Y. M. C. A. Meeting.

Last evening Rev. Edward S. Drown of the Episcopal Theological School delivered an address on "The Answer to Prayer."

When a man prays, he puts himself in the same relation to God as that of a child to its-father. His prayer is but the simple expression of his dependence on a higher power; and he will surely be answered if the prayer is a true one.

It is objected to that this prayer is merely a means of strengthening one's spiritual muscle and that it makes no difference whether there is any answer or not; but if a man once gets this idea, prayer loses all significance for him. He will no longer pray when he can expect no reply. Again, it is claimed that the answering of prayers involves a violation of the laws of nature. But God does not interfere with these laws. He is rather constantly working in nature. People speak of special answers to prayer as if to imply that God only occasionally interferes in the affairs of this world. This is not so. His providence is general, and it is when this providence has temporarily rendered itself visible that a prayer is said to be specially answered.

Further, it is held that when God answers a prayer, His will must be changed; and this is opposed to the conception of His changelessness. We answer that His purpose is always the same and that on this very account its outward form of expression must change, even as a father's love for his child, though always remaining the same, will show itself in ever varying ways.