Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-24
Speaking in Meeting.

Speaking III Meeting.
| from Mr.. Beechcrs Lecture in New Haven
Tlc idea Is mostly that if men spea.
In meeting they must speak expositori-
ly, or hortatorially. Both are heresies
iii prayer. The latter is especially the
betc noir In prayer-meetings. 1t is the
devil that ought to be exercised in the
beginning. Laughter Men say,
Il have nothing to say" thinking they
must speak like the minister; that
they must discuss point or unfold a
doctrinal truth. Now, if you get rid
of that, there are great many men
/ that have a great deal to say.
As, for instance, the ':value Of pa
tience" is up, and | say, "Mr Nahos-
any, what has been your experience in
regard to it? You have had a family
of four boys They all died drunk
ares, didn' they? lie rises very slow.
ly, is broken in his language, and he
says. "Yes. They inherited it through
our ancestors. did you find it very
easy to bear with IT, "No no
When my first boy came home it seem
ed to me | could pull lay house down
over his head for an hour or two |
was all aiire - aud SO he goes on and
tells about it all and bears his sorrow
to your gaze. There he has been 20
years burying those boys, holding on
to them, while they bring wretche4ness
upon HIN. There is the grand epic of
patience wrought out by one man.
| believe in womcn's speaking and
praying in meeting as we'll as lecturin@
and voting. | feel as though the
church lost just one-half Of its best
power in the exclusion Of the sister
hood. But in rcyiva!s-reyivals know
no laws, and consequently when you
have reyivals the stiffc3t churches al
low mothers to ask for prayers, and
when once on their feet YOU can Get
some very good silver and goldfish out
Of their mouths. When they open
their mouth, throw in a. question.
Laughter. ! In that way | have fre-
quently done what | could not in any
other Laughter. ] The mothers
and sisters that are doin- the great
work Of life mast not hide the light of
their experience under bushel. 1t
has grown too precious to be lost. We
are sighing for the loss Of just such
material and yet, on a mere quidity,
we are leaving it out of our prayer
meetings so We have our bean-poles
of propriety, but not morning glory,
blossoming around them for the glory
OF God.
When you come to see how the pray
er-meeting stands in its relation to the
individual man, the universally of it,
the multitudiousncss of it, the richness,
the wonderful power that is in it, when
you come to study it in its relation to
men wants, like what Nature is when
you come to study her, you begin to
feel ashamed that you have done so
little with the prayer-meeting, that it
has become one of the "Lost Arts :"
think the church is apt to live a longer
time that pivots on the prayer meeting ;
than one that pivots on the pulpit. !
do not undervalue preaching at all.
That also is preachins-only split up.
There also is in this matter an effect
which | wish to call attention to-the
effect from time to time upon outsiders,
spectators At first it is the freshness
.liveliness, that brings men to it. You
meeting will be crowded after a while
You take spectators into an ordinary
prayer-meeting 1t is the most dan
gerous place ] should like to take then
to. 1t produces upon them very mucl
the sense of prison. It is galley
work. They don't like it, and the
idea Of going to all the trouble of be
ing co,.} erted in order to get into The
PRAYER meeting is rather discouraging
and | must say | don't blame them
But make the prayer-meeting fresl
and new and sparkling and social, anC
men who come in desponding will G,
out exhilarated. Never let a mar
know that there are any there but sin
ners. 1t is the actual sight of wha
we mean by piety that influences ane
touches. 1t is the sight of imperfec
ton, it is the hearing of groans, ths
sight of tears, the recital of joys. L
is faith, hope, love, fellowship, help
lessness,-not in any Of their grande
poetical forms, but as they exist il
actual men and women. 1t is the bat
tie of life going on before mems eye
that is the most imperative Of all way
Of preaching the truth to many men
!, There are many men who can stant