Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-24

demnstion without change in the law
Spiritual laws are changed in answer {
prayer; why may not physical, by tn
power which is outside of and above al
law? MalbraDche says we csnnO
ascribe TO God any quality or attribut
which is comprehensive, and the scrip
ture says that His ways are past findin!
out. We see that men, Of their own in
teIligence and physical power, can mod
ify physical laws; then why not b.
spiritual means modify laws which havr
their appointed course and limits
Prayer has an objective power, and no
merely q subjective effect, as you seen
to imply in your Eeathen lucubration il
opposition to the scripture, which says
"Whatsoever you ask the Father in M
name shall be granted to you"
OREMUS.
Praying fer Rain.
EDITORS APPEAL-As a fitting re
joinder to your editorial of Sunday, tn,
10Th, please give place to the follow
! ing editorial from the Christian Observer
Louisville, Kentucky. AS even many
! good christians take your view, for thei
enlightenment and edificstiOn these ref
erences are given: Lev. 26: 3, 4; Deut
IL: I3, IA; Deut. 2S: II; Acts IA: II
! james 5: II, IS. ''GOd being the creator
of all things and giver of every good and
| perfect gift" tells US plainly how to pray
! and the conditions on which He will
| grant requests:
l. "Prayers must be in accordance
with His will. III John 5: IA.
2. "Must be presented in Christ's
| name. John Is: %.
3. "Must be in faith. Matt. 81: %
4 -, srss ,NEI =
and obedience. .'-1 John 3: %; Luke
%: AZ.
5. "MUst be in the spirit of forgive
ness. MARX IL: 25 26.
Ore may ask "How can know what
is In accordance with Gods will?" The
answer is given in Romans s.: 26, q.
Read carefully Matt. 6: 5-15, and note
well the two caBditiCns in John Is: Z.
II you will give place to this, your read
ers will be furnished brief but very edi-
Tying and comforting "Bible reading"
Louisville Christian Observer
Last week we printed part of what the
bible says about the rain. This week we
will add few thoughts about praying
for rain. We do this, BOt only because
OF the Importance of asserting Gods do
miDiOn and authority over nature, but
because the principle involved is vital to
the existence of the chiidlike faith which
our blessed Master so often praised.
Whenever the proposal is made to pray
for the cessation OF rain or drought
there is at once a cry thatit is mere folly.
When the people Of Memphis proposed
to pray for protection against disag-
trous flood, daily paper promptly held
them up to Tidicule; just as the good peo-
pie of Missouri had been previously ridi-
culed for asking the Heavenly. Father to
rebuke the grasshoppers. Do these peO-
pie, it is asked, want the laws Of nature
changed for their convenience? Would
they have water flow up hill for their
profit? Do they desire that the whole
universe should be thrown into cOnfu-
sion for their qualification? Or perhaps
they wish that the flood should be kept
from the land neSr the city to
be poured with greater violence upon
other sections? Instead of prsyer- meet
ings, hOnest levee-OveTseers would be in
order. Good hard work On the embank-
ments will be more useful than stopping
to pray, Such, stated in unadOTned
language, and without the familiar wit
ticisms, are the usual objections that
are urged against special prayer for
physical blessings. Il these objections
are valid, they sweep prayer away alto
gether. With q change OF names they
apply TO prayer for every object. We
could not pray, for example, for the COR
version anu sauCtifcatiOu OF believers.
Are there not laws governing the Oper-
alton Of minds as well as physical
events? Can we not SIS certainly fore
tell the operation OF these as we'll as the
approach of fall? Will not the child of
the thief, trained entirely by thieves,
taught only from childhood that society
is MS enemy, become thief? Is it not
as absurd to pray that he may be cor
verted and become useful, honored
member OF society, as that the rains
may cease? There is broad difference
between praying for spiritual blessings
and praying for worldly benefits, be-
cause we know that prayers for the
former are always in accordance with
GODS will, while to the latter petitions
We must add the conditions, "if it be
accordance with Gods will" But 9
objections We are considering overlook
this distinction, and are equally valid
against both classes Of petition. There
is not clsu3e of the Lords prayer that
is sacred against such sneers, as could be
SuOW III "ClC II plOpcA W 90 lAIO luO
necessary details. God rules his spirit
usl kingdom and His moral dominion,
equally with his physical empire,
through secondary causes and by law.
If, when law enters, prayer is excluded,
prayer is banished from Gods sover.
eighty, for nearly all things are brought
to pass by God, through what We term
law. TIE prohibition of praying for
rain is thus practical atheism. It does
not in term deny the being and power of
God, but the God il acknowledges is one
who cannot lay his finger upon any in
dividual man or par r,Icular event. 1t is
a Goo who has virtually and to all in
tents and purposes abdicated his throne
in favor OF law. If we wish any par
ticul0r event, we may not approach the
mercy seat, but we must betake our
selves to the law governing the case.
II the plague appeals, it is, from
this standpoint, childish impiety for US
to ask, like David, that it may be stayed.
If drouth prevails it is wrong for US,
ike Elijah, to ask for rain. The only
remedies are disinfectants and deep ploW-
ing. God, in His word, encourages the
use Of these second causes, but He en-
us also to apply directly to Him
self He says in His word, "rhe hand
of the diligeut maketh rich," but He
also says, ASK any ye shall receive;n
and the two sayings are not inconsistent
if we admit that God rules the laws of
nature. But the objections against pray
ing for rain would make us depend sole
ly upon the secondary causes. The spirit
of the ridicule cast on train prayers is
atheistic. 1t does not object to the petit
ton that the ''LOrd would bless the
labors of the husbandmen." But q spe-
cial, marked appeal to Gods mercy ex-
cites its mirth. The old tTite general
acknowledgements of the divine author
ity it does not cavil at, for the reason
that, through long use, their sharp edges
and distinct impressions have been worn
away so that they do not wound
the sensibilities OF such as do not
like to entertain the thought of
Gods presence and power. But the
sharp edge of decided conviction that
God sent this storm, or that sickness, or
the other trouble, or this good harvest,
or daily health, wounds their sensibili-
ties. They object to the prayer that
cOnfesses this direct control Of
God. II we cannot ask for lesser gifts,
how can We ask for the greater? II we
cannot pray for rain, We cannot ask for |
the "living water of life" five cannot |
ask, reverently and in submissive tenn
per of mind, for the "things that perish
ia the using" how shall we ask for |
those which last forever? The PRAYER
oh ipf