THE TRUE IDEA OF PRAYER.

THE prayers and importunities of men can make no change in the divine purposes; for with the Lord there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He cannot be moved to greater love, for his love is always infinite, and, therefore, cannot be increased. He cannot be instructed in regard to our wants; for his wisdom is also infinite. He always knows the things we have need of, before we ask him. And yet prayer is often commanded by Him whose commandments are never given in vain, and it is, therefore, important and indispensable. Though it has no power to move the arm that moves the universe; though it cannot increase the love, or change the purposes of Him who is divinely good, and infinitely wise, yet it is a means by which our own states are so changed as to make us more receptive of the divine love and wisdom. Though it does not dispose the Lord to give us what he otherwise would not be willing to grant, yet it does prepare us to receive what we could not otherwise receive. The change is effected solely in man, as the receptacle of good; not in the Lord, as the infinite source.

The light of the sun is not increased by restoring light to a blind man. The change is effected in the man himself. So, when the interior of the mind is opened by prayer, and man receives and appropriates the blessings of heaven, the change thus effected does not result from a new impulse having been given to the divine love, but by prayer as a divinely appointed means, the man himself has become better prepared for the reception of heavenly things. The Lord is no more willing to bestow the rich treasures of spiritual goodness and truth; but man is prepared to receive those heavenly gifts without perverting them, and thereby injuring himself and others. The same divine providence which gives to those who are prepared to receive, without injury, withholds from those who are not thus prepared, looking not to the temporary gratification of man, but to their permanent and eternal welfare. The Lord is ever ready to give good things to them that ask him. But those things only are truly good which are adapted to the states of those who ask them. And as the Lord alone can know what things are adapted to the state of each individual, there can be no true asking, no genuine prayer, except in that state of thorough and humble self-resignation which says, not my will, but thine, O God, be done!

The true design and use of prayer is to bring a man under obedience to the divine will; to prepare him to love those things which

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angels love, and to delight in living and acting according to the true order of heaven. So far from being designed as a means for obtaining those things which will gratify his selfish desires, its genuine use is to restrain and subdue those desires, and implant the heavenly affections of love to the Lord and his neighbor.

T. H.

OUR correspondent has given us one idea, and one true idea of prayer. But we have another true idea of prayer, and one of much greater value. We are taught to pray for many other things than a resigned or holy state of mind. Our Lord himself taught his disciples to pray "for their daily bread :" no state of mind could supply this want, not even though it could have some influence in increas ing patience to endure hunger. Abraham prayed for a son, and so did Hannah, and the Lord gave them sons. The Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. Job xlii. 10. Hezekiah besought the Lord his God, and greatly humbled himself before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to his kingdom. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13. I need not cite the case of Peter's praying for Dorcas, and in answer to prayer, she was raised to life again; nor of Elijah's praying for rain, and rain came in answer to his prayer. It is more to our subject to observe the use that James makes of his case. From these premises he says: "The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," notwithstanding his infirmities. The promise of the great Teacher to his disciples on this subject, is given in the following words, "What things soever you desire, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them."

It avails nothing to assume that these were extraordinary cases in the age of miracles, or in the age of prophecy. So far as the questions about changing the divine purposes, or of increasing the love of God, or of affecting the reputation of his foreknowledge, or the fixedness and uniformity of his government, are concerned, it is one and the same thing. For the divine foreknowledge, immutability, purpose, love and mercy, are as much affected in the cases alleged, as though they were as frequent as all the prayers of all his saints. If we can reconcile one single case of a positive and prompt answer to prayer with those attributes, it is enough, and especially in such sensible and appreciable instances as those I have given. If the Lord has said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you," it is assurance enough that he will answer prayer. Indeed, he gives promises for

the purposes of being inquired of in prayer; and, therefore, occasionally, he waits to be inquired of; as in the case of ancient Israel he says, "I will yet, for this, be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them." Ezekiel xxxvi. 37.

I do not believe that when God created the universe he made it like to an eight-day clock, to run just seven thousand years, and then stop. In that case, indeed, there would be no direct answer to prayer. One form of prayer would suffice for all cases. Instead of a daily prayer for our daily bread, or our daily health and safety, we might, with more propriety, say, "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This would be the only prayer necessary, in all cases, were prayer merely designed to produce acquiescence. When at more leisure, I have an essay in contemplation on the subject of prayer. A. C.

POWER OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE.

