if　we　knew　everything　about　healthexcept　the　way　to　get　it。
  I　am　quite　sure　that　the　difficulty　does　not　lie　in　the　fact　that
  men　are　not　in　earnest。　　This　is　simply　not　the　fact。　　All　around
  us　Christians　are　wearing　themselves　out　in　trying　to　be　better。
  The　amount　of　spiritual　longing　in　the　worldin　the　hearts
  of　unnumbered　thousands　of　men　and　women　in　whom　we　should　never
  suspect　it；　among　the　wise　and　thoughtful；　among　the　young　and
  gay；　who　seldom　assuage　and　never　betray　their　thirstthis　is　one
  of　the　most　wonderful　and　touching　facts　of　life。　　It　is　not　more
  heart　that　is　needed；　but　more　light；　not　more　force；　but　a　wiser
  direction　to　be　given　to　very　real　energies　already　there。
  The　usual　advice　when　one　asks　for　counsel　on　these　questions　is；
  〃Pray。〃　　But　this　advice　is　far　from　adequate。　　I　shall　qualify　the
  statement　presently；　but　let　me　urge　it　here；　with　what　you　will
  perhaps　call　daring　emphasis；　that　to　pray　for　these　things　is　not
  the　way　to　get　them。　　No　one　will　get　them　without　praying；　but
  that　men　do　not　get　them　by　praying　is　a　simple　fact。　　We　have　all
  prayed；　and　sincerely　prayed；　for　such　experiences　as　I　have　named；
  prayed；　believing　that　that　was　the　way　to　get　them。　　And　yet　have
  we　got　them？　　The　test　is　experience。　　I　dare　not　limit　prayer；
  still　less　the　grace　of　God。　　If　you　have　got　them　in　this　way；
  it　is　well。　　I　am　speaking　to　those；　be　they　few　or　many；　who　have
  not　got　them；　to　ordinary　men　in　ordinary　circumstances。　　But　if　we
  have　not　got　them；　it　by　no　means　follows　that　prayer　is　useless。
  The　correct　conclusion　is　only　that　it　is　useless；　or　inadequate
  rather；　for　this　particular　purpose。　　To　make　prayer　the　sole
  resort；　the　universal　panacea　for　every　spiritual　ill；　is　as　radical
  a　mistake　as　to　prescribe　only　one　medicine　for　every　bodily　trouble。
  The　physician　who　does　the　last　is　a　quack；　the　spiritual　advisor
  who　dies　the　first　is
  Grossly　ignorant　of　his　profession。
  To　do　nothing　but　pray　is　a　wrong　done　to　prayer　itself；　and　can
  only　end　in　disaster。　　It　is　as　if　one　tried　to　live　only　with　the
  lungs；　as　if　one　assimilated　only　air　and　neglected　solid　food。
  The　lungs　are　a　first　essential；　the　air　is　a　first　essential；　but
  the　body　has　many　members；　given　for　different　purposes；　secreting
  different　things；　and　each　has　a　method　of　nutrition　as　special　to
  itself　as　its　own　activity。　　While　prayer；　then；　is　the　characteristic
  sublimity　of　the　Christian　life；　it　is　by　no　means　the　only　one。
  And　those　who　make　it　the　sole　alternative；　and　apply　it　to　purposes
  for　which　it　was　never　meant；　are　really　doing　the　greatest　harm
  to　prayer　itself。　　To　couple　the　word　〃inadequate〃　with　this　might
  word　is　not　to　dethrone　prayer；　but　to　exalt　it。
  What　dethrones　prayer
  is　unanswered　prayer。　　When　men　pray　for　things　which　do　not　come
  that　waypray　with　sincere　belief　that　prayer；　unaided　and　alone；
  will　compass　what　they　askthen；　not　getting　what　they　ask；　they
  often　give　up　prayer。
  This　is　the　natural　history　of　much　atheism；　not　only　an　atheism　of
  atheists；　but　a　more　terrible　atheism　of　Christians；　an　unconscious
  atheism；　whose　roots　have　struck　far　into　many　souls　whose
  last　breath　would　be　spent　in　denying　it。　　So；　I　repeat；　it　is　a
  mistaken　Christianity　which　allow　men　to　cherish　a　blind　belief　in
  the　omnipotence　of　prayer。　　Prayer；　certainly；　when　the　appropriate
  conditions　are　fulfilled；　is　omnipotent；　but　not　blind　prayer。
  Blind　prayer　is　superstition。　　Prayer；　in　its　true　sense；　contains
  the　sane　recognition　that　while　man　prays　in　faith；　GOD　ACTS　BY　LAW。
  What　that　means　in　the　immediate　connection　we　shall　see　presently。
  What；　then；　is　the　remedy？　　It　is　impossible　to　doubt　that　there
  is　a　remedy；　and　it　is　equally　impossible　to　believe　that　it　is
  a　secret。　　The　idea　that　some　few　men；　by　happy　chance　or　happier
  temperament；　have　been　given　the　secretas　if　there　were　some　sort
  of　knack　or　trick　of　itis　wholly　incredible　and　wrong。　　Religion
  must　be　for　all；　and　the　way　into　its　loftiest　heights　must　be　by
  a　gateway　through　which　the　peoples　of　the　world　may　pass。
  I　shall　have　to　lead　up　to　this　gateway　by　a　very　familiar　path。
  But　as　this　path　is　strangely　unfrequented　where　it　passes　into
  the　religious　sphere；　I　must　ask　your　forbearance　for　dwelling　for
  a　moment　upon　the　commonest　of　commonplaces。
  I。　Effects　Require　Causes
  Nothing　that　happens　in　the　world　happens　by　chance。　　God　is　a　God
