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_ _ Now it is interesting and impressive _for us to remember that God has ofâ€" ten responded to a Nations‘ prayer in some great crisis. The history of anâ€" eient Israel furnishes abundant illusâ€" trations of this fact. The Psalmists, after enumerating some of their tryâ€" ing experiences, add the significant words: ‘"Then they : cried unto . the Lord in their troubles and he deliverâ€" ‘ed them out of their distresses." But ‘we don‘t need to go back to ancient history for our examples. The history of our own empire in comparatively recent times records similar experienâ€" ces. Before the close of the Crimean War by royal proclamation the Naâ€" ‘tion was called to observe a day of hw@miliation and confession and prayâ€" ‘er, and in a very brief period victory ‘and peace followed. Then in 1857 a day was appointed to implore God to bring about conditions of peace in the Indian Mutiny. At one service in answer to the appeal we are told there were 24,000 persons present. And in that case again peace speedily followâ€" ed, and within a year one of the greatâ€" est religious revivals that England evâ€" er enjoyed. It is beyond doubt that God often gives victory to a nation that draws near to Him in reverence and confidence. God cannot be moâ€" bilized for purposes of victory as the â€" explanation and for the 1,&{",;; will have to wait the hereafter revelations. § Prayer is one of the greatest realiâ€" ‘‘ ties in the universe. Right in the heart of God‘s great plan for the govâ€" & ernment of the world he has placed ‘â€" the fact of prayer as a mighty power. _ Amidst all the changes that are takâ€" f ing place, and all the intricacies of ‘ the divine operations, it exerts a . mighty influence. ‘Whatever man thinks of it, in the mind of God the _ conception of prayer is no fiction. It _ has,and God determined that it should have, a positive influence in directing _ the course of human life. It is, and \ God purposed that it should be,â€" a _ link of connection between the huâ€" ' man mind and the divine mind by @4 which, through His infinite condeâ€" â€" scension, man may actually move his _ will. It is and God decreed that it _‘ should be, a power in the universe _ as a distinct and real and natural as the power of gravitgtion or electricity. â€" A man can use it just as soberly andl confidently as he can use any other power. Intense practicalness charâ€" â€" acterizes the Scriptural idea of prayâ€" [ er. The Scriptures make prayer a reality, not a mere meaningless effuâ€". sion. They never merge it in mental fiction. Conceding its mystery, they never bury the fact under that mysâ€" tery. The Scriptural utterances on the subject of prayer are clear and _ unmistakable. Among all the moral anstincts of man there is none more ;atur’al or more universal than prayâ€" "wer. Among all people, civilized or savage, it is met with in some form _ or another. Wherever man lives there _ are times when he appeals to some _ power above himself. With joy or with fear openly, or in the secrecy of his _ heart, it â€"is to prayer he betakes himâ€" _ self as his final resort.. When all else 5 is failing him it is in prayer he seeks _ support for his weakness and strength to bear the burden of his life. Christ "spoke a parable to this end that man ought always to pray and not to i faint." He knew more about prayer _ than any other teacher who ever livâ€" ed. He knew God for he came from God and was himself "God manifest in the flesh." And He knew man, for he took upon him our nsture. In a wondrous way he bridged the chasm between God and man, and became the "Daysman betwixt uis‘ He knew |â€" the mind of God, which is infinitely | ‘beyond our comprehension, and he | knew the mind of man with its limiâ€" â€" tations and ignorance and misjudgâ€" | . _ ments, and he had all these things in |â€" view, the measurable ~and the imâ€" ] â€" measurable, the human and the diâ€" ; _yine, the finite and the infinite, when ( he taught the duty of patience and ; importunity in prayer. We cannot un= { â€" derstand all that was in his mind, for 4 it is not given unto us to know all. s Our highest life here is to be one of c trust and obedience rather than of 7 _ perfect knowledge. Although there £ are prayers apparently unanswered,alâ€" j though there are tragedies being enâ€" | ; acted that we, are powerless to avert, | ; still the divinely taught duty is before s us "always to pray and not to faint.‘" 1 _The present war and especially. the t _present phase of the war, is pressing 7 \this subject of prayer into the foreâ€" t ground with special emphasis. We | & have heard and are still hearing reâ€" | ; peated calls to prayer. On the first t Sunday of this year the king called $ the whole Nation to prayer for the s success of the cause for which our emâ€" | ,, pire is fighting. And those in high T positions in church and in state have p repeated the request again and again. | q And this leads to the asking of the C question of the text: "What profit | \ should we have if we pray unto him ?"