The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-16

Moved by the example of the Master,
as well as by the common impulse to
pray, and noting, probably, the differ
ences in the prayers by the established
church and those by the Master, the
disciples asked to be instructed in
prayer. The result was the brief for
mula called 1.-The Lords Prayer" The
first element of this prayer is the due
recognition of the Deity as the parent
of the human soul. Then come petit
tons for blessings, among which is that
which specifies that the will of the
Father should be supreme. But the
hasty and perhaps selfish worshiper is
apt to overlook the fact that God must
know more as to what is good and
should be done than himself could
know; and to forget that Jesus said,
"Your Father knoweth what things
ye have need of before ye ask him."
In that unequaled ordeal in Gethsem-
name, where the cup of bitterness over
ran all measure, where, in failing to
drain it, none but himself and God
could have detected the flaw in his
conductor a moment he allowed
weak nature to assert its course, by the
prayer, eff it be possible, let the cup
pass" but at once brought it under by
the words, mot as I will, but as thou
wilt"
But, it is observed, ibid not Jesus
plainly say, Ask and it shall be given
you p" Yes, as mark of apprecia-
tion and subordination, God requires
us to ask-to solicit for every good.
And did he not also say, HE that be-
lieveth on me, the works that do shall
he do also and greater works shall he
do?" In submitting these questions,
it is not taken into account that the in
structions of Christ are against uncon-
ditional asking of the Father, and that
such asking involves arrogance, and
essentially unchriStian conduct. To a
class, st. James remarks, ''Ye ask and
receive not, because ye ask amiss,''
which should impress the Scripture
student, that not all asking is availing,
and that receiving is conditioned upon
the manner of asking as prescribed by
the Master.
OF faith there is often as large a
misunderstanding. Instead of being an
assurance, based ON reasonable grounds
it not infrequently is understood to be
what under other circumstances would
be called merely assumption. The con-
sideration that faith is creature OF
the will, to be exercised at choice, il
proof of this very radical misunder
{ standing. illustration of this view
of faith is in homely anecdote of tn,
woodman being rallied on the subjec
of faith. 1t was alleged that if he hat
faith to that effect he might cast hi
ak into the stream and it would swim
He declined to believe it, but woul(
make the experiment. The ak wa,
thrown, and promptly descended to tn,
bottom. "Just as 1 expected" re
sponded the man. Now an assumption
may be imagined in the mind of this
victim, but nothing of the character O.
faith.
Faith is very philosophically defined
by st. Paul as ''the substance o.
things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seem" We observe here that al
essential condition of faith is "evi
dence," not assumption, of things moi
sensibly visible, possibly an inward
evidence based upon assurances moi
externally verifiable, and perhaps illu
sorry and not resting on real facts al
all.
1t is not materially unlike that pre-
science of the future which so largely
shapes the present, and which evokes
from life such wonderful energy only
in religion it is applied to another class
of facts class liable to excite, in some
temperaments, more strongly the sense
of assurance, from considerations OF
intimacies and special dealing with
final causes, or with the Deity.
With minds thus conditioned, faith
might be made more efficient, with a
wider range of application-in extreme
cases to directly seize on the fiber OF
the body, or, why not, upon the neigh
boring mind, its vital forces and sub.
tendent physical fiber?
Indeed, such is well recognized phys.
biological law, and enters largely into
hygiene. Hence there is such thing
as faith cure" Physicians recognize
it, and make account of it in practice.
While there is a nndteria medica, and
people are cured by it, at times even
against their unbelief and wish, the
faith of the patient is of wonderful
help in the curative process, and an
important auxiliary to the material
remedies.
OF the faith cures performed at
Lourdes, in France, and Knock, in Ire
land, there is thorough confirmation.
The faculty call the process, "Expectant
attention." term signifying, substan-
TALLY, what Paul indicates by the term
faith"