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Show ritAYl.ll 1-OH IMutlt.-iOLL. A few days ago It waa mentioned In lh Nxwa thai Chnailan Kndeavorers had agree I lo pray for the conversion of Colonel luxersoll. Undoubtedly tba Inteution of th erlgluatora of tkla undertaking un-dertaking wae good, although they prolably labored under an me mlsoon-cup'.loj mlsoon-cup'.loj coucarulng lb tru uature of prayer. There Is, Udetd, In lb early Ulitory of the Christian Churoh what at fire: algut way per lobe a precedent. prece-dent. We reed of the Neisreoes lift. Ingup their vole In uulteJ supplications supplica-tions to the Almighty, and shortly after war .a ol 1'ie miraoulous oo a version ver-sion r,f Haul, the per.ecutor, and the "ml" enjnyed by Hie Chrltllaus lor a short tlmr, as If lu answer to Ibal uol'.ed prayer. I'.ut me olrtuinslance Is really no paiallel lo lh prsseot ooe. The li'laut Church was st Ilia time threatened wllh deslrucilon beforo Its lulaalou had been fulrllle.l; ll. memo, re, thnretore, united In prayer fur Iha manifestation of Iha dlviue power as a leatlmouy to Its snemlis. Vhe Lord enawered that reqneal ol itiecuiiiireo by Ibe o nivarslsn of Haul ami perhapa by au Incidental another nature, for at that time Caligula at-templed at-templed lo ael up his statue In tun Holy of Holies, and the oonaternstlon of Ibe Jews at Iha oontemplatad profanation profa-nation wes so greet ae to dlvnrl their sltentlou from Ihe Ciiriatlaus for the lime being. The latter rece'ved "real," and to their number waa added ono wbo was destined lo beoonie their standard bearer In lh wjrld. Ihe prayer woe atiswared, but lu a way not dreamt uf by the nuiubl suppllosnts. In all e-eeutlal parts thai historical prayer la ulUareot Irom that uf the Chtlillau Kndeavorers. Maul of Tar. us waa no lugersnll, aud Inger. oil Is In no seme a Maul. Tba matter aeema to have attracted 1 u-uou attention throughout in a country and the fsm ui Infill ! I now the rnotplenl uf lumaroua letters lu c tlrleg about Iha ellectsof Ihe prayers. Krore the dlsptchna It will be ssea tbst he tr.ate thesubjeot In his characteristic charac-teristic alyle, 11 would o insider It a "inlafoftui.e," be eeye, ih uld ti be-c be-c me believer In I'hrlaitentty. II I" diniculi to find any eennut thought In the levity with whlcb lis always trerta rallgt ius sunjeoti, but there Hiro to he two prluelpal olijenllons al presec. In his mind lo Ihsdootrloesof Chrlallenllr. U.e la Ihe Idea ol a bell, separating fur ever end vr those who have lovel on auulber on earilr, tb oilier Is lh lu-comprebetialblllty lu-comprebetialblllty of Ihe U id uf the Christian Iheol igy. He diamines both as unworthy of belief. It Is wurln while calling attention lit these points, beoauee the supiioeillon Is well founded lhal molern Infidelity larcely derives Ha siient-th from Iha untcrlplural and unreasonable deo-lrli.es deo-lrli.es of Iha (lodhead and ef eteraal punishment doctrines moulded lo Ihe middle egeo, when darkneia covered the earth, and atlll lingering among Cbrlaliana, es deep ehuows lu th valleys val-leys betwren mountain lops bathed la the light ef day. It la reasonable to believe that II C'hrlalians were led by Ihe light of revelation lo a clear understanding under-standing of truth, Infidelity would become a great exception among tboae whe think and r.Uaot, fcveu laBdele hav n natural rouging for soma knowlodgeof Ilia Eternal Father, ol whole exleteuo Ibera la In th depths of their bssrls soma evidence end faith. It Is not wilhoul strsuuius afljrta that thay ar forcing ttietuaelvoe lo Maura th championship champion-ship of tb bypolbeels thsl lu Ibis world, whsrs there le uo'efleol without a cause, Iha world Itself, tb aggregsto of all sileoia, Is wilhoul a cause, ilul as loag as Christianity or what Ihry suppoea lo ua lhal raliglun offers Ihsui but contradictions on every point, they prefer not to believe at all. Tble was the position of Voltaire In bis uay and el Victor Hugo, and II la probably Ibo position ef Colonel Ingeresll, However, suoh men cannot asoape responsibility, If Ihey nsgleot lo search honestly for true understanding ol the difficulties that confront Ibem. Few Intelligent Cbrlallaue hav nut, at one lima or anotaer and particularly la lhadayaof Ibeir youth, felt a temrla-llon temrla-llon towarda Infidelity. Ilul there Is no suflloleal reason fjr remaining In a poeliiuo ol doubt. True Cbrlitlenlty, aa embodied by lb lueplrad ssrvauU of Iha Lord, with all Its duotrlma nod leaoblngs, Is aa well selsbliehrd feet es Ihe unlveree Itself. On wbo lives In ll wllh open yes receive II light and Is coneoleus ef Its opsretlone, )uel as much as ha la of lb physical world when his natural aeneea ar normal. Faith In lh eteraal truths Is nalural. II la unbelief lhal la abnormal. |