The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-24
NOT KNOWING WHAT WE ASK.
The Discourse of Rev. w. w. Ferrier ut
Brooklyn Yesterday.

The Discourse of Rev. w. w. Ferrier at
Brooklyn Yesterday.
At the Brooklyn Congregational church
yesterday morning Rev. w. w. Terrier
spoke on the text:
Mark xSS-"Ye know not what ye ask"
The first part of the discourse was de-
voted to an exposition of the text Apply
ing the thought to the life of today, the
speaker said that even today people were
in the blindness of ignorance asking of
God things which if granted would result
not only in their establishment and dis
may, but greatly to their detriment. In
this connection the speaker said:
Perhaps some child OF God is these days ask
ing OF Him help for the attainment OF some
desired end in life-asking mayhap In all faith
and to the end that God and not self may be
honored: But the answer does not come. Shall
we say that the petition Is beneficial only III its
ref1ex action? That il 10 in the nature of a
dumb-bell exercise, placing the soul in better
condition TO endure the priyation? This and
this only? Rather in the light of gospel teach
ing and Christian experience must We say that
In Infinite mercy was the petition left unan-
sweret, and that the Heavenly Father would
have that heart lay hold of the golden lesson
"Ye know not what We ask"
1t is with the Heavenly Father very much as
IT is with earthly fathers Christ once said to
some some OF the latter, III ye then. being evil,
how much more shall your Father which is in
Heaven give good gifts to them that ask Him."
How is 1t that the loving, dutiful, intelligent
child comes to its earthly father with its re-
quests? Evidently, no matter how great the
desire or the requests it 10 with the feeling that
the father knows best and with the knowledge
that the request may not be granted, for the
reason that it might not result in good but
rather in evil Very many times does q father
have to show 10 child that in its inexperience
in life it knows not what it asks. And many a
q q xuh d a "a ar6
perhaps the danger from which it was kept by
the kind father through the refusal to grant
that which was earnestly desired and requested.
Not with q desire to lead people to make fewer
reqests OF God, but to lead TO an implicit reli-
ance on Him, whatever and whenever His
answers to prayers, the speaker said: The
needs He knows what the lilies of the fields
need that they may grow-catehing the sun
shine and sending it forth again in beauty and
fragrance. SO, too, He knows the needs OF the
grasses of the field, giving unto them the vital
ling elements OF air and soil, that they may in
each spring time carpet with beautiful green the
to other portions of Gods creation. So, too, the
Savior has told US, He knows our needs; knows
them as he knows those of the lily and the
grasses and the fowls of the air
And thus il 10 that we can believe the Heav-
emily Father to be saying continually to his chill
dren; Ye know not what we ask. am caring
for you day by day just as care for the lilies
and the grasses, though in a better and more
precious way, as you i'll my image are more
precious. / give you continually those ele-
ments from above which are intended to make
your life take on more of beauty and holiness
sunshine from the sun of righteousness which
may be reflected in the world around you, and
all such temporal blessings as will best enable
you to meet the supreme ends of your exist
enee.
Notwithstanding the fact that mistakes are
often made in asking OF God yet the Thought
was that there should be no cessation in asking
God would give the right answer. The con-
Guiding admonition was, in the words OF Christ:
"Ask and ye shall receive"