* â€"Will our praying have any effect on w the final outcome of this world conâ€" g flict. Now I am not going to attempt | 4 to answer all the questions that the a situatiom raises. .No man could do | c that. History will in part make the s God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain. And even for the present we need to remember that prayer has other purâ€" poses than that of influencing God‘s administration of the affairs of the world. To regard prayer only in that Jight would be to assume an awful reâ€" sponsibility when we undertake to suggest to God how he should direct and order the course of events, either ;:fignal_ or natiqonal. j John Miilton said: If BY prayer incessant I could hope to change the will of Him who all things does, I would not cease To weary Him with my assiduous U Ppowers Deny us for our good, so find we proâ€" fit In unanswered prayers." : the wind. Now without accepting the somewhat fatalistic thought expressed in these words, we should at least learn that submission and obedience are absoâ€" lute requisites in any approach we make to God in prayer, and above all the faith that believes that, whether our prayer is answered or not, ‘‘Tis goodness still that grants them _ or denies." Shakespeare knew more of true theology than some have been disposed to give him crdit for when he wrote: But prayer against his absolute decree No more avails than breath against ‘"We, ignorant of ourselves, Ask often to our hurt, which the wise The following sermon was preached in the Weston Methodist Church by the pastor, Rev. J. W. Stewart, on Sunday, April 23rd, and its publication has been requested. _ Job 21: 15. What profit should we have if we pray unto Him. PRAYER AND THE WAR ‘"What profit should we have if we pray unto Him?" I haven‘t any doubt but it will one day be seen that prayâ€" er has been a most important factor in the decisions and final outcome of this world struggle. One thing, howâ€" ever, must not be overlooked, that is, that prayer is not dictation, but supâ€" plication, and in order to be effective must harmonize with God‘s will and purposes, God has great purposes to be wrought out by this war. Those purposes take in not only our individâ€" ual lives and interests, but the acâ€" complishing of the greatest possible good for the whole world, and thereâ€" fore our prayers should be for the establishing of these great divine purâ€" poses by methods of God‘s own choosâ€" ing.. Such praying will test our faith, Then have there not been many diâ€" rect personal answers to prayer durâ€" ing these years of war? Many have loved ones at the front. For these prayer unceasing has been offered up. Some of these have passed through almost unbelievable perils, with but a step between them and death, yet some unseen protector has been guarding them and keeping them in safety. Hasn‘t prayer had something to do with that? But you say that others who have been just as much prayed for have fallen wounded /or slain on the battlefield, what about them? Have they not also been helpâ€" ed by prayer? The courage and cheerâ€" fulness that was their‘s through much discomfort, the clear call of duty, the high sense of patriotism, their trust in God that made their service heroic and their death sublime. Had prayer nothing to do with all that? And more than that, the comfort they found in the thought that they were being prayed for, was a service of strength and inspiration in their serâ€" vice. And even the sorrow stricken and bereaved at home, if they have nmot allowed their emotions to suborâ€" dinate their reason, feel that their prayers have not been in vainâ€" that thy themselves have been helped and their loved ones in some way comfortâ€" edâ€"and blessed by their intercessions for them. Then the battle of the Marne, how was that decided ? If that battle had gone against the Allies, Paris would have been reached in a few days, and must inevitably have fallen, the Channel coast would soon have been in possession of the enemy, and to all human appearances Germany would have won the war. It was not numâ€" bers that prevailed that day. It wasâ€" n‘t superior equipment, for that conâ€" dition had not been reached. Numeriâ€" cally and strategically the advantage was unquestionably with the enemy, and yet the "battle didn‘t go to the strong". God was not then on the side of the biggest battalions. Sureâ€" ly God was in that battle, and prayer tounted for more than shells and solâ€" diers. Have we_not in these and in many other similar conditions in this war abundant reason to say with the Psalmist: "If it had not been the Lord_ who was on our side when M Oy pogse up against us,. then t?ly nad swallowâ€" ed us up qUui¢k when their wrath was kindled against us." This is our enâ€" couragement to win the war with prayer. T Look at one or two facts that are already apparent, and these are only samples of many others that have been, or will yet be, brought to light, and try to explain them by leaving the divine element out of consideration, and you can find no logic that fits into the conditions. We remember that retirement from Mons in the early stages of the war, when Britain had only that "contemptible little army‘‘ to face the hordes of German soldiers fresh in the field and elated over their, initial victories. How was it that those few British were not anihilated at that time? We have heard those strange stories about those angels at Mons, and there are those who posiâ€" tively affirm that those angels were realities and an actual _presence on that field. â€" That may or may not be so. But leaving that out of consideraâ€", tion, all the military authorities agree, that on every prineiple of strategic warfare the British should have been surrounded and destroyed. But some unseen influence operated the German hosts and they were stayed in their progress, and the threatened little Briâ€" tish army was relieved.. Was not the British officer right when he said, "It was God who delivered us." .Kaiser has attempted, but He listens to the prayer that goes up from humâ€" ble and contrite hearts. But a pertiâ€" l nent question is this: Have we as a ~| Christian people been praying enough | for divine intervention in this world ; sfi‘uggle,. We are being urged to do everything possible for the winning of | the war by going to,the battle front, by providing munitions and building _| ships, by conserving and producing _ |food. But have we been depending . l more upon these things than we have on God, as the final arbitrator in this struggle? That much prayer has been offered is certain.