THE KING’S BUSINESS
501
sins, G od is fa ith fu l an d ju s t to fo rg iv e u s o u r sin s an d to cleanse u s from all u n rig h t eo u sn ess.” B u t it is n o t o f p ra y er in th ese se v eral fo rm s th a t w e propose, a t p resen t, to speak, b u t o f p ra y e r in th e sen se o f su p p licatio n m ad e to G od fo r th e b estow m en t u p o n u s o f such th in g s a s w e need. D oes such p ra y e r p ro fit? A n d is it possible fo r h um an lips, a n d h um an h earts, by p re sen t in g th e ir req u ests to G od, to achieve re su lts th a t sh all affect th e o u te r w o rld , as w ell as th e in n er life, th a t sh all b rin g b read as w ell as sp iritu a l blessing, h ealin g fo r th e body n o less th a n fo r th e s o u l; a n d be p ra c tically p o ten tial in th e d e te rm in a tio n o f th e d estin y , b o th o f in d iv id u als an d n a tio n a l ities ? T h is is on e o f th e b u rn in g ques tio n s o f o u r tim e an d u p o n its decision h a n g issues th e m o st trem en d o u s. II. P ra y e r as a P o w e t.—W e do n o t p ro p o se in th is d isco u rse, to d eal a t all w ith ath e ists a n d infidels. T o th em all fo rm s of p ra y e r a re silly su p erstitio n s, o n ly believed in by fan atics an d fools. O u r p re se n t a rg u m en t is n o t fo r them , b u t fo r re v e re n t b e liev ers in a p e rso n al G od, an d in th e B ible H e h as g iv en a rev elatio n o f H is w ill. A ll such, o f co u rse, believe in p ray er, b u t w ith v ery v a ry in g d eg rees o f fa ith as to th e sp h ere o f its o p eratio n , an d th e m easu re of its p ow er. A n d n o t a few a re p ain fu lly p erp lex ed by w h a t ap p ears to th em to be a co n tra d ic tio n betw een th e teach in g s of S c rip tu re an d th e d e d u ctio n s o f science. T h e re o u g h t n o t to be co n trad ictio n , fo r th e B ible is G od’s W o rd , an d th e u n iv erse is G o d ’s w o rk , an d y et in th e lig h t o f th e late st re sea rc h it d o es seem alm o st im pos sible to reco n cile th e p rom ises o f th e one w ith th e p rin cip les o f th e o th er. A n d hence th e re a re n o t a few e a rn e st souls g ro p in g ab o u t in d eep en in g d a rk n ess “ feel in g a fte r G od if hap ly th ey m ay find H im ,” an d as to p ra y e r especially a re lo sin g th e g rip o f sim ple faith , an d so, th o u g h they still re ta in th e fo rm s o f p ra y e r it h as lo st fo r th em all conscious p ow er. A g race P O W E R O F P R A Y E R .
ful, ap p ro p riate, arid a esth etically b eau tifu l ex ercise it m ay be fo r a c re a tu re to p re sen t h im self in w o rsh ip fu l a ttitu d e b efo re th e G re at C reato r. Its reflex influence upon th e soul o f th e w o rsh ip e r can n o t fail to be m o st h elpful. I t is a h e alth lift th a t de velops o n e’s sp iritu a l life. I t is th e tu g of th e soul a t th e invisible cable th a t lin k s o u r lives to th e o th e r sh o re, an d hence by th e aid o f it w e d ra w o u rselv es n e a re r to o u r G od a n d heaven. A ll th is seem s n a tu ra l an d explicable. B u t to suppose th a t p ra y e r can o p erate as á m ate ria l fo rce to a lte r p hysical resu lts, to suppose th a t p ra y er can still a sto rm , can b rin g rain , can h eal disease, can w in a b a t tle ; to suppose th a t by som e subtle, sp ir itu al teleg rap h by w ay of th e th ro n e of G od in h eav en w e can to u ch th e h e a rt of A sia, o r accom plish resu lts in th e V alley o f th e C o n g o ; all th is w e a re assu re d is p rep o stero u s a n d im possible. W e m ay concede, indeed, th a t G od m ay to u ch th e h e a rts o f m en, a n d in th e realm o f sp irit m ay be still allow ed som e sw ay, b u t from th in g s m ate ria l h e is absolutely b a rre d , fo r o v er th em is th e re ig n o f law , stern , h ard , in e x o ra b le 'la w . F ire w ill b u rn , w a te r w ill d row n , p o iso n w ill kill, b easts w ill d ev o u r, a n d w e v ain ly m ak e o u r te a r fu l p ro tests o r lift o u r p lead in g h an d s in p ray er. G od m ad e th e w o rld o rig in ally , im p ressed upon it im m u tab le law s, an d th en lau n ch ed it an d left it, o r else sta n d s im passively by, w atch in g th e g rin d in g o f the m ig h ty m ach in e w ith iro n w heels a n d cruel cogs, g lq tte d w ith g o re an d q u iv erin g flesh; b u t H e m ay n o t to u ch th e th in g s th a t H e h as m ade, fo r th ey a re u n d e r th e dom inion o f irrev o cab le law — b rain less, soulless, h e a rtle ss law—an d th is is p ractically an o rp h an w o rld , from w hich G od is b an ish ed a n d th e law s o f n a tu re h av e tak e n H is place, like a h erd , o f M olochs, “h o rn e d g o d s be sm eared w ith blood,” an d at th e so u n d of th e co rn et, h arp , sack b u t, d u lcim er, an d all k in d s o f in stru m e n ts o f m usic, as played S C O R E S T H E S C O F F E R S .
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker