St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-10-14

prayers had become as empty words
vain repetitions," coming from the
| lips instead of from the heart. But
through Christian Science they have
learned to pray Alright, and now are
glad to testify from their own ex-
perience that the prayer of the right
eous availeth much, the prayer
wherein faith is coupled with under
standing, power with humility, and
love with purity; the prayer which
is based upon the absolute know
ledge that all good is already given
to man.
In Christian Science there are no
formal prayers for special occasions.
1t has no prayer book. The Lords
Prayer is repeated in unison at all
Christian Science services, and it
is invariably preceded by a few mo-
ments of silent prayer by the con-
gregation. Besides this, there is one
short prayer recommended for daily
use. So simple is it, yet so reverent
in its phraseOlogy, so direct, yet uni
versal in its inclusions, so free from
every suggestion of sect or doctrine,
that it can be unreserVedly used by
any sincere man or woman of any
church or of no church. Here it is
oo MI L@Q0y nc~O SAfCA II " uo-
''Thy kingdom come" let the
reign of divine Truth, Life, and
Love be established in me, and
rule out of me all sin; and may
Thy Word enrich the affections
of all mankind and govern
them! manual, Art. VIII, Sec.
The day that is begun with this
prayer, or any other equally unset
fish, and uplifting, is sure to be bet
ter, happier, healthier, and holier day
because of it.
Strictly speaking, there is but one
kind of prayer. We are praying
Alright, or we are praying amiss. The
prayers that men classify as Metho-
dist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Episco-
palian, Christian Science, or what
not, are either good prayers or poor
ones. The labels they bear cannot
make them good if poor, or poor if
good. The prayer that ascends to
Him who knows our needs before we
ask, is not winged by creed, tradi-
ton, or personality. The Christian
Science prayer results in the healing
of sickness and the destruction of
sin, not because of it's name but be-
cause it is based upon a right know
16QS6 Oh NJOu anu Ills 6L6Tudl laws.
From the narrow, gloomy aisles of
prejudice sometimes come these COM
planning words: "Why indeed should
ask Christian Scientist to pray for
me when my prayers are just as sin
cere and earnest as his can be?" Sin
cerity and earnestness without know
ledge are not enough. There is as
great need today as there was two
fhn11CoT nd q for tho words IF
Jesus disciples, Lord, teach us to
pray"
Briefly to consider what consti-
tutes prayer in Christian Science, let
us take a few extracts from it's text
book, Science and Health. On the
fourth page of the remarkable chap
ter on Prayer, Mrs. Eddy uses these
words:
1.-THE habitual struggle to be
always good is unceasing
prayer"
What we most need is the
prayer of fervent desire for
growth in grace expressed in
patience, meekness, love, and
good deeds"
And again on page Is:
'Self-forgetfulness purity, and
affection are constant pray
ers."
Indeed, this whole chapter is such
complete and comprehensive expo
sition of true prayer that the few ex-
tracts / have read you can only serve
as glimpse of its helpfulness. They
will suffice, however, to show that
prayer in Christian Science is not an
affair of words but of living, not of
eloquence but of character. 1t is not
the uhn hncrC tho hor ~. n
loudest, or with the greatest fluency,
whose prayers are answered. 1t has
been wisely said that:
"The things which men most adj
mire in public prayer are the things
that God least regards"
God has given to every one of His
children all good things, hence we
must do more than merely beg and
beseech Him to favor us. We must
study to know His laws and then do
our best to live in accordance with
them.
So it is with those who follow the
teachings of Christian Science about
prayer. We do not merely entreat
God to do something for us that we
would greatly like to have done, but
we are striving to learn what He
would have us do, and then to do it
JOyOuSly.
We can ask no better evidence
that prayer is answered than after
wards to feel so near to the Giver of
all good as to have lost sight of what
we asked Him to give us. The pray
er that brings the child closer to his
Father, that brings man closer to his
God, the divine Principle of his be-
ing, and leaves him there, is not
barren one, whether it was uttered
IN the silence of ones thoughts, in the
sanctuary, in the noisy street, on the
train, or on the rolling sea.
Neither time nor place can restrict
the prayer of unsettled love, for, after
all, love for God and man is the es-
5ence of prayer. Coleridge has truly
said:
"He prayeth best who loveth best
All things, both great and small.
For the dear God who loveth us
He made and loveth ALL"
The prayer that results in no dis |
is the prayer that car
res our highest desires to God and |
,ontentedly leaves them in his hands. |