The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-08-11
Prayer Making.

Mr.. Spurgeon has confessed that pray
er does not always come from his pump
| when wanted, and it was good to pour a
little water down. This, says the Spec
tator, in commenting on the subject,
from man with so great gift of i'm
provisation, is interesting. 1t hits, al
most bluntly, one source of the pain
which some devout people, who value
the prayers and praise little more than
the sermon, perhaps would feel in listen
ing to anything like "the long prayer. I"
It is only too plain that, to use Mr.
Spurgeon's own words, the prayer does
not always come from the pump when
wanted. may we complete the image
by saving, when the handle is worked
up and down? Hear o few words
from a living divine: "The thoughts
and aspirations which look direct
to God, and the kindling of which
among a fraternity of men constitutes
social worship, are natives of solitude;
the spectacle of an assembly, is hindrance
to their occurrence; and though, where
they have been devoutly set down be-
forehand, they may be reassumed under
such obstacle, they would not spontane-
ously rise till the presence of the multi
Uuue was IOTSOUtcA, uAu ny 1uh0 OAotu
of abstraction the loneliness of the spirit
was restored" Such testimony might
be multiplied indefinitely; but there is
evidently very great difference between
the spirit in which the subject-or the
fact-of prayer is approached. Some
look upon prayer as prostration OF the
south in waiting communion seeking and
asking, it may be, but not pushing and
piling things up. To others prayer seems
to be more of an active exercise; or
regulated sort of outpouring, well thick
ened with doctrine. OF course prayer
may be an active exercise with us all:
but it was little surprising to find John
Wilson, in defending certain services, lay
it down, or at least, accept the
proposition that, prayer must be unwrit-
ten, unprecedented, else it is not
prayer. Can the heart ever want fitting
words?" concludes Wilson. We should
say, yes, very often, indeed, and that, in
fact, halt the prayer of pious souls goes
up unworded. Here is short petition,
which is 500 years old, and is we'll sea-
soned by use: "Oh, God! who art the
truth, make me one with thee in ever
lasting love. I am weary of hearing. In
thee alonN.is the sum of my desires. Let
all teache s be silent, let the whole crea-
ton be dumb before thee, and do thou
only speak to my SOUL" How is the
truthfulness Of this prayer of medieval
monk affected by its being as familiar as
the prayer of St. Chrysostom," at the
end of the morning and evening service?
The general question of the use Of fixed
forms, we should, of course, not dream
of arguing here, but do not our hearts
tell us that one great-often overwhelm-
ing-sdvantage of form which is
known by rote, and, so to speak, satu-
rated with emotion by frequent use,
is that the more words pass I'M
criticised. and that the thought of the
soul is led upward without any struggle?
OF course if no prayer is genuine IN pub
lie, at all events-unless it is pumped
up" more or less we do not use the
phrase offensively), 'cadit question" till
there is water enough. But why should
not preacher like Mr.. Spurgeon have
full liberty to use written or printed
prayers when he pleases? DR.. Chalmers
used to hide his written prayers in his
moderators cooked hat, but why should
not the minister be at liberty to use, in
public, utterances of other devout souls
which have received the hall mark OF
universal acceptance? To collect a
goodly volume of such prayers would be
about one days work; and why should
not any minister who liked it, be at lib
erty to u.e this collection interpolating
or not, as(he pleased? Why should not
this be as lawful as pouring water into
the pump by singing hymns, which are
not only forms, but very elaborate forms
indeed.