gain Faith; then knowing Him, and believing in Him with strong Faith, we reach the exalted condition of loving Him. Christ said "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all thy heart and with all thy mind; this is the greatest of all commandments." To Love Him therefore with all our intelligence, is our highest duty and accomplishment, but this Love must be founded upon Faith in Him, and Faith springs from Knowledge, which is the basis of all soul accomplishment.

This progressive order cannot be reversed. We cannot begin by loving God to establish Faith in Him, and then acquire Knowledge.

This is unnatural, illogical and impossible. The clear logical order and progressive spiritual journey to God, is first, to Know Him; second, to have Faith in what we Know; third, to Love Him in confidence and devotion.

CHAPTER XIV.

PRAYER.

As God is the source of all Knowledge, and as Knowledge is the food of the soul, we must now consider the means of obtaining it. There is no other medium than that of prayer, which may be comprehensively defined as the soul's attitude in seeking and asking God for its vital necessities.

It is plainly our duty and privilege to pray, yet a characteristic of these present years, is a growing disbelief in the function and efficacy of prayer. Men do not pray with the faith and fervor of their forefathers. To prove the error of this neglect, we must consider the various reasons advanced by those who deem prayer useless and unprofitable; after which we will show why prayer is necessary, and when it is productive of good to us.

Men do not pray, for the following reasons, viz.:

First-They do not believe in the Personality of God. If they admit the existence of an Infinite Creative Cause, they believe it to be a Power, Force, Energy or Law, to which, appeal by prayer is useless. In answer to this objection, it has been conclusively shown in a previous chapter, that the Creative Cause must exist, and that God must be an Infinite Personality. It is therefore necessary for us to ask Him to help us. Prayer to a Force,

Vibration or Energy, would be profitless. Prayer to the Infinite Personality of God, is a logical outcome of His existence as God, and our existence as His creatures.

Second-Many believe that the soul of man is a germ of Divinity; and therefore, as God is within us, we do not need to pray to Him. This view is sometimes supported by the statement that Christ said "the Kingdom of God is within you."

Concerning this objection to prayer, it is necessary to review the fact that the Divine Essence cannot be divided into innumerable germs constituting human souls, without destroying its Perfection. Nothing can be added to God, nothing can be taken from Him. If the soul is a germ of the Divine Essence, it must possess the full powers of Divinity, for Divinity must be homogeneous. Although it is possible for the soul to reflect and to be illumined by the powers of God, it cannot partake of the intrinsic essence of God. According to revised versions of the New Testament, Luke 17, 21 is rendered "The Kingdom of God is among you" or "in your midst." It would have been unreasonable and inconsistent for Christ to say that the Kingdom of God is "within you" and at the same time, teach us to pray for the coming of that Kingdom. The application of this statement to support belief that our souls are of the essence of Divinity, is so vague and general, that it demands little attention.

Third-Some believe that God, having created the world, established sufficient laws to govern

ern us.

and sustain it; and that all human accomplishment is subject to these laws, without further interest or interference upon the part of God Himself. For this reason, they deny His bounty and cease to pray. It must be admitted, in answer to this objection, that God has ordained perfect laws to govUnder these laws, however, we find that man is the highest visible creation, and the only creature possessing the power of independence. The function of independence is to choose knowledge of God. Choosing evil, refusing to seek God, is simply misuse or neglect of this high function. As finite creatures seeking knowledge of the Infinite, we must assume an attitude of will toward Him. To receive knowledge from Him, He must be accessible to us. A God inaccessible to creatures whom He has endowed with independence to seek Him, is a logical impossibility. A God bound and restricted in His attitude toward us, by His own laws, is not as high as an independent human being, nor is He our highest conception of Divinity. God is higher and greater than His own laws. Although we are amenable to them, they cannot render Him inaccessible to us, for He is the intelligence behind those laws. Our necessities are knowledge of Him; our appeal is to Him and not to His laws. This is prayer, and prayer is a necessity. We must also conclude, in this connection, that the perfect laws of God are intended to help us, to assist our development, and reward the correct use of our weapon of independence. The function of every law of God, is distinctly that of

protection and assistance toward harmony with Him. That they are obstacles to right attainment, is illogical, and a belief which violates the laws themselves.

Fourth-It is sometimes stated in self-defence, by those who do not pray, that God the All-Mighty is All-Knowing, and cognizant of our condition, therefore it is not necessary for us to mention our needs or ask Him to help us.

The fact that He has given us independence to seek Him, disproves this argument completely. We cannot exercise that power of will to choose God, except by coming to Him and asking for help and guidance. He is rich; we are poor. He has knowledge; we need it. How shall we obtain it? By no other means than that of asking. This use of our independence is our duty. Praying to Him is acknowledgment of His power and appreciation of His bounty. Prayer is therefore our

duty.

Fifth-The theory of the fatalists, is, that everything is predestined and beyond the possibility of change or alteration, therefore there is no need of prayer.

To this it may be said that although the history and destiny of man lies written in the Mind of God, independent human action evolves and reveals it. God's actions are arbitrary. Human actions, which govern human destiny, are free and untrammeled. The fact that God is cognizant of human action, does not restrict human action in the least. Fate and independence never meet. Our use of the gift