Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-08

effect would have to be snapped. The an
swer of single prayer which should be
change in the working, of the law OF nature
would bring the world to a sudden and dis
astrous end. Law, some think, is ike the
magic statue in the fairy stories, and an
answered PRAYER like the enchanted arrow
which lies beside it. Down goes the hero in
the story into a dimly-lighted cavern.
| There stands a statue in the midst OF
| splendid hall; beside it lies an arrow. The
| hero seizes the arrow, shoots it at the statue,
and with crash the root falls, and there is
| an end to everything,
Now, 1 will have something to say about
law when come to speak about miracles. L
| am content at present to set down here the
testimony of tive men who are admitted TO
know something about natural law, ana
whom nobody will accuse of having any un-
| due bias in favor of theology.
HUXLEY AND TYNDALL.
Prof. Huxley (Pop. Sci. Monthly, Jan.
'8S): 1.-THE supposition that there Is any in
consistency between the acceptance Of the
constancy of natural order and belief In
the efficacy of prayer is the more unac-
countable, as it is obviously contradicted by
every day experience" And Prof Tyndall
| says ("Fragments of Science"D: 1.-The
theory that the system of nature is under
the control of Being who changes the
phenomena in compliance with the desires
OF men, is, in my opinion, perfectly legiti-
mate one. It is no departure from scientific
method to place behind natural phenomena
a Universal Father, who, in answer to the
prayers of His children, alters the current
of the phenomena"
If these two eminent and learned and
critical professors find in natural law no
| hindrance to the answer to prayer, we NAV
| conclude that the objection lapses. So far
| as law is concerned, God can answer
/ prayer.
It remains to consider certain objections
to prayer which arise partly from the nature
| of prayer and partly from the nature Of
God. Prayer, considered as the act of ask
| ing for an answer, is of two parts, an outer
| and an inner, the word and the wish. There
are difficulties which attach themselves to
both these parts. First, concerning the
word OF prayer: why speak at all? God has
| no need of speech. He hears the unspoken
| whispers of the heart. Nothing is hid from
| God. The word OF PRAYER tells God nothing
which He did not know before. What,
then is the use of it? And as
| for the wish of prayer: why
wish for anything? For consider the matter
little. What we wish for is either the
best or the not best If it is the best, then
God, who is all-wise and all-loving, will
grant it, without our praying for it. IF it is
the not best, then the all-wise and all-loving
Father will not grant it, no matter how
earnestly we pray. Why pray, then? Why
use either words or wishes?
THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE.
The objections have q formidable look,
but we inter at once that they are not SO
formidable as they seem, from the fact that
they are not only recognized but stated dis
tinctly in the Bible and the Prayer Book.
'Your Father knoweth what things We have
need of before We ask Him." That is wlrat
Christ said about the word of prayer. "Thy
will be DONE" That is the preface which
he set before the ideal prayer, making that
the condition under which the wish of
prayer is uttered. Such a prayer He
prayed: mot my will but Thine be DONE"
Indeed, there is no intelligent Christian
who will maintain that words are necessary
to prayer SO far as God is concerned, or that
prayer is a desire that things should be
otherwise than as God wills. And yet
prayer goes on devoutly and continually.
Let US see what answer we can give to the
objections.
As to the objection concerning the word of
| prayer, we may say at once that while words
are not necessary so far as God is concerned,
they are absolutely necessary for us. No
| reasoning is valid which is founded upon
any unrealized ideal. Ali true reasoning
must start from things as they are. And SO
far as we are concerned-wish it otherwise
as much as we may-i it is the
unbroken verdict of experience that feeling
needs expression, and that without express
sion, feeling and emotion die Sympathy
must find words. love must be put into
speech, the spirit of dependence must be
voiced in prayer. We are dependent upon
God. 1t is tor our spiritual good that we
should realize this fact of dependence.
Such realization is the right attitude of man
toward God. Prayer is the expression of
this spirit 1t needs words.
SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL.
As to the objection concerning the wish
of prayer, let US think what the things are
for which we wish. We wish for things
material and for things spiritual But the
wish for things spiritual, as for grace,
strength, patience, light-this means readi-
ness. Gods blessings come only into the
open heart God, indeed, having given us
free will, can bless only the ready.
There is no other way. by which
we can gain spiritual blessings except BY
that readiness of heart of which PRAYER is
both the expression and the inspiration. A
desire for things spiritual is the indlspensa-
BILE condition. The natural expression of
that desire is prayer.
As for prayer for material things, as for
example for recovery from sickness, such
prayer is recognition of God as mind and
will and love, Because God is, therefore we
can appeal to Him; and because He is God,
therefore He can answer.
1 appreciate the difficulty which lies in
the reconciliation between Gods infinite
love and wisdom and God answer to an igno-
rant mans prayer. It is in line with the
reconciliation between Gods omnipotence
and mans free will. 1t is too hard for us.
1t is beyond the circumference" We
have not the brains to make it out
1t presented no difficulty, however,
to the mind of Christ. He taught
that God answers prayer. And there am
content to leave it. Only this ought to be
said, that there are two kinds of prayer for
things material, one right and one wrong.
The maxim of wrong prayer is, "Not Thy
will. but mine, be DONE" The maxim OF
right prayer is, "Not mine, but Thine"
To have our hearts ready to receive the
benediction. of God, and to recognize and
realize our relati to Him as children to a
father-this is the highest purpose of petit
tion. When Gods will is done, mans
prayer is answered. GEORGE HODGES.
BOUND ARMS AND LEGS.