  of　order。　　Everything　is　arranged　upon　definite　principles；　and
  never　at　random。　　the　world；　even　the　religious　world；　is　governed
  by　law。　　Character　is　governed　by　law。　　Happiness　is　governed　by
  law。　　The　Christian　experiences　are　governed　by　law。　　Men；　forgetting
  this；　expect　Rest；　Joy；　Peace；　Faith　to　drop　into　their　souls　from
  the　air　like　snow　or　rain。　　But　in　point　of　fact　they　do　not　do　so；
  and　if　they　did；　they　would　no　less　have　their　origin　in　previous
  activities　and　be　controlled　by　natural　laws。　　Rain　and　snow　do
  drop　from　the　air；　but　not　without　a　long　previous　history。　　They
  are　the　mature　effects　of　former　causes。　　Equally　so　are　Rest　and
  Peace　and　Joy。　　They；　too；　have　each　a　previous　history。　　Storms　and
  winds　and　calms　are　not　accidents；　but　brought　about　by　antecedent
  circumstances。　　Rest　and　Peace　are　but　calms　in　man's　inward　nature；
  and　arise　through　causes　as　definite　and　as　inevitable。
  Realize　it　thoroughly；　it　is　a　methodical；　not　an　accidental　world。
  If　a　housewife　turns　out　a　good　cake；　it　is　the　result　of　a　sound
  receipt；　carefully　applied。　　She　cannot　mix　the　assigned　ingredients
  and　fire　them　for　the　appropriate　time　without　producing　the
  result。　　It　is　not　she　who　has　made　the　cake；　it　is　nature。　　She
  brings　related　things　together；　sets　causes　at　work；　these　causes
  bring　about　the　result。　　she　is　not　a　creator；　but　an　intermediary。
  She　does　not　expect　random　causes　to　produce　specific　effectsrandom
  ingredients　would　only　produce　random　cakes。　　So　it　is　in　the　making
  of　Christian　experiences。　　Certain　lines　are　followed；　certain
  effects　are　the　result。　　These　effects　cannot　but　be　the　result。
  But　the　result　can　never　take　place　without　the　previous　cause。
  To　expect　results　without　antecedents　is　to　expect　cakes　without
  ingredients。　　That　impossibility　is　precisely
  The　almost　universal　expectation。
  Now　what　I　mainly　wish　to　do　is　to　help　you　firmly　to　grasp　this
  simple　principle　of　Cause　and　Effect　in　the　spiritual　world。　　And
  instead　of　applying　the　principle　generally　to　each　of　the　Christian
  experiences　in　turn；　I　shall　examine　its　application　to　one　in
  some　little　detail。　　The　one　I　shall　select　is　Rest。　　And　I　think
  any　one　who　follows　the　application　in　this　single　instance　will
  be　able　to　apply　it　for　himself　to　the　others。
  Take　such　a　sentence　as　this：　　African　explorers　are　subject　to
  fevers　which　cause　restlessness　and　delirium。
  Note　the　expression；　〃cause　restlessness。〃　　RESTLESSNESS　HAS　A　CAUSE。
  Clearly；　then；　any　one　who　wished　to　get　rid　of　restlessness　would
  proceed　at　once　to　deal　with　the　cause。　　If　that　were　not　removed；
  a　doctor　might　prescribe　a　hundred　things；　and　all　might　be　taken
  in　turn；　without　producing　the　least　effect。　　Things　are　so　arranged
  in　the　original　planning　of　the　world　that　certain　effects　must
  follow　certain　causes；　and　certain　causes　must　be　abolished　before
  certain　effects　can　be　removed。　　Certain　parts　of　Africa　are
  inseparably　linked　with　the　physical　experience　called　fever；　this
  fever　is　in　turn　infallibly　linked　with　a　mental　experience　called
  restlessness　and　delirium。　　To　abolish　the　mental　experience　the
  radical　method　would　be　to　abolish　the　physical　experience；　and
  the　way　of　abolishing　the　physical　experience　would　be　to　abolish
  Africa；　or　to　cease　to　go　there。
  Now　this　hold　good　for　all　other　forms　of　Restlessness。　　Every　other
  form　and　kind　of　Restlessness　in　the　world　had　a　definite　cause；
  and　the　particular　kind　of　Restlessness　can　only　be　removed　by
  removing　the　allotted　cause。
  All　this　is　also　true　of　Rest。　　Restlessness　has　a　cause：　　must
  not　REST　have　a　cause？　　Necessarily。　　If　it　were　a　chance　world　we
  would　not　expect　this；　but；　being　a　methodical　world；　it　cannot　be
  otherwise。　　Rest；　physical　rest；　moral　rest；　spiritual　rest；　every
  kind　of　rest　has　a　cause；　as　certainly　as　restlessness。　　Now　causes
  are　discriminating。　　There　is　one　kind　of　cause　for　every　particular
  effect　and　no　other；　and　if　one　particular　effect　is　desired；　the
  corresponding　cause　must　be　set　in　motion。　　It　is　no　use　proposing
  finely　devised　schemes；　or　going　through　general　pious　exercises
  in　the　hope　that　somehow　Rest　will　come。　　The　Christian　life　is
  not　casual；　but　causal。　　All　nature　is　a　standing　protest　against
  the　absurdity　of　expecting　to　secure　spiritual　effects；　or　any
  effects；　without　the　employment　of　appropriate　causes。　　The　Great
  Teacher　dealt