Year: 1873

removed
sonal speculation or personal selnshness. Com
slider prayer. too as It Is laid before us In the HIS
tory OF the Apostle Paul; how 1t continues In
THANKSGIVING. now 1t reJoices In hope, and what O.
radiance OF spirit there IL. Mr.. Beecher then
passed on to describe friendship, and said that It
was not inconsistent with the most unselnsh, the
most noble natures; that 1t was not inconsistent
with the magnanimity OF their character to receive
gifts to ask OF the other Kindness. But II would
not be very magnanimous friendship that sought.
only to obtain from that friendship good nursing
in time OF sickness or q certain help In time or
need. What gifts were comparable to those that
bring out my soul, or that enrich truly my n1end~
np 1t Is ppes Ss we may sees ge Sny
thing. The soul exats itself with the thoughts
that 1t is child OF God: that II Is Joint nelr with
the eternal Inheritance. 1t does away Win the
thought-no remuneration,


NO REALITY.


true friendship must attain this altitude. Tnero
are discussions as to prayer, and It Is said that
God is prayer.hearing God, and that prayer has
direct way. For example, a man is starving,
and he prays TO God for food, and ne
Anosner is a. in ns oSe T money! and
he prays to God and somebody brings him the
money he prayed for. ! do % not doubt that there
absolute vugarsm on the grand theme OF prayer
to represent prayer from tnat sde. tits an offence
10 any sensitive mans nostrils would not call
that man my friend VINO had no other friendship.
than that which prompted to bring me iodder, TO.
bring me that only which was benencent for my
body. II is making prayer a constant give, give,
give Prayer is the channel OF our true union wild
or 70 ~ ee T IN his sorpCws
and his suffering that


that he has all things IN the fulness and hardness
OF the consciousness that God Is with him and
that he wants for nothing, and that all lesser
really by prayer into the presence OF God they
are very like the child that plucks the dandelions,
pucks 1t, runs with II to take 1t TO its mother and
when she gets there she finds that all the lignt,
get really by prayer into = the presence Of God;
they forget what brought them there and they
n as was ey Sa waasS Which nsy s d 'r
ssaSs sN'' We Rasy Ss IL Inc 'ss
Testament, and especially in the life OF the Apostle
Paul, II these views be correct then they throw q
men. First, there is the speculative. II yOu take
the lower view OF It, prayer Is the highest psycno.
range OF natural science. No one on that plane is'
able to Judge OF its power or OF the secret OF IT, A
man may say that t.ievH ne WIN pray pray TOW to write


as Bacon did, and those who know him may smile
at IT, but II instead OF this he is so lifted up by
and so beautiful that 1t lives through many ages,
shall not soul that has had this divine com.
that It has never had beloref hold that ali an
swers to prayer are by direct action upon the soul
secret OF prayer may not unreasonably be supposed
to work 1t out into lower spheres OF its life. L.
real theory Was the block OF granite Wallace
stepped on the only something, and was the grand
enthusiasm, the patriotism, the nre OF Soul tnal
nerved him nothingr Did all that go for nothing
1t is true that we are dust, and we have not got
great ways from 1t yet; but we are something else
also. Another reason why prayer Is not regarded
from oftier point OF view is the low desires OF
men. Mr.. Beecher here gave an amusing descrip-
tion OF what was generally supposed to be Q pray
ing man; and he said he should no more consider
such man praying man than he should consider
himself an OrnltholOgst, because


HE ATE A CHICKEN


for breakfast now and then. The praying spirit fss
that spirit which brings us to God, believing that
He is and that He is the rewarder OF those that
diligently seek Him. That man is not the praying
man who prays the regular regulation prayer.
Another reason why men doubt prayer was be-
cause they prayed only when they we're pushed to
it. Prayer depends upon the same conditions that
make men poets, orators, writer's and thinkers.
1t must be lived for trained for, struggled for IN
terceded for. Mr.. Beecher concluded by amplify-
ing on the magnetzing OF the soul which brings It
into the region OF supernal power, and on the
power of walking with God when we live with
Him, and our being prompted to prayer by living
near to Him.