigotry
has almost dis. =; there Is little
appearance OF 1t e prayer that 'Israel
may be converted, but that Is the only
trace; the spirit is growing large, liberal,
comprehensive. Note the objects for which
cline OF superstition, peace among nations,
the establishment OF eternal relations OF amity
among dinerent races-spiritual objects every enc:
mark the superior Importance OF ali these objects
OF prayer. what a;e wortn praying lor II not suca
Suppose, as Is not likely. that PRAYER could CAL
down gifts, would II be thing to felictate our
selves upon tina: gifts were bestowed In answer to
prayer? Would 1t De well Suppose any great gilt
could be bestowed Tor the asking, that any great
evil could be averted by asking, That any great
crime could be tended OF by petition. would 1t be
we'll Oh, friends, no greater misfortune than
that could belail. because the character OF man
Kind, the e ovation vi mankind, depends upon
their earning the right TO possess 1t. NO greater
misfortune could belal than tnat men should
believe literally 10 prayer, no greater demoraliza-
ton oil mankind than that people should act on
peliei in prayer. suppose that one oil the hospl-
tails that are given out as maintained by prayer
was maintained by prayer alone what would be
tne result' The springs OF pity would DRY up aud
that benIgnlty SHOULD come down to relieve
world too lazy to nelp ITSELF IL may be a good
thing to beiieve in living Goo, in a helping, ever
present God; but, exalt the nobleness OF that be-
iie as you Will, IL - dearly purchased oy the sense
Of the absence 81 mnn &c San ss
In spirit invisible outside VI himself II Is not
likely That the week OF prayer VIII produce any re-
markabe effect. II IS not likely that We wiz wake
up tomorrow ana ind ourselves
IN THE MILLENNIUM.
be no cessation OF the roll and roar Of the iron
wheel OF destny that bears us on toward our goal.
eject OF The week OF prayer ails 10 produce what
they prayed forr They will say, Oh. they ala not
reason that win always be the reason. Suppose
all the earnest believers IN prayer would with SIM
devotion crave as Tor their lie Tor these great
gifts new sunlight would break on a sorrowing
world new airs begin to row through the corrupt
channels OF state the desire would bear lis own WI.
own laws would give us all That prayer ever could.
The question then u between aspiration and
PRAYER. II does not follow because we cease pray
ing we give up aspiration On the contrary, as
one declines the other revives. Let us consider the
difference between prayer ana aspiration Thcre ts
but one point or speculative difference, and that
Is, whereas prayer assumes personal being an
INDIVIDUAL with ears-to hear and heart 10 feel.
aspiration does not me man who prays, prays
to somebody and expects definite answer; ne
where where sat being who couie grant it. Aspiration
assumes no sucn thing; IL assumes possibility OF
Justice more real height ana o depth PHO o. goon
poses individual, but SIMPLY an ocean from
which each can gather supply. But with that
difference between prayer and aspiration All di1
terence ceases, both look up. both yearn. only ono
asks CUTS. the other seeks an attainment
immense advantage aspiration has over prayer.
PRAYER always tends 10 become mechanical we
devout men speak OF prayer in the language
Of mechanism. one orthordox divine com.
H Hnles rings be IN heaven Another says that
existence Is clock, and PRAYING Is winding up
ure,, who has full authority TO pay all notes pre-.
scented. Prayer Is note Endorsed by Christ and
paid by the inhni!e Coo, Tins Is the language Of
vitai IL cannot be anything else. II implies
thought, feeling and emotion emotion, It Implies
betveen the Unite that asks ana the Infinite that
responds. Another advantage-praying makes
Beng petitions as q suppiant. The spirit q
PRAYER is a spirit Of submission, OF loneliness, OF
prostration, running sometimes into seu-soase-
meut. We empty ourselves that God may make
ma fuIi. We make ourselves nothing that Coo may
MAKE US all. The position OF prayer Ia on the
aeuds q man into the closet; aspiration SENDS
MIN out OF doors. Aspiration makes great
Account OF the possibilities OF "a person. You see
the enormous difference, prayer aliases, aspira-
non inspires. Another distinction-praJer Is very
seldom answered. OF the millions OF prayers Of
fersd probably not one In million Is claimed TO
be answered. The literature OF prayer IL mainly
made up oy trying to explain why prayer Is no.
teachers, In laying down the conditions ior sue
cessfuI prayer, make them so stringent that not
one nerson In a million can fulfil them.
I'm the otner hand, aspiration Is always satis-
fed Aspiration never tails OF getting answered.
He who aspires always receives what he aspires
for es.As the hart panteth after tue water
brooks''-thcre 1T Is, aspire, and you nave
%ner Won aspire Tor. Did any per-
snn aver live who aspired TO De bet
ar but what ne was' There Is an organic
reason that aspiration should be satisfied; ana