PRAYER FOR PHYSICAL HEALING. 549 



however inefficacious in itself. A thermometer in the mouth of a patient has 

 been mistaken for some wonderful means of restoration and has effected a complete 

 cure. Have not bread pills often done the same ? And is it not true that the 

 mind has more influence over the body than medicine? There is abundant evi- 

 dence to prove this. Yet, in all such cases of cure, there is the inscrutable con- 

 nection of the mind with the body which is not known to conform to natural 

 law, and doubtless can never be traced to its action. But the supposition is rea- 

 sonable that they do conform to law, but in higher phases of it than we are now 

 able to comprehend. 



Miracles are, doubtless, as much in the order of nature as the germination of 

 a seed or the budding of a flower, and these are miracles. Dr. Cocker has well 

 said: "The devout feel that wherever God's hand is there is miracle, and it is 

 simply an undevoutness which imagines that only where miracle is can there be 

 the hand of God." Yet, it is well to observe the fact that the cure is due to some 

 peculiar state of mind in the patient, does not at all prove that it is any more the 

 result of natural law, or any less the influence of the Power superior to matter 

 and its laws. The confessed fact that it is inscrutable to man gives sufficient 

 latitude for the entrance of the power of Divine will, and makes this the most 

 reasonable supposition. 



Now z/"we should qv ex fully know that faith cures, and also the dreams and 

 visions of patriarchs and prophets, or presentiments and the like, of devout people 

 at the present day, were caused by some thoughts or images of waking moments, 

 were they not brought about by Divine agency, and just as legitimately revela- 

 tions from God as if not in the order of nature? And if vaen should ever learn, 

 by closer and deeper study of God's laws and of his word, that some or all of 

 Christ's physical works which we now call miracles were strictly conformable to 

 nature's laws which we can understand, would not the works have accomplished 

 their purpose just as efl'ectually ? Should we lower God to our level, or detract in 

 the least from his greatness and his goodness ? Should we not rather thus, by Di- 

 vine help, raise ourselves toward God in his own appointed way ? And God in 

 Christ is the model of excellence toward which we should constantly struggle. 

 This discovery would only bring the Christian and the scientist closer together in 

 their belief. The design of the Creator in benefiting the creatures he has made 

 and loves to bless,' in answer to their prayers, and often without them, would be 

 entirely satisfactory to the Christian ; and if these were performed in the order of 

 nature, the demands of science would be satisfied. 



But the question now arises : How is this apparent subserving to law consist- 

 ent with special providence and prayer ? This is, doubtless, at present, the real 

 battle-ground between the theistic and materialistic schools of thought. It may 

 be answered briefly, that He who has established law as his plan of governing the 

 universe is not a slave bound in chains of subjection to the creature of his 

 own hand. But the objector urges that changes in nature, brought about in an- 

 swer to prayer, would be "a violation of the order of nature," a " contradic- 

 tion of natural laws;" and "no act of humiliation, individual or national can 