â€"But that there are slackers in this respect is our fear, and | to the extent in which it is true it is our weakness. "God‘s hands are bound or open are As Moses or Elijah‘s prayers." Have we so far had any encourageâ€" ment to spend much of our timeâ€"prayâ€" ing to God for victory and peace. I hayen‘t .a doubt but that when the whole story of this war is told it will then be seen how wondrously God has intervened, and so directed its course that even the wrath of man has been made to work his righteousâ€" ness. We wonder toâ€"day why the war is not over and the oppressor vanâ€" quished. But when we calmly look at the facts is it not rather a wonder that Germany «did not succeed in herâ€" designs within a few months of her ruthless invasion of Belgium. She was fully prepared. Forty years of intrigue and effort had made her casâ€" ily the first military power of the world and second only to Britain in naval strength. She chose her own time and her own field and believed that that the fruits of a complete vicâ€" tory were hers for the plucking. And yet after more than three and a half years of her most strenuous effort she has not only not won the victory, but it is apparently farther beyond _ her reach than when with such high hopes she entered upon the struggle. Our statesmen and generals and admirals have unquestionably made some big mistakes, but these have been small compared with the miscalculations and blunders that have characterized German diplomacy and strategy. It would seem as if God were confoundâ€" ing their counsels as he did those of Ahitophel and leaving her the dupe of false prophets. Germany has not had the triumphal march to victory that she expected, and her "Der Tag" (The Day) of which she so proudly boasted, seems farther off than ever. Has prayer had nothing to do with |â€" this? Who can tell how much of the|â€" strength of Britain‘s army and her alâ€" |â€" lies is due to the unreported intercesâ€" |â€" sions of those who have been doing | their bit on their knees. ‘ ‘"The outlook for production of foodstuffs in Europe next year is disâ€" tinctly unfavorable. France has been dependent upon intensive cultivation of land, which, in turn, had required ‘an abundant use of fertilizers; but since the beginning of the war the available supply of fertilizers in Euâ€" rope has dwindled, and the larndâ€" of France has deteriorated, until toâ€"day it is incapable of large production. The 1917 cereal harvest in France was less than half that of the normal preâ€" war year. In Great Britain, much new land has been brought unrder culâ€" tivation by the aid of tractors, which have also been used to some ertent in France, but there is little prospect of much improvement in preduction in Europe while the shipping shortage prevents the transportation from ovâ€". erseas of nitrates, phosphates and‘ other fertilizing supplies. Indeed, the Allies must be prepared for even poorâ€" er crops in 1918 than those of the current year."â€"Canadian Food Bulleâ€" tin No. 6. . For God has marked each sorrowing day, 4 And numbered every secret tear. And heavens‘ long age of bliss will pay For all that we have suffered here. Nor worthless is the heavy strife If, like the buried seed of grass They rise to renovated lif® Concerning the heroes and martyrs of the past we read: ‘"‘These all havâ€" ing obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect." It may be so still. We may not have received the answer to our prayers as we expected or deâ€" sired; but if so it is because God has provided some better thing for us and for those for whom we have ‘prayed, and for the cause of humanity and liberty. Let us in this conflict reâ€" cognize God not by presumptuously claiming that he is on our side, but by humbly seeking to be on his side, and in this way we shall know that "there is profit if we pray unto, mm‘ The tears we shed are not in vain, but the prayers will not be lost. Acâ€" cording to the measure of their faith and earnestness will they bring reâ€" sults. They will return in blessing upâ€" on ourselves. ‘They will help us to see more clearly the purposes of God, and enter more heartily into His wise designs. They will give an asâ€" surance of that unfailing _ lTove that will not let ourselves or our lovâ€" ed go, and they will strengthen the strength that "Beyond the dim unâ€" known standeth God amid, the shadâ€" ows keeping watch above his own." | from April 2nd merges into the Summer Term on July 2nd in Shaw‘s Business Schools, Toronâ€" to. No vacations. Enter any day. Free Catalogue. W. H. Shaw, Pres. SPRING TERM THE OUTLOOK THE TIMES & GUIDE WESTON, WEDNESDAY, MAY §TH, 1913 Mr. E. Griffith; secreta,r'y-treas-urer; Mr. B. J. Carruthers. The