PRAYING INSTEAD OF WORKING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1972, 31 January 1914, Page 12

PRAYING INSTEAD OF WORKING

Dr. John KoJmaii, of Edinburgh, introdiioeci by Jlr. Jtiehael 13. Sadier as "a Spotti&h preacher ivhpse teaching had brought illumiiiation and- yttidaneq i<j many, esiieoially to the student world," addrossea a liieeting of -aniTersity stud»;»ts and others.in Woodsi«ise Sjoor Wcsle.yaii Ohtirch, Leeds, jeeently," oil "ITio 'Problem of myer." Ho said the problcni was as wide as human life itself,'and a.s deep as human experieiica. AVliatever elso prayer might tft might not be, it was at least 3 quite essential part of a complete human life. The difficulty of the,problem really'centred hi tho small point of whettidr and to what extent tiiey could get the things' they asked fram God. People who felt this difficulty most wore those who majjta tha mistake of praying' fgr what t'lscy sliouid have worked for. Prayer must' stand in tlio scheme* of Hie> as , one cf many agetipie«, It'could never talco thp placs of the reaianable ways in life, led up to its bost resujtsj and some of' tins' most complicated a-rgnnvtyits were fpnntV cd upon tho forgetting of this fact. Whether answered or hot, they must pray, for prayer was part of their manhood;. As civilisation advanced, all sorts of snbtletics and experiences jpressed upon th ; em—m business and in society— but prayer lifted tho spirit above ail circumstances whieii mado sincerity dif* ficult. ThTougaout huraaw history tho man. who had gono to God in prayer was the strong and , irresistible human force.