To be near unto God - pagina 438

has a weak voice, or when the distance is too great that separates him from us. The first is impossible with God. How should he, who has planted the ear, not hear; how should he who has created sound, and the hearing of it, not hear all listen

creaturely sound? Hence, when it is said of God, that he inclines his ear to our prayer, it always means a grace to usward, an act of Divine compassion, whereby the Majesty in the heavens adapts himself to us, bows Himself down to us, and seeking, meets us in the way.

True prayer is always clothed with deep humility. There are all sorts of prayers. Prayer that is said; words that are muttered thoughtlessly; prayer because the stated hour has struck; prayer from sense of duty; prayer born from need; prayer from deep longing after God; prayer for higher, heavenly strength; prayer from gladness in happy thankfulness; prayer for oneself; prayer for others; prayer when on2 is alone; prayer with others; spoken prayer; silent prayer; the form always changes, and each has its own value. But in all true prayer, in which one can not rest until he knows that God listens to his prayer, the soul feels small, the person is conscious of weakness, and in his own estimation he is as nothing, and less than nothing, before the Triune God, and self is effaced in order that God may draw us up to himself, that the heart may be lifted up, and that we msiy have freedom of utterance.

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What is the world compared with the firmament, and what are we who pray, compared with the world in which we are one of more than a 434

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