72 
would have been withheld. We must ask to receive : God has 
commanded it as a duty, and appointed it as an act of homage 
to His divinity. 
A familiar instance of the effect or action of prayer is seen 
in the relationship of parent and child. How often does the 
child importune its parent for some gift or gratification that it 
has set its heart upon, but which the parent knows would be 
immediately or prospectively injurious! How does that child 
interpret the refusal or intentional silence of its parent ? 
Undoubtedly, at first, with annoyance and displeasure, perhaps 
mingled with doubt as to the genuineness of the parental feel- 
ing ; but when of age to appreciate such caution and watchful 
care, it sees an overruling protection, a benevolent guardian- 
ship, a jealous love in the apparent unkindness of the act. 
In fact, there does not exist a more graphic, concise, and 
illustrative definition of our views of the nature and effect of 
prayer than is found in our Lord’s parable of the Publican and 
Sinner, with which I shall conclude my observations on the 
subject. 
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a 
Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and 
prayed thus with himself, — God, I thank Thee that I am not as 
other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this 
publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I 
possess. 
“ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so 
much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, say- 
ing, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
“ I tell you,” says Christ, “ this man went down to his house 
justified rather than the other.” 
A discussion ensued, in which the Rev. C. A. Row, Rev. G. Henslow, 
E. Haughton, Esq., M.D., Kazi Shehbuddeen, the Rev. T. M. Gorman, and 
the Chairman took part. The Rev. Dr. Robbins having replied, the meeting 
was adjourned. 
Note. — The paper read and discussed at the Meeting of the 4th March, 
1872, is inserted in Yol. VI., because it took up some arguments in Sir 
John Lubbock’s recent work, which had not been dealt with in another 
paper in that volume (see Yol. YI. p. 1). 