Downsview Farmers‘ Club held their annual meeting last week. Reâ€" ports of the year‘s work were very satâ€" isfactory, showing a large increase in the membership and the finances in good condition. A vote of thanks was tendered Messrs. Adams and Harâ€" rison, the retiring president and secâ€" retary, for their very efifcient serviâ€" ces. Mr. Harold Boake was appointâ€" ed the club‘s representative on the delegation which goes to Ottawa on May 11th. Following are the officers elected for the coming year: Presiâ€" dent, Mrs. James Heslop; viceâ€"pres., In addition to the above, give the chicks a little green food, such as grass, lettuce, sprouted oats, etc. Do not have the moistened bread sloppy, but in a crumbly state, and during this period let the chicks on to fresh soil or grass every day if possible. Second feedâ€"Finely cracked mixâ€" ed grains or commercial chick feed. Third feedâ€"Rolled oats. Fourth feedâ€"Dry bread crumbs moistened with milk. Fifth feedâ€"Finely cracked mixed graings. Feed for the first ten or twelve days. The following daily ration of five feeds given about two/ hours and a half apart and continued from the time the chicks are two to three days out of the shell until 10 or 12 days of age may be altered or adopted to suit conditions: First feedâ€"Dry_ bread _ crumbs slightly moistened with milk. A little sand or grit first. When the chicks are removed. to their brooding quarters there should be some coarse sand or fine chick grit scattered where they can have free access to it. They should be left un til they show positive signs of hunger, which would be between the second and third days after hatching. They may then be given some bread crumbs that have been very slightly moistenâ€" ed with milk, this may be scattered on clean sand or chick grit. If beâ€" ing brooded by a hen she will see that no food is allowed to lay around, but if in a brooder, that part of the food that the chicks do not pick up in a few minutes should be removed, as nothing in feeding causes so much trouble as leaving food of that nature around until it is sour. Hatch early. Make every effort to get your chicks out this spring before the first of June.. As a rule the heavyâ€" ier breeds hatched later than that date are not satisfactory. At least 90 per cent. of the pullets in Canada were not laying during November and December of the past winter, because they were hatched too late. The aim this year should be to make everything count. Make every hen lay her best, make every chick mature carly enough and thereby make every pound of feed give the maximum returns. MAKE EVERY ChICKEN CoUNT DOWNsVIEW HE effects of the increased proâ€" T duction campaign in Western Canada are already noticeable. All over the country farmers are enâ€" larging and improvitig their herds, while many others, desiring to emu-f late their success, are entering mixed | farming in earnest.% Besides feelingj it a patriotic duty to produce as much food as possible, more and | more farmers are finding that mixed; farming in Western Canada pays. Of course, this is not a new realization.l The most successful farmers of the‘ West are those who have divided | their attention between grain growâ€"| (1) Calgary Stock YÂ¥ards, Western Canada‘s Live Stock Trade Increasing â€" Let Weston Lead in 1918 "Greater Proâ€" duction" Campaign. Have you a garden, if not get busy now. |ing and live stock raising, but the |possibilities of quick returns with the former have blinded many to the adâ€" ’vantages of the latter. â€" Notwithâ€" |standing the high prices now being lobtained for wheat, oats and other |grainsJprices which a few years ago were undreamed ofâ€"mixed farming is ~becoming increasingly â€" popular !amon’g the farmers of Western Canâ€" ada. Nothing is too good for them,J rTbey pave money to invest and are mals. Just now word has been 1e investing it wisélyww‘izl'lwe{n eye to the future. The country is continuâ€" ally bei_ng scoured for well bred aniâ€" The movement of pure bred stock to Western Canada is going on conâ€" tinuallyâ€"from day to day, from week! to week. Toâ€"day it is Aberdeenâ€"Angus! and Shorthorns, yesterday it was Jerâ€" seys and Herefords; last week alli these and others breeds as well. One! day dairy cattle predominate, anâ€" other day beef cattle, and another| ‘ dual purpose animals. They â€" arel brought from Eastern Canada, from! all parts of the States, from Eng~ }land and Scotland, Aard even fromt, other parts of Europe. Already posâ€" ‘sessing some of the largest and most! valuable herds of particular breeds ‘of cattle, the Western Provinces of, Canada bid fair to become one of the greatest cattle countries in the world. They have every advantage for the raising of cattle economicallyâ€"heal thy climate, low priced lands on‘ which grow nourishing foods, an} abundance of clear water, convenient: markets, etc‘_ And, what is more imâ€"‘ portant, these advantages are beginâ€" ning to be fully recognized by the settlers, who are making use of them. to their own and the country‘s profit! ceived that more than a hundred pure bred Aberdeenâ€"Angus females and, bulls from the best herds of Iowa and| Illinois have been loaded for shipâ€" menrt to Western Canada. These are choice specimens from the herds that! have been producing the grand chamâ€" pion carloads and individuals at the International Live Stock Show; they will become seed stock for the farms and ranches of the Prairie Provinces.; 4