"The Lord hath given," says holy Job, "and the Lord hath taken away; blest be the name of the Lord." "We must," says St. Paul, "give thanks alway for all things." The fifth and last part of prayer is petition. Our appeal to God must include a request for light to know our real needs, temporal and spiritual. " Thou sayest," says St. John, " that thou art rich and are made wealthy and have need of nothing, and thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Having tried to see our own and our living and dead neighbor's wants as God sees them, our prayer for help must be made; first, with implicit trust in God's power and willingness to relieve them. " Whatsoever you ask when you pray," says Christ, " believe that you shall receive and they shall come unto you." Secondly, with humility, for " God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble." Thirdly, with the perseverance of the widow seeking justice, of the friend wishing to purchase bread, of the woman of Chanaan, or of St. Paul, who thrice asked the Lord for the selfsame favor. Lastly, with fervor, for unless the incense be dropped on the fire it will not ascend to the Lord. The fiery chariot is the only vehicle to heaven. But if, when all is over, the particular object of our prayer be still denied us, let us finish with the words: " Thy will be done," confident of having been heard by Him who seeth in secret what things are really for our good, and who in secret shall reward us. The fact that He granted the devil's request to enter the swine and refused St.
