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
