To be near unto God - pagina 433

between the life of the soul and life in the world has then been regulated. The little boat no longer drifts with the caprice of wind and wave-beat. A rudder has been provided, a compass has been taken aboard, the lee-boards can be let down sideways. And thus the soul can direct its own course as it rides the waters of the sea of life. Heroic devotion to one's task in life goes hand in hand with an ever richer development of the life of prayer. The sphere of the life of prayer and the sphere of one's calling in life begin more and more to cover one another. Moments of true prayer multiply themselves, by as much as in the work itself, the elevation of soul to God becomes more frequent, and ejaculatory prayer occurs more often, until at length a prayerful disposition of the soul becomes more and more habitual. On the other hand, secret prayer is more and more introduced into the daily task, and it is felt that prayer is not bound to single holy utterances, but that our w^hole existence with all its needs may be comrelation

mitted to God and may be sanctified in him. Thus prayer grows in significance and begins to cast its benign shade over our entire life, and so increasingly becomes the strength of our life. "Fervent praj^er is half the work," is first mechanically quoted, but afterwards becomes blessed experience. And the moment draws nigh when finally the "0 God, my God" becomes the clear, pure expression of what the inner life of the soul experiences and enjoys in its innermost and holy emotions. If it should come to the lips too readily, this "0 God my God" (Ps. 43:4) would be gross 425

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