The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-01-30
For TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Pulpit Manner.
n o V.
BY A AYM AN.

Your manner in Prayer, now comes to
be considered. Two prayers are requir-
ed by our Directory, one before and one
after the sermon, one full and eompre-
hensive, the other briefer and more spe-
cial. This latter, by some preachers, 1
have known to be omitted; by what au-
thority, l am at loss to say. think
l never but once knew the first prayer to
be left out. / suppose that the minister
forgot 1t. dare say he was afterwards
as much mortified, as his congregation at
the time was surprised.
As to the manner in prayer, not much
can be said. The characteristic senti-
ment of prayer is reverential earnest
ness, and this feeling is so simple, and at
the same time so controlling, that nature
dictates what is appropriate in manner.
Yet some things may be noted. l think
that it is well to introduce the service by
the words, solemnly uttered, before the
eyes are closed: ''Let us pray" The
uplifting of the hands is the universal
token of prayer. Again | remind you
that both hands ought to be used. To
raise but one has an incomplete, careless
look, and is also ungraceful. As your
hands cannot be kept in this position du-
ring gthe whole time OF prayer, II Is well
to close them in front of your breast, or
to rest them on the cushion, before you
begin to speak. To do this subsequent
ly, suggests WEAKNESS. Make but little
change afterwards, if any, in the dispo-
sition of your hands. Do not during
prayer tumble with the Bible, the hymn
book or the cushion. Do not thrust one
hand into your breast, much less into
your pocket, aud do not draw out your
handkerchief. A slight gesture is not
inappropriate occasionally, but only such
a one as belongs to supplicatiOn, never
one of demonstrative character.
There must be allowed some change of
attitude, and some play of features, but
the natural tendency to this is to be
checked, rather than encouraged. |
have seen a minister so throw his head
backward and forward, so dart forward
and lean over the desk, and so direct his
face to the different portions of the audi
ence, as to impress one with the thought
that he hal forgotten the direction in
which the throne of grace is usually sup
posed, fguratively at least, to be.
/ may be allowed to refer to some
things not exactly of manner, nor yet
altOCether of matter. belOnOinO to PRAYER
from the pulpit.
Complaint is frequently made that our
ministers make their first prayer unduly
long. There is foundation for this criti-
cism upon some ministers. Yet | would
counsel you not to be controlled as to
the length of any part of your services
by the notions of Others. If you do, you
will presently find yourself curtailed to
a pro6tless brevity. A large part of
your congregation will always wish your
prayers and your sermon to be shortened.
And if to please them you begin to cut
of, they viii presently be just as desi-
rOus of another eurtail. Fix in your
own mind how long the whole service
ought to be, and assign to each part It's
Just proportion, and as nearly as you
can, conform to it. Habit will presently
make you surprisingly accurate in this
respect. 1t is part of your business TO
train your people to remain patiently in
the house of God for a suitable length of
time.
The first prayer ought not to be short.
Our Directory requires that it should be
full and comprehensive, and to be this
will occupy some time.
The constituents of this prayer as set
forth in our Book, are: Alteration,
Thanksgiving, Confession, SuppGcation
and Intercession. Pleading is also added
but this seems not to be distinct from
Supplcation and Intercession. 1t is not
to be supposed that each of these topics
is to be of necessity introduced into eve
ry prayer-and yet which would we omit
Nor that all are to be treated with equal
fulness, or each with the same fulness
upon every occasion, but that this is to
be the general scheme of the full and
comprehensive prayer provided for in
every complete act of public worship on
the Lord's-day. As these topics are tc
occur regularly, would it not be well fol
each minister to introduce them in regu
larorder, and preparing whatse to him.
the best phraseology, not to vary very
widely from it, Sabbath after Sabbath
Your prayers will not be made by thi;
method either formal or monotOnous
For there is yet another portion of the
prayer which will be continually varied