The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-04-15
Christian Life Column.
DRYNEss IN A

S&S S@S@O0 a DHO 44G@U
ter OF prayer that even when we are
speaking of it we incline to keep on
the edges of the subject. We would
hardly forgive any n who could
bring himself TO publish all his finer
and deeper experiences in prayer.
And yet these are just what we hun
ger for-these processes that lie in
the background of life, by which
men have deepened and widened the
courses of their communion with
God and obtained their power. But
is is one of those kinds of knowledge
which we do not 50 muca wish to
hear as to overhear. 1t is reached
mainly by indireotion-but it may
be reached.
We may doubt whether there ever
was a great praying soul who did
not feel to the full that common ex-
perience of dryness in prayer, when
the brooks all seemed to be dumb in
the hill country of the soul, and
when there came a sort of parohing
over the whole life. 1t is not only
neglect of prayer which brings rs
into this calamity, for 'oftentimes it
follows close upon right habits and
long experience of richness in pray.
ing, just as the desert lies close upon
the rich and fertile places of Judea.
Here is the promise of the richest
relationship into which man can
enter-prayer-and he enters into it,
and finds for days and weeks a great
dryness in the soul. Many give il
up, and think that, If the great
pomises which go with prayer are
not better fulfilled than this, they
will have none of it. They think it
is no prayer at all unless everything
gushes with richness ct onoe-unless
a revelation waits upon their least
address. How often some man who
had never prayed much, but expect
ed that his least prayer would open
the very heavens to him, has felt
wronged and deceived when, even
after he had prayed, the heavens
were not Immediately opened. For
it is n thing to wish to know how
to pray, and it is quite another to
wish to learn how.
One fertile cause of monotony in
prayer Is our unconscious habit of
addressing God too long in n par
ticular attribute. Confession is GER
tainly the one first proper attitude
of the soul in coming TO God nj
must come with clean hands into the
other and higher reaches of prayer.
But one must also, having confessed,
pass On 80 the belief that he is for
given. Too many people doubtless
never know what it is to approach
God save over the barrier Of their
own shortcomings, and keep up the
attitude of repentance when they
ought to be progressing into other
and more joyous attitudes of soul.
For long years Luther approached
God as only the possible forgiven of
sin he had almost shut himself up
TO this one attribute in God, till one
of his superiors had to rebuke him
for the excess to which he carried it.
The time came when he drew neal
TO God in other attributes, and be-
gan to walk the ways of his cloister
with a strange joy. His prayer had
become cruelty narrow, and had mis-
represented God. He felt ohoked
trying to make prayer only one
thing, and denying ~utterance to
| other elements in his nature, as if
regret we're the whole life.
Prayer may grow dry also from
too much thinking that a need of
some sort or other is the only
occasion for prayer. Why always a
need? Have we not joyous moments
when we feel no need except that of
expressing and sharing our happi
ness? 1t would almost seem as if
the man who was man enough TO
pray when he was the happiest
could leave the other and more pain
full occasions of his life to find relief
in prayer without special effort. We
are sinners-that will always be
true and there will never be a day
when we shall not need to repent
that is also true. But thatis not all,
and the chief way in which God for
gives sin is by showing himself a
God who makes US think of some
thing else. Yet the oversorupulous
will often keep before God the sin