, 1876-09-30

seccmcd to me simple bIasphcmy.
hundred times as a boy, have heard
man say IN prayer, at is time for thro
o Lord, to work l'--as though GoJ
dtint know whether it was time or po,
Said anothrl, 80 God, co,,t YOU do anv.
thing about it = said un evangelist, "r
am going to he in this city only two Il,
three days longer, and, o Lord, if tbou
art gong to do anything for the saliva.
tion of this town, do it now "'--egoli,u,
and blaSphcmy combined, with doult
ms to whica prcdominatcs. Said the
same evangelist, come to the meeting Ia
night, for there are going to be wonder
iuI displays Of the divine powers,
though he had served writ ON the Al.
mighty, and was going to produce and
display MIN at all hazards
just because God is loving and wise
and mighty this Kind Of petition is not
only useless, but insulting. And malc
the charge that the prominent evangelism
OF the day. in its frantic appeal to God.
as though it could not trust him TO do
right, displays worse and more opca
intidclity than it lays at the door of lib.
eralism or OF science. The quiet, loving
life Of the child at home is strongrrproof
of trust in father and mother than that
anxiety that appears to think its wants
will not be attended to unless as the re.
suit Of perpetual begging. The little
child in mothers arms looks up and
smiles and sinks Off to sleep. 1t does
not need to beg mother to rock its slum.
her and tuck it into its soft crib. Just
this child relation toward God believe
to be the true and pious one. Plattlc
your childish wants in the Fathers ear
rs much as you will Il; only remember
they are childish, and that he knows
best, and that the best of all prayers,
after ull is, Not as will, but us thou
wilt"
All this has seemed nccdful 10 say be-.
fore coming to that which is most inn or
tant oi ALL The whole question finds
simple, natural and satisfactory solution
when looked at in the light OF the prin-
ciplus Of evolution. What is that prin-
clplcl This; All the myriad forms,
forces, movements and lite OF the uni
verse are only the varied manifestation
OF the divine life that lives in and works
through it all. The division between
natural and supernatural, sacred and sec.
u!ar, are broken down. All is nat.
ural, and all is divine and sacred,
God is as much in the law Of grayitatiOn
as in the moral law-"ThOu shalt love
thy ncighbor rs myself The sun, the
winds,thc clouds, the rivers, the growing
fields, all speak His mysterious name and
reveal His present life and power. The
law of the unfolding flower is Just as di.
vine as is the impulse to gratitude or
prayer. 1t is just as rational and relig.
ious to expect prayer to yield to grayita
tion as it is to expect to gravitation to
give way to prayer. God does not undo
with one hand what he is doing with the
other. Nature is no lopgcr-as was once
universally, and is still too commonly,
supposed-a realm opposed to or out
side OF God, into which he comes at
times to COuntcruct its forces or TO deliv-
or from its power. Nature is God at
work, executing his own wise and per
feet will. 1t is not to be supposed, then,
that the impulsiyc requests Of men are
going to pursuade HIM to contravine his
own purposes, or Interfere with his own
wise work 1t becomes simply unreason-
able, but lack of intelligent piety to en-
pect it.
DO take the position, then, that man
can bear no active part in the midst OF
the divine operations of the world-that
he is only to sit still, and let the great
forces drift him on their current, like 4
leaf on the surface ofa torrent by no
manner of means. Mans whole life, ply
sically, intellectually and spiritually, de-
peuds on just how much and how wisely
he "interfcrcsn with Gods working,
bringing to pass results that else would
not occur. But he must do this mteIlI
gently, and according to the laws of that
department in which he expects success
To illustrate what mean You are