Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-17
Praying for Rain.

IlhylnB ioT NALL
The virtue Of prayer has been in
voked by the religious people of Bel
ton TO induce rain for the drouth-smit-
ten crops. Several days have elapsed
aud no rain has fallen. Shall this
nonfultlllment of their supplications
be taken as failure of the prayer
test? Certainly not Had copious
showers answered tne prayers of the
Bolton churches, would the irreligious
world have conceded this as triumph
of prayer from the hearts of the faith
ful? They would have said, rs they
have said In every instance OF sacred
and profane history, that 1t came In
the natural course of the seasons, In
dependent of the Influence of the
Christian world upon divine Provl-
dence In ordering events. An
instance Is recalled here. In 1875,
Kansas aud the West had been
ravaged by an invasion of
gras-hoppers, and they were moving
eastward with undiminished devasta-
ton. Already the Missouri border
had been crossed aud the Western
counties shorn Of their growing crops.
In this emergency Gov. Hardin APP
pointed day of fasting and prayer
for deliverancc from the plague. Up
to the day OF prayer there had been
no sign of weakness on the part OF the
enemy. Within week thereafter
they had entirely disappeared, and
Missouri was freed from them. Was
this the result of prayer? Skeptics
answered no that II would have been
30 irrespective of any such observance.
The religious world said post hoe,
ergo propter hoc"-after this, therefore
on account of this-and accepted the
result ms being brought about by Di-
vine interposilion in their behalf In
answer TO their appeals. Certainly
they had the better part OF the argu-
ment.
Whether the prayers of the Bolton
churches were answered or not, will
probably not be determined; as 1t may
rain, or 1t may not, shortly, and there
Is no settlement of the question as to
whether rain, II sent, was
In response to the appeal Of
the God-fearing. Indeed, the in
PRODUCTION of the subject offers .u OPP
portunity for putting the question: To
what extent does prayer persuade Om.
impotence to depart from His designs
and grant special indulgence to the
petitioners-an indulgence not pro-
vided for in the great plan for govern.
ment of the universe? Such ques.
lions bring up the same difficulty
which attends all other questions OF
the relations between the human will
and the divine, the freedom of man
and the sovereignty ofGod, How far
God viii so in departing from the fix
edness of His laws TO appease the DE.
lition ofhuman creatures IL question
that has been discussed In all its parts.
aud still remains unsettled. He has said.
Ask, and 1t shall be given.n But
suppose two persons ask opposite
things, with equal faith and fervor.
which shall have his favor grantedP
The Bolton people ask for rain; sun
pose there were also interests In that
vicinity which rain at this time would
ininre, and they should offer up couu.
ter petitions to the Throue OF Grace
for continuance of the droutb. who
should be favoredp To grant one
Is to refuse the other. Again.
how can belief In the power
OF prayer be reconclled with any view
OF the Divine DEGREES, from the most
absolute doctrine of predestlnation 10
the most modified scheme which rec-
ognises the Creator as supreme In the
universeg Whatever seeming incon.
slstencies may be implied In specula.
lions concerning these two qualities.
the necessity of prayer and the power
OF prayer are acknowledged equally
oy men OF the most opposite views.
and generally with an acknowledv.
ment Of the inability of the human
MIND to solve some Of the problems
which are thus presented to it.
The Bolton church people have, at
III events, sets good example to other
parts OF the state, and shown their
Aith IN the efficiency OF prayer, ]