The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-10
genuine and sincere divine prayer ant
worship.

- 49,.
genuine anu sincere di'Ihe prayer "nu
worship,
"That this is the effect with men OF the
world, as they are termed II know moi
with what propriety, save that they are
NOT members Of any particular church,
will hardly be questioned BY anybody
On of by their position from all ostensi'
bly religious associations, under the ban
oi ecclesiastical condemnation as out.
casts and sinners, hali.persuaded by that
consciousness OF moral ill-desert which
charac,erizes all save the hopelessly de-
prayed, that the condemnation is justi
He'd by the facts in the case, and absorbed
by the claims and pursuits OF secular
ne 'hey nave mei'her .,ine nor ni,TinU 'nJi'v
"m ,T IN" mn., ;mnorinni If Mi mb.
iccts. They sec those who claim to be
by cminence, the religious teachers anu
characters OF the country engaged IN a
QuiXOiic crusade OF prayer and lasIlhg
against the grasshoppers-a movement
which merits, according to their best
judgment, knowledge and common'Sense,,
nothing but ridicule and contemplating
straightway they conclude that the whole
OF religion is Of piece with this redlcu'
lOus farce, and unworthy Of their serious
attention. They know that it Is vain and
idle tc pray against the grasshoppcrs--,
may it not, then, he equally vain and
idle to pray at all? Is not the spiritual
as well ~ the material world realm Ol
law and order, wherein all effects follow
helplrssly in the train Of their causes
What possible efficacy, then, can reside
in prayer? Can it change the immulable
and bring to pass, even in the spiritual
world, that which would not have bCen|
Dut il /. not alone upon men of the
,.a.II IL; ,,,,a.onJ ,on,Ion,,,, ,or,ords
"o''u' '"'' 'e'e's"u se'''v,'"" 'o"' NV
that TINS harmful elect wlIl laII' lhere
are Others whom it may effect still more.
"porhans IL. worst conscoucnces fall
unon those very men and women who ell.
courage themselves in such A false be.
lief Should some coincidence Of the
forces Of nature seem 10 afford an an.
swcr to their prayers, they are plunged
yet deeper in the fatal dGIuslon anu re-
ST. serIIn M 'Ir $ n'oI' iT Ie,iI'v H"""vs
effect follow Jeny il "a they NAV and
will, they are mortified and discouraged
in all their dcyolions. A veil OF my'leri;;
Gus doubt and uncertainty IL lnlerposeI
between them and the merCcy'scat,. II Hon
did not hear and answer them when they
prayed against the, gras'hopperS' why
should he hear ana answer them wheh
they pray ior their own spiritual grown
and development! They can see no I'LL
ference in the cases, Prayer Is prayer,
and God has promised to hear anu answer
prayer. But he did not answer mat
prayer Why should they oiler any o'her'
Besides, now that they think OF H. ihey
have been praying all their lives l9r hla'
teriai blessings, and, to the best o. thelr
recollection, never obtained anything IN
answer, to such q prayer Really they
are no better oil, IN these respects il'ah
those ol their acquaintance VINO never
pray at ALL"
What then il the proper function Of
provrr sccirg thn, II /. useIesa ia pray
r,,.;n., .,.L ,;,;,,,i.,, -, ,..a,,,,o,ror,
uShlNNN HuNH NlHlNatlOll7 Us BIhSHi"PISiS'