"THE beauty of a holy life," says Chalmers, " constitutes the most eloquent and effective persuasive to religion which one human being can address to another. We have many ways of doing good to our fellow-creatures, but none so efficacious as leading a virtuous, upright, and well-ordered life. There is an energy of moral suasion in a good man's life, passing the highest efforts of the orator's genius. The seen but silent beauty of holiness speaks more eloquently of God and duty than the tongues of men and angels. Let parents remember this. The best inheritance a parent can bequeath to a child is a virtuous example, a legacy of hallowed remembrances and associations. The beauty of holiness beaming through the life of a loved relative or friend, is more effectual to strengthen such as do stand in virtue's ways, and raise up those that are bowed down, than precept, command, entreaty, or warning. Christianity itself, I believe, owes by far the greater part of its moral power, not to the precepts or parables of Christ, but to his own character. The beauty of that holiness which is enshrined in the four brief biographies of the man of Nazareth, has done more, and will do more, to regenerate the world, and bring it an everlasting righteousness, than all the other agencies put together. It has done more to spread his religion in the world, than all that has ever been written on the evidences of Christianity."

CHURCH AT WASHINGTON CITY.

Farther report of the contributions received at this office, in aid of the erection of a meeting-house at Washington City:

reer.

HOWARD AND BUNYAN.

APART from the accidents of the case, the prison at Bedford was a fitting scene for the inauguration of Howard's philanthropic caIts walls were already glorified by the long captivity of Bun. yan. Seldom does such a combination occur. From that obscure and petty prison proceeded, but at a long interval of time, two of the noblest and most precious works of man-Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and Howard's labor of charity and love. Here that famous Puritan a man whom Milton and Cromwell would have loved and honored-was confined for twelve long years, after the restoration of the Stuart dynasty-1660-72-for the high crime and misdemeanor of denying the right divine of kings and hierarchs to govern wrong; and here, he not only conceived, but also wrote, his famous allegory, that true and genuine book, which has perhaps done more for the spread of real piety and religious sentiment in this country, than any other uninspired production-supporting himself the while by his industry in the art of making tags and purses; which he, in common with his fellow-captives, was permitted to sell to visiters. Himself a Puritan of the grand and genuine Miltonic stamp, Howard would certainly feel a deep respect and veneration for his prison on Bunyan's account; and here his own efforts and investigations were to begin.

WESTERN CONVENTIONS.

INTENDING, the Lord willing, to visit the following Conventions-viz: the American Christian Bible Society, meeting at Cincinnati, Ohio, October 22d; the State Convention of the Churches in Kentucky, meeting one week after, at Lexington; the State Convention of the Churches in Indiana, meeting one week after, at Indianapolis-I would request the contributors to Bethany College, for endowing the Chair of Sacred History, in Kentucky, who have not paid their subscriptions; and the other contributors to said College in Ohio and Indiana, with those in arrears to the printing establishment at Bethany on any account, to meet me, or to send on their arrears to those centres, at the aforesaid meetings. In complying with this request, I need not say that they will not only gratify and please themselves and us, but promote, in so doing, the great interests both of Christianity and education-interests the most vital and important to society, both with respect to the life that now is, and also with respect to that which is to come. It will be, moreover, not only more economically, but more satisfactorily accomplished to the parties themselves. All of which is most respectfully, as well as most earnestly, submitted.

A. C.

NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES.

OHIO.-Bro. Burns says: "The result of my labors in the gospel since writing, have been about 25 additions by immersion, and 5 restored. At a meeting at Gilloway, Knox county, and continuing some ten days, 14 made the good confession and 4 restored, and the brethren filled with joy, was the result."—— -Bro. Jno. T. Powell reports 4 persons immersed at Bethel, on Monday after the second Lord's day of July; on Monday following, at Holmesville, 3 more were added, and 1 received who had been immersed-all by his own labors -Bro. Jno. Campbell reports 2 additions, by immersion, at Deaverstown, by the labors of Bro. Lardner.

INDIANA.—Bro. James Conner reports, that under his labors 9 additions have been made within a few weeks; and since his removal from Greensburg to Freeport, 16 persons were added to the congregation at Hanover, Shelby county. "We have held no protracted meetings, nor does there appear to be any unusual excitement, but yet there is a general awakening of the people to the subject of religion, and additions are regularly being made from the first classes of the community." -Bro. L. H. Jameson says: "I have immersed 9 persons within the last two weeks," and reports the prospects favorable for a larger addition.-Bro. Milton Short, of Springville, informs us that the labors of Bro. James Blankenship, in the counties of Bartholomew, Decatur, Brown, Morgan, Johnson, Owen, Putnam, Lawrence and Green, since the middle of March, have resulted in 150 additions to the Army of the Faithful-130 by baptism, and 20 from the Baptists; 47 of whom were added during a protracted meeting of ten days. -Bro. J. B. New reports 29 additions-10 by immersion, 19 had been immersed but not received into communion. Brethren O'Kane, Waters