The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-12-23
$500. For the ADVANCE III =. s ]
STUDY OF THE OLD MASTERS.
No. Nv.
PRAYER,

! PRAYER.
| ''Pray without ceasing,'' said mas.
ter Teacher. Can this command be O.
heyed? If prayer is to anything, it can
not, if for anything, it can. If by
''prayer" we mean the voiced ntterance
of a supplication it must, by the nature
Of circumstances, be intermittent. If
we take the meaning which the word
had when first written in English-An
earnest wish-lnay he "unceasing."
The wish may he constant until graft
fed. If prayer be anything else, obe-
dience to the command is not posi-
ble.
In the prayers Of different people we
may find the true level of the minds
that conceived them. In the prayers
OF different religions we may find the
true animus of the systems that de-
nand them The effect Of the various
prayers, has been AS different rs the
prayers themselves. The Parsee prays
to Vashti looking to the sun rs the WIS.,
IDLE "One' TO execute his commands
and rests under the certain conviction
that good comes from thenoe--Snd is
not disappointed. The HindoO pr1ys
not to but (or NirvanA-R state Of rest
and looks to various images IS" remind
ers' of the lessons tAc great Budha
taught centuries ago. He finds COM
fort in these, and good comes to him by
obedience. The Greek and Roman
'Pagans' prayed to an invisible Joye,
consulted the Oracles as his nOuthpiece,
and kept themselves surrounded by i'm
ages to remind them of his greatness.
Later came the Christians who told
them whom ye ignorantly worship
him declare l." and prayed to Go(oM
az a person Of even intelligence with
the better part Of mankind.
Now, to follow these various modes
Of prayer and note their effect upon the
prayers. The Parsee by taking stated
times for prayer, and the sun as the WIS.,
IDLE image of the Great Power, falls in
to the habit Of looking 1T the sun as
supreme, ant, offers his prayers rs q
ta>k-a duty to perform. The Buddhist
with his numerous images, seeks conso-
lotion Of them almost losing sight of
the great teacher Budha's principles.
The Greek and Roman, through period
icAl applications and many images, es-
tablishvu IL Mythology" which, though
Ingenious, is absurd to modern minds.
The Christian, by periodical prayers
and adopting the Pagan manoeyer OF
ptrsnnitying Ideas, has fallen into the
habit Of looking at Goin)d as the SUI
Prtme Power, and "praying' at stated
times as a tasS-;. duty to perform, and
established Il ''theolnyy' which, though
ingenious, is absurd to thinking
minds.
Tie early Christians adopted tie
modes Of the lagans that they might
the more readily inculate their more
humane principles, but even as the les
ser ho,,y attracts the greater in some
degree, so these pagan forms have left
their stamp upon the Christian rclig-
ion. giving to it the set time for ''pray-
er" and tic observance # certain days
set apart as sacred to the ''god,'' which
by long representation has u"orped the
early Christian Specification OF "g0od'
and retained the Pagan idea Of Il pny-
sonal master, which, it must be cont" ss-
ed, is at times oppressive and w. ust.
We may see by this how, so soon as
''cut aud dritA' forms and cruetls are
instituted, We lose the real good and
come to a ful! stop III our moral prog
rtSS.
Yet we are y great way i'll advance Of
the Pagan, Ii! having u more humane
religion.
The present accepted idea Of prayer.
which is purely the Pagan, is sadly in
consistent with the principles taught
by the Old Masters. What is the effect
Of our prayer OF to-day? # not too pos
itiyaiy periodical the effect is good.
though the ''anSwer" colnts from
tie mind that pr"ys: thus if mind is
earnestly wishing (rraying, its own
carnestness gives it strength that fits
it to accomplish its wish, if it be in rea-
sCuaNle accord with surrounding cir
cnmstanct.s and the majority Of like
minds in its vicinity. Thus comes the
''answer to prayer.''
II, however, these prayers he tOO cir
cumsi'ect or too periodical. though at
first tHev may !e earnest. thry will
dwnd!e to more form and become "thn
lett that killS.' incapable Of answer.
Should prayers he uttered only when
the mind is fully alive to the subject.
III earnest and III sympathy with sur
! rounding minds. then we may expect
the minds own intensity to accomplish
the "wish.''
This sympathetic contact Of minds.
is susceptible Of becoming the greattsT
power OF Man. The close adherence Of
mind with mind, the intense sympathy,
will induce \ CONCERT Of action, far
more than physical organization; and
concert ia the best manner OF exercising
power. An earnest feeling Of one will
induce q like feeling in another-as the
sound of Il bel will cause q responsive
ring from all others Of the SANE tone.
Prayer upon these pri ciplps is sure
Of answer. When it is for (to) Go(o)d
and ''withont ccasi',g" it wakes re-
| sponsive echoes in sy;npat hetic minds
! regardless Of distance, brings other
minds in accord with the wish for good,
and Go(o)d answering ''comes and
walks with us.''
Prayer like this. though it be "the
widows mitc.' though it be not vcict
at I'LL, is OF more effect than the Pa. an
ntterances OF 4 FenplOn though voiced
in the grandcst words Of the language