Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-04
Praying for Rain.

W. hAP il'ftADu ~ rev. H. H. iif"'rs ~ ''+l
Tho question, May We reasonably pray
Tor lain:' Is Gcitatai anew. What Is ram
/, Is generally ascribei 70 the working OF
the laws of nature These laws are re-
easlci ~ 50 fixed tina, any deviation from
or intcrience with the established state OF
things must be in the nature Of q mIracle
CONCLUSION As rain results from tho
working OF the laws OF nature, 10 pray for
ram y 10 pray that God will work t. mira
Gle. Well Is He not ~ able to DO this now
a. IN tne oldcn times; But what l. rain
Does II strictly belong to the original laws
OF nature, - n result Of their working
The inspired history shows that there
was no ram unit. after nan was created.
HE Lord ,iod had not caused il to ram
upon the earth and (thero wis) not q man
10 TIL tho ground. But there went up q
mist from the carth and water 4 the whole
face ~ the ground so We read in the re-
clptu.atIon of the creation. Genesis H.,
%. Tn, IL true or not true. II true land
W. accept ~. then lGin was So To speak.
secondary consid,ratIon-an alter proy,-
sion tJr thc wants OF man when be was
created. Nan was Gou'S last creation.
Il ,;pre he vas created God had fully TX
amined The earth. which Tie bad nelc.
and declared Is very good. -iieIrsls
l., 30 y. And a..er mans creation
God saw everything that lie had
mad and behold Gt was very
good. - Genesis l.. 3l.-tntil nan Was
created the mist from ,ho ,arth was
included IN the very good There was
the law ot nature ~ GOD established It at
first. or from the beginning. bat how Old
are the laws Of nature" causing RAIN. OF
which We now speak! Can any iann tell
Ihc oldest account wo have ~ III tie
word: The rain vas upon tho earth
forty days and forty night. - Genesis WI,
T. From that record Oh throughout the
Bible ram Is mentioned a. tns special git
of God, not IL q result OF the working of
The laws Of nature ~ the strict u'e Of
that torn. Besides this God j. spoken Of
a. givin@ " Withholding ram at His plea
sure. Gni a. he';pwiBr l. upon one place
rather than another IN the free exercise Of
Iii, will. For example. Il hayo with
holden the ram from YOU whcn there worel
yet three mouths to the harvest. and |
caused Il TO rain upon one city aud caused
II not t. ram upon another city, etc.
Amos w.. 7.
Soiomon's PRAYER was only so much non
sense # u prayer for ram il out or the
sphere Of reason: Wnen the Heaven Is
smut UP ana there IL no rain. because they
(lhy people, have slnned against Thee. If
tnov pray and turn from their
SIN then hear Thou III Heaven
sld forgive the SIN OF Ihy servants
and give ram upon Thy land" ETC.
/. hlngs viii. 1916.
Elijah evidently did not trust the laws
of nature II break up drought. Ii WAS
10 toe special git OF God /. Kings XVII,
LID. withhold or bestowed nt pleasure.
In this case when rain did come II was II
IN answer 10 prayer. 80 the Scriptures
show and assert.
What. then. is ram? If the Scriptures
may be- trusted 1t L. an additional AMI spc-
cll provision which God made for mans
beucht after the work of creating the earth
| hal ucon finished and after the laws of
IA, uTe lad been established. The crea-
ton OF man 10 It'll the ground" seems to
have called forth this provision. Tor after
| God expressed bis satisfaction with the
| earth as created tGenesis l., lO-l2); and
| while there was not man to till
| the ground" the mist" Already
mentioned was sufficient. The earth
| brought forth grass and herb. yield
ug seed alter his kind: and the
| tree Welding fruit" etc.-tIenesis l.. Il.
| What has come since Is eXtra.-as are
famine. pestiicncc. etc The inst sending
| Of rain OF which We have mention was n
| connection with mans slns-Cienesis VII.
| And SO. also. We may argue that the gait OF
| rain "a "a benefit 10 uau, II In connection
| with SIN for ultl. after mans sin there is
| no evidence that the earth needed ram:
| When SIN came III, tnen was man loOhc.i
to win his living from the ground which
was cursed. and throughout which the
order of creation had been disturbed.
Thus. though scientists put this and
that together" winch trey have learned,
and so ascrlbe rain only t. the acton OF
tho laws Of nature" tine only revelation
we have from God (who ought to know .,
does not ella : ram among the thin - which
were at first 10 Oo produced b. the SAID
law of nature"
Reason and revelation. therefore, give
u full ground and permission to pray tor
| rom