Year: 1875

I ~,
much signify In concluding, the preacher complained
about the expenditure OF such of money in
erecting churches when there many thousands
of Christian families in our midst suffering from want


THE METHODIST MIRACLE.


PRAYER FORCE AND MODERN MIRACLEs-REv
s. H. PLATT's REPLY TO HIS CRITICS
Yesterday morning the Rev. s. H. Platt, pastor Of
De Kalb Methodist Episcopal church. preached
in Warren Street church, Brooklyn exchange with
Dr. John Parker and took indirectly reply
to the structures OF his brother Buckley in the Meho
| dist minister's meeting last Monday. Mr. Platt is the
subject Of what is acetiousy called the Ocean Grove
miracle" lameness of twenty-five years was there
cured last July by the imposition Of ladys hands and
prayer The has been healded far and wide, and
has elected great deaf of adverse criticism the most
severe of which has come from his ministerial breth
| in the Methodist Church without referring espe-
cay any these however yesterday Mr. Platt based
a very thorough argument in favor Of such miracles
for cures Matthew xxi, q, o. and Ma thew XIV
"a The first texts give assurance of in all
things to believing prayer, and the second cautions
against deception by false Christs false prophets
His theme was Prayer force and modern miracles
and he put forth this proposition leading one-is
there the world prayer force or causalty which
produces certain results which would not have existed
but for its exercises There is such force in nature
untold places The experiences of the Christian begin
in this prayer force and saved until he prays
and he would not be saved did he not pray. The
Christian world is full of this prayer force 1t is
joined in the Bible. God forbid that / should
pray Tor you. Pray without ceasng 1t is regarded
nestimabe privilege to pray 'If ye then, being
evil &C." 1t represented in the Scriptures thing
of power. ''Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that
will do" &c. "The fervent, electual prayer Of
righteous availeth much" Scriptura history is
full of


EXAMPLES POWER,


the of Moses standing between the living and
the dead of Elijah who closed heaven for three years
and a half and opened it again by prayer; of Abra
ham, who procured exemption for Sodom if right
persons could be found there If them believe
the Scriptures there causaty which
produces results which would not exist but for it's cx
ercse. The second proposition was, Are the condi-


ons of its action within the control of menY grace
is for men, if the Christian life is within them, this
force be within their reach These conditions
threefold :-First-Those that pertain to mans state
and Efforts namely-aith, obedience and righteous
ness. If regard uiquty IN my heart the Lord will
not hear my prayer. Perseverance too This is illus
trated in the of the friend who to borrow
three loaves of bread at night and still strongly
in the who nterceded for the of her child.
Second-God's sovereign will is the next condition ~
he that blotteth out thine iniquity and for
| giveth thy sin kill and make alive" &c. Third
The third consists in the previous two in cooperative
action This implies the revelation of Gods will which,
IN the of spiritual blessings, is made beforehand
In the temporal blessings revelation must be
made specifically tor that, to ask according His
will This is the confidence that we have in him that
we ask anything according to his will he heareth US
| &c But cannot know what temporal blessings it
nav be His will to bestow on us except He in some
way intimate that will 10 us. The Scriptures lay
down this principle, that we are to pray in the
! spirit, praying always with all prayer and sup
! pcation the spirit And when thus praying the
/ Spirit also helpeth our ndrmities, for know
what should pray for as ought, but the Spirit
maketh inercession for us according TO the will of God
And He that scarcheth the heart knoweth what the
mind of the Spirit The doctrine taught here clearly is
the will of God 10 answer such prayer 1t is reve


on Of HIS sovereignty in that regard and therefore
may be relied upon with absolute assurance.


The third inquiry is What are the legitimate results
OF the


ACTIVITY OF THIS PRAYER PoRcEP


The answer s Help within the bounds of need and OF
promise. This includes First all spiritual blessings;
second, mental enlightenment will instruct thee and
teach thee in the way, &c if any man lack wisdom,
&c Third, material favors, comprising protection in
danger and delverance from peril; the name of the
Lord is strong tower, &c; call on me IN the day Of
trouble, &c. all things whatsoever ye shall ask in
prayer, &c Fourth physical healings The prayer of
faith shall the SICK &c pray for another that
ye may be healed &c There is no possibility Of ex-
planning this passage otherwise than promising
physical healing whenever the prayer Of faith offered
for the sick in accordance with the will of God
But here met with the objection that the days OF
miracles passed. We answer this not


question of opinion but Of fact There is intina-
ton in the Bible of the cessation OF miracles Prayer
miracles did actually continue in the Church until the
time of Orgen the third century. Wesley declared
himself restored more than ten times preternaurally
and said that the such things not
the heathenism Of the Church. Instances of
prayer healing may be found in the lives OF Garrison
Henry Moore CarvossO and many other Methodist
worthless. In of the minor denominations prayer
healing has been steadily recognized, so that, mat
of fact prayer miracles do still exist in the Church.
whatsoever may be the opinions of theologans


The fourth inquiry is, Are there in human experiences
any marvels that simulate or may be mistaken for
these prayer results2 The facts Of magnetism
mersm often seem almost miraculous DR.. Newtons
OF Miss Christie few years ago in New York Is
instance in point Spiritualism furnishes wonders
that almost equal the estimation OF its adherens any
in the New Testament Mr. Plat referred TO the
in France by Henri Jacob and others illustrations
and then asked, filthy, by what creriamay we dstin
gush between these marvels and


FORCE REsULTs2


First by the distinct and definite consciousness by the
patient of his Of the conditions for the develop
ment of the prayer force. IL is a maxim Of science
that accounting for any phenomena due credit must
be given to all the forces engaged It's production
This point further illustrated by Mr. Platt Sec
ond the absence of the necessary conditions for the
activity Of each all of the other wonder working
forces In my of the other forces pres
ent and operative. had distinct and definite con-
Of employing the prayer force and as dstinc
and definite watchulness against all the other forces,
because had been for years familiar with their opera
tons The third criteria is attendant spiritual experen
ces which authenticated the subject himself carefully
the reality Of the results This experience should be
carefully Disseminated from mental haucnations and
all the consequences Of In my such expe
riences present which demonstrated TO my own
consciousness clearly the fact Of divine commu
mon the tact that God heard and answered prayer.


MASONIC TEMPLE.


- 80. ,~.xo 90, 80. rrr.ony 1rru ArVr