New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
T.ETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
ANSWERS TO PRAYER.
PROFESSOR RICHARD OWEN GIVES SOME INTEREST
ING FACTS.


ING FACTS.
To the Editor or The Tribune.
SIR: In your Semi Weekly issue of No
vember Is, a correspondent, signing himself z. T. 81
asks for objective facts regarding sRswers to prayer
At time he seems to intimate thlt tine answers
must show OF the natursllaws when the DIVINE
Person. II ever gives assistance as an earthly father
helps his child"
Ireply: No intelligent child win ask his earthly
father to VIC late the laws Of the and neither VIII an
intelligent Christian ask his Heavenly Father to reverse
or set aside the OF the universe @ T. s. VIII per-
haps cite Joshua who prayed that the sun might
stand still. suggest III response that Inc necessary
effect OF daylight TO continue the fight may have been
produced by various accordance with law and
provded for this occasion by omnscience. which fore
saw and omnipotence which provided the desired
means Joshua not being astronomer. may not nave
known that his prayer II granted literally, would dis
turb the harmony of the planetary worlds
But II the desire OF @ r. Is really to arrive Mt usei
truths in this respect can give him. from my own ex-
pericnce three cases. least, In which the result al
boueh DELAYED seems direct to prayerand yet
wholly objective.
A person not related to had for several Yeas been
the victim OF incompetence. became strongly inter-
ested in his welfare and commenced systematic ap-
neal nnt md morning. TO Great Physician for the
re form OF my friend however neither directly nor IN
directly then siucc intmated TO him that was
praying for him, did offer him one word OF
advice or warning after spent seven months III
travelling aud went Egypt and the Holy Land
on my return the expiration Of about a year from
the time commenced praying FOR him, learned that
he had reformed years since, and the re-
form still holds good.
inc other two cases can be embraced In
one description On parting from Two oil my
church assoc ates both bad health one over seventy
wears OF age and other notmuch younger hey asked
me to pray for them -, -
have never either Of hem siuee, nor had any
communication from them unth recently had letter
from relative of the younger stating that the odeI
was quite well for person OF that age and the younger
very much better. My prayer each night ana morning
had been for tbcr restoration 10 health In all these
but IN tue first there Il reformation. which Is very
difficult and IN the Others there was restoration 10
health az advanced age after long prevalence OF
chrome disease.
In conclusion as have long been student OF natural
fccnce gest That there often seems 10 me some
analogy between the physical ana the pNchcal laws,
Let II Tor instance. revcreuy compare what u called
conversion. the drawing o. soul toward IFS Maker
with tue traction exercised by the earth on magnetic
needles ara delicate magnetic needle may iall
to point TO TIE magnetic pole, uUder the influence oi
iron or ungues proximity 10 II. Let any Intelligent
oraior remove perturbng causes aud the needle
| Is nt once rghtcd TO ITS true magn tc meridian
so IL appears 10 me 10 b. with TIE human mAgnet,
whose psychcal attraction Ia the great Central Mag
OF the Universe Creator, has been disturbed 10y
various unfa vOrabic associations ircBd, strongly III
lcstcd nterccdcs The Omnpotent Creator can SURE y
answer that prayer without cOmtrayening any OF ms
own laws ana by the removal OF the psrnrblug tenpt
lions and Influences the erring human mag lei rs draw
toward home and IL attracted 10 us great FIRST
Cause. ,,.-
sentnr our wanss wshc. 81 the throne o. he Most
g whl should O. Il. :. seek 10 destroy that source Oi
comforf and poWeIi RICHARD OWES.
Xer-Harmony, Ind. Dec. q, 1879