The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-07-09
no,c to Conduct Prayer Meetings.

Few Of the great preachers Of the country are
80 felcitous in illustrating their subjects with
appropriate anecdotes as the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher. And like oil men Of genuine humor,
he has the knack to say very droll things with q
face of the most impassive gravity. At the Ma
tional Christian Convention held last year In
this city he wascallcd upon to address that body
on "How to Conduct Prayer Meetings." and for
an hour held the audience with mingling Of
fun and pathos and sentiment and wisdom such
az one but seldom enjoys. After the ADJOURN
ment Of the morning session about ffty men
mostly young, and identified with the hardest Of
Christian work in the most unpromising fields
gathered about him, in order to wrcst from
him the secrets Of his success. The results were
too valuable to pass without enduring record.
The questioning lasted nearly an hour and
half. During that time Mr.. Beecher was In the
centre Of densely packed crowd, and not given
moments rest. The questions were sometimes
rambling, but nearly all tended to uncover an
inward experience that others beside ihose then
present would be glad to see. Omitting, Of
course, many things, the questions and answers
were very nearly as follows:
"Mr. Becchcr, what do you do with borcs In
your prayer mectingsr
swell, try to be patient with them. Christ.
when hc was on earth, was troubled with bores,
and say to myself, Why should not bel !
try to educate them, and try to make something
of them. The man who Is bore now may be-
come an efficient worker II one is only patient F"
"Well, but Mr.. Beecher'-lt was Mr.. Moody
that interrupted, as one might almost know
from the character Of the question-''thcre are
confirmed borcs, and II you let them 90 on they
will smash prayer meeting all to pieces what
do you do with them,'
81 never have and never will allow any one
to smash prayer meeting. II cannot bring
about reformation by privately talking to him,
II no other means will answer, can say to such
q man, sit dopn. But then, there are many
ways to be tried first. II I zee q man Is apt to
talk in set phrase aud continually repeat, In
terrupt HIM with question. A question Is an
obstruction in his track. He will have TO get
over 1t, or 90 around Il, or come to stand.still.
I ask him about his own experience In relation
to what he is talking about, and In such con-
ycrsation there is.no chance to be formal"
"Do you make special preparation for a
prayer meetingl"
Il
"Yes. That is, Ialways have subject in my
mind that want to present. Sometimes 1t Is
adhered to by others, and sometimes 1t Is not
When II is not, never try to bring II back, but
try to develop the thought that comes out the
most prominently. I try to find out as quick rs
possible the lcalings Of the Holy Spirit, and then
follow them"
"Did you ever have to exercise any authority
in prayer meetings Of the nature you alluded
tor
al had one man once that used to trouble me
great deal. lie used''-and here Mr.. Beecher
impersonated him to the life-"he used TO drag
his words in the most teiiously slow process that
you can imagine. One evening he commenced
as usual: I-hope-that-my-young-friends
-will-not-like-me-put-of-thcir--con
sideration-of the interests Of eternity and just
then interrupted him by saying, Mr.
IL you 60 on that way much longer, eternity
will be here and half through before you fin
ish v'-Harper's Drawer.