Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/95

 and they  said:  These  are  thy  gods,  O  Israel, that have  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of Egypt. And Aaron  built  an  altar  before  it. And rising  in  the  morning,  the  people  offered holocausts and  peace-victims,  and  sat  down to eat  and  drink,  and  they  rose  up  to  play. And the  Lord  spoke  to  Moses:  Thy  people hath sinned. Let Me  alone,  that  My  wrath may be  kindled  against  them,  and  that  I may  destroy  them"  (Exod.  xxxii.  1-10). Why  should  God,  who  is  almighty  and  irresistible, ask  Moses  to  "let  Him  alone"  — that  is,  not  to  interfere  with  His  design  of destroying  the  idolatrous  Israelites?  What could  Moses  effect  against  God?  But  Moses could  pray,  and,  taking  the  hint,  he  did  interfere, saying:  "Why,  O  Lord,  is  Thy  indignation enkindled  against  Thy  people? Let Thy anger  cease,  and  be  appeased  upon  the wickedness of  Thy  people."  His  prayer  met with  perfect  success,  for  it  appeased  God's wrath,  compelling  Him,  as  it  were,  to  show mercy.  "And  the  Lord  was  appeased  from doing the  evil  He  had  threatened  against  His people."

Prayer is,  then,  in  a  certain  sense,  almighty, able to  overcome  God  Himself;  it  is  unfailing in its  effects,  and  at  the  same  time  so  easy  as to  be  in  the  power  of  every  adult  whenever  he