Proverbs. — Only two points need be noticed : (1) Three passages in which the character of the person praying determines the accejitance of the prayer, 15"- -■" '28". This feeling, legitimate as it IB, and admitted in the formularies of to-day, would tend to grow into that mistaken view of the matter which is corrected in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. (2) Ine prayer of Agur (30'""), with its modest request for the middle state on account of the effect of riches and poverty on his relation with God. Cf. the ])rayer of .Socrates (Plato, Phadrus, sub Jin., and also Thoni. Aiiuinas, Summn, ii. 2, Ixxxiii. 5).
Job. — The earlier part of the book is in the form of a dialogue between Job and his friends; but in fact, when his friends pause, it is often the case that Job, instead of answering them, turns away to God, and lets his address to Goi stand an
42
PKAYER
PKAYER
an answer to them. Thus, much of the book is prayer. See chs. 6. 7. 9. 10. 13. 14. The boldest of these is 10. Though full of doubt, '•ebelliousne.ss, and half-way to renouncing Uod, it is nevertheless prayer, 'fliese chapters are, in fact, prayer for what at times is the most ur;;ent of all needs, some explanation of pain and sutler- ing. It is prayer for wisdom. So, long afterwards, St. James, writing to tho.se who have fallen into manifohl trials, bids them ask wisdom from God, that they may understand the purpose of His discijiline (Ja 1-'°).
To sum up, the axioms stated at the outset have heen al)uudantly justilied. It has plainly appeared that God hears and is mo\-ed by prayer, especially by persistent pleading prayer. Tliis was tlie convic- tion not only of the mass of the nation, but also of a large number of highly gifted persons. Their experience of prayer, as attested by their writings, must always constitute an important element in that portion of the evidences for the being of God whicli is drawn from human con.sciousness. In the s|)iritual sphere it corresponds to the testimony which St. John gives to God manifest in the flesh, 1 Jn 1>-'.
II. In the Apocrypha. — The Apocr. as a whole conlirms strongly what has been said as to the in- creased pronunence of praj'er after the Exile. The Apocr. books incorporate, or even consist of prayers. The -Additions to Esther are mainly two long prayers of Esther and Mordecai. See also Bar l''-3' ; the Prayer of Azarias (Abednego) prefixed to the Song of the Three Children ; and the Prayer of Manasses : the two narratives Tobit and Judith both attest the power of prayer. In Tobit tlie miraculous interpositions and the happy issue of the story are entirely the result of the simultaneous prayers of Tobit and Sarah recorded in To 3, see esp. 3'*. And tlie place given to prayer in an ideal Jewish family is shown by the paternal injunctions of To 4'^ The Book of Tobit, allhougli a fiction, engages respect and interest by its high moral tone ; but the same cannot be said of tlie Book of Judith, in which the prayer of the heroine is tainted with the treachery which is glorified throughout tlie book. Her prayer in Jth 0'° is prayer for the success of deceit, and it would be hard to find anything baser in conception than her iiretended scheme of inquiring by prayer as to the sins of her countiymen, that she may tell Holofernes when to attack them, Jth 11"-". The necessity of washing, before prayer, for those living among the heathen appears in Jth 12'- *. In 1 Mac we pass from fiction to history. As Ezr-Neh showed prayer in men of action, so also 1 Mac, e.(j. 4-"'"^ 5" and 11""'-, pr.ayer was the secret of tlie ^taccaba>an victories. That it was so, is nowliere better expressed than in 2 Mac Xo", 'con- tending witli their hands and praying unto God with their hearts.' The notice of Mizpeh in 1 Mac S'"' as an ancient place of prayer, links the prayer and victory of Judas with tliose of Samuel in former time, and is proof of the survix-ing holiness of the ancient sanctuaries. 2 Mac does but renew in legendary guise the evidence of 1 Mac as to the frequency of prayer in the great patriotic struggle. But it contains two passajjes which favoured, if they did not suggest, later developments in Chris- tian times. With 2 Mac 12^<'-« before them as canonical Scripture, it is no wonder that men thought they had ample justification for oti'ering sacrifice (in the Mass) on behalf of the dead. And the vision of Onias and Jeremiah (2 Mac 15'-"") was a clear testimony to the intercession of saints on behalf of the living. Cf. also Bar S'' if the text be correct.
Tlie sapiential books of the Apocr. should next be considered. The Book of Wisdom from 9' onward
is a continuous address to God, and may be regarded as a praj'cr, though the character of sunplication is not clearly discernible beyond the end of cli. 9. But 16-''- ™ contains a beautiful illustration with regard to prayer. As manna had to be gathered at daybrealc, lest it should melt in the heat of the sun, so we must rise at daybreak to gather spiritual food by prayer.