verse. "If God should wink at a single act of injustice," says the
Arab proverb, "the whole universe would shrivel up like a cast-off
snake-skin." If God should wink at any violated law the universe would
vanish.

Not long ago, in an examination in a theological seminary, the question
was asked of the candidates for the ministry, "Is it right to pray for a
change of season?" The candidates thought that it was not, for the
relations which produce winter and summer are fixed in the structure of
the solar system and cannot be altered for man's pleasure or man's need.
"Is it right to pray for rain?" The candidates generally thought that it
was, because the conditions of rain are so unstable that a little change
in one way or another would bring rain or fair weather, and that it was
proper to ask for such change, as it did not concern the economy of the
universe.

The third question was: "When the signal service of the United States is
well established, so that weather conditions are perfectly known, will
it then be right to pray for rain?" And the candidates for the ministry
could not tell, for they began to see that even simple changes of
weather may have the strength of the whole universe behind them. It has
never yet rained when by any possibility it could do otherwise. It has
never failed to rain when rain was possible. The Spanish padres in
California, wise in their generation, allowed prayers for rain only in
winter, when the wind was in the south. The wind is only in the south
when the air is affected by a cyclonic movement, and this in the
California winter means rain.

We hear good men say sometimes that the crying need of this strong and
sceptical age is that it may see some law of nature definitely broken,
that it may rain when rain is impossible, or that some burning bush may,
unconsuming, proclaim that the force which is behind all law is also
above it and can break or repeal all laws at will.

Emerson somewhere speaks of the purpose in life--"To be sound and
solvent." As his life was in all ways "sound and solvent," perhaps such
rule of conduct was his own. But one may say, That is only a rule. The
man himself should be all rules and requirements of his own
establishment. Let Mr. Emerson show that his life is above his
principles. Let him break these rules. Let him be "unsound and
insolvent" for a time. Then only will his greatness appear.

The laws of nature are the expression of the infinite soundness a