The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-10
THE SPIRIT OF A Y
Yesterdays Theme a, Benefit Street Uni
tartan Church.

Sunday mornings discourse at the
Benefit street Unitarian Church was on
the subject Of prayer" Rev. MIR. Lord
chose for his text the following words
from Acts 17:27-''That they should seek
God, if hsply they might feel after Him
and find Him, though He is not far from
each one of u.s."
In a former sermon Mr.. Lord had al
ready shown how the heart Of the Old
lie tamen is its spirit and gift Of pro-
phecy-a spirit and a gift that in its higt-
est significance and development Is 1t IL
the worlds need. And to this need Is
ADDED a second, another enobled trait Of
the Hebrew people-the spir Of payer.
sit is the claim of such "A need" said the
speaker, (which / wish to make good,
and the practical application ot this
claim which / wish to make clear, i'm
mediate, pressing, In what l have to say
to you this morning.
az nm speaking of prayer, however,
at its test and highest, the conscious con
centratiOn of "A mans thought, feeling,
and will as they awake to the presence
of the friendship OF God the concentra-
tion upon each human life of the thought
and feeling and will of the conscious life
at the heart OF the world, without whose
deliberate intention and guidance all
progress, ell civilization would be i'm
possible
MIR. Lord recognized in his audience
the two probable types of listeners in
whoe thought this subject of prayer
would arouse doubts and question ngs.
In the one class, We're those who had
given over The thought of prayer will
ingly- its need had come to be looked
upon as a weakness OF childhood; and
in the other class were those who had
given over the thoue ht Of prayer, not
willingly, but wistfully in whose hearts
nothing could take the place of that
early, affectionate confidence, hat closer
wsls with God. To the former of thee
two groups the question was searchingly
put: "May it not be that PRAYER has nc
place in your life because your life ooesn't
cover enough ground to include the
domain of prayer has not claimed or
entered into the inheritance of all the
rich ard wonderful experiences which are
meant for the possession and use of a
human life?" And to the second class of
auestioners, the ''lonely, wistful, back
ward looking souls who have lost out Of
manhood and w~omanhood the sense OF a
presence that gave beauty to childhood
and enthusiasm to youth" there was ut
tered the hopeful uessage that in the very
abandonment of the old childish view
lies the possibility that its place may he
filled by a sense OF communion with God,
more noble and inspiring than could
exist for the child.
"Ihere are two elements in every mans
thoughts: His sense of himself as a dis
tinct being, and his sense of che eternal
source and principle of life, of which he
Is a particular result.
"The spirit OF prayer Is awakened by
the touch between lite and life, the sense
of rest and repose, of uplifting and power
ful JOY which tomes whenever by acct
dent or by intention the lesser, more rom
fined and limited life enters into open
communion with tie larger, exhaustless
life.
''My conviction is that the need and the
satisfaction of prayer touches lifethrough
and through from the bottom to the top.
and from the center to the circumference
"Let me tell you how I think we may
come to that fuller communion with o.
which we all need: First, I should say
that we should learn not to avoid that
communion, not to shrink from those
moments alone in the presence of the
Most High that inhahiteth eternity. And
again, W. should not shrink from pouring
out the confessions, petitions, and thanks
givings OF our hearts, put into coherent
thoughts and II need he, into uttered
words. We need not fear this abandon
ment of soul-it is only so that sanity
and strength n peace OF soul come back
to US. And finally We shall learn. that
prayer Is more than a coming to God-it
shall be a walking with Him, q yielding
OF ones soul to His service, a carrying OF
His spirit with us in our daily life, know
ing it as the conscious background of our
words and deeds.
lit Is the glory OF a free church that 1t
permits even, constrsins US, to begin our
learning To pray mt the highest point in
our own souls, ana nowhere else.
"Must We BEGIN viii an altar to an
unknown God?' Well and good. that
may be the beginning IL shall not be the
End 1t shall yet tie prayer in its deep,
true sense. prayer and the thoughts and
oesir; s and resolves that follow after pray
er, hat shall lift our life day by dav,
yesr by year, from strength to strength
and from glory to glory"