The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-09-13
PRAYER AND EPIDEMIC.

\ writer In The Lutheran Quarterly
ELIAS ID. Weigle, d. D.-discusses
the question of the interference of Di-
vine Providence with epidemic dis
eases. y year or two ago in Philadel-
phiA committee OF citizens, includ-
ing number of clergymen, united in
an effort to devise ways and means for
the prevention Of Asiatic cholera.
For one thing it was suggested that
prayer be made in the churches and
by all Christian people that there
might be a divine iuteTposition touch
ing this threatened calamity. One of
the clergymen objected, on the ground
that he could not pray 10 God to keep
the cholera away from the city while
the people themselves failed to do
what they could in the way of prevent
ing by cleansing their water supply,
and changing the filthy condition Of
the streets. This event furnishes q
theme to DIR. Elias d Weigle for an
article in The Lutheran Quarterly.
The objection advanced by Philadel-
phia cIergymen, says DIR. WeigIe,
touched upon deep and unchanging
philosophy of prayer. He continues:
''lt Is useless, aye, presumptuous, to
pray to God to avert that which our
negligence and Indifference invite.
God gives us our daily bread in answer
20 prayer, but He does not place it in
our mouths. 1t is right to pray for a
prosperous journey, but, to take 1t, we
must get on the train and stay on it
ill we reach our destination. If we
should get in front of one of our rapid
~ moving trains disaster would over
take us, however earnest our prayers
for deliverance.n
DR.. Weigle proceeds from this to
quote from numerous authorities to
show how epidemic diseases originate,
how they are propagated, and what
means have been brought within our
reach by scientific investigation and
sanitary science to prevent their rise
and spread. Neither on the basis of
good common sense, he argues, nor
sound religious doctrine, can it be
maintained that the Almighty will
protect us from the ravages of disease
unless we make all possible use of the
preventive agencies which He has
brought to our hands. Epidemics
can not be considered as strictly pro-
yidentiai in their operations so long
as we by our own neglect and wilful
ignorance invite them. 1t would be
very ungracious, almost blasphemous,
70 lay the blame in any sense on |
Providence for the death of any !
one who lived in such physical |
conditions as to invite the very |
lAScdSeS Which, BIO" anu IbIlNc |
N the midst of filth. We are remind |
ed that in forming our conceptions of /
Gods providence we must include |
such elements as permission, chin |
drance, direction and determination"
We could not think, for example, of |
holding God responsible for the |
suicide so common in these days in all
classes of society. To do so would be
not only repellent to the Christian
sense of right and justice, but would
border on blasphemy. Epidemics
may be said to be providential in the
sense that God overrules them and
brings good out of them.
In conclusion DIR. Weigle says:
eff we have done everything in our
power to prevent an epidemic, and it
still comes, we can then throw our
selves upon the infinite resources of a
Oeneficent Providence, in the con-
seriousness that he will suffer no real
harm to come to His own faithful
children. All we can reasonably ex-
pect, when an epidemic has been self
imposed, is Gods directive and over
ruling providence. But if we have
used every possible means to avert
such a calamity, we can claim, accord
Dg to His own promises, His sustain
ng, preserving and cooperating prov
dence therein. Literary Digest.