The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-02-02
For the Central Presbyterian.
The Revised Directory for Wor-
ship.

AS authorised by the last General AS
sembly, the chairman of the Committee
OF Revision has recently sent to each min
lister and Session of our Church the "Re-
vised Directory for Worship" with re-
quest that the same be c79tacalIy erana-
med by each Presbytery; and the result
of such criticism be forwarded by the
Stated Clerks to the chairman at Pendle-
ton, s. c., to be used in making report
to the next General Assembly, which
meets at Staunton, Va. This arrange
ment seems to the writer to be croa0dsnq
things little too much in a corner. as
many of the Presbyteries have their
spring meetings SO short a time before
the General Assembly--for instance
Montgomery on the Sd, and Roanoke on
the 9th of May-that some of these re-
ports will not reach the chairman in time
for his report. There seems, therefore,
to be propriety, If not a necessity, for
some preliminary discussion or criticism
of the Revised Directory through the re-
Hgious press. In fact there have already
appeared Gas in the Christian Observer of
the 18th December), some criticisms to
which the writer proposes to refer, and
to add to them few of his own. Those
alluded to in the Observer are in the main
commendatory, and as the writer thinks,
are timely and judicious, especially the
concluding sentence-"We are framing
constitution in which every word is sup
posed to be chosen with care, and to be
subject, In generations to come, to critical
Interpretation when the authors are in
their graves"
1 think that it will be generally agreed
that the Revised Directory is an improve
m'e7et on the one now in use; and so far
as there are defects or faults, they seem
to be rather in what is omitted than what
it contains. These will be more particu-
larly noted in their order; but in chap
ter 1, Public Worship on the Lords
Day." we must make an exception to
what has just been said as to faults of
omission: since here we find perpetual
ton OF what has sometimes been alleged
against the present Directory as serious
Objectionable is, in suggesting SO many
topics for the "long prayer" not only
so, but it directs one more than the pre-
sent Directory, making sac instead of IfUe.
After somewhat extensive observation
of nearly fifty years, I think it safe to
say that if there is any one thing more
frequently objected to in the Presbyte-
rian form of worship than any other, it
is the almost interminable prayers offered
by some of our ministers; and the num-
Der of topics suggested in our Directory
seems to invite, if not really to enioin
such great length in offering this "full
and comprehensive prayer" as it is term
ed in the Directory This may do very
well in Scotland, where the people have
been accustomed to these immensely long
prayers, and to sermons correspondinply
long, sometimes extending to three or
four weary houre; but it certainly does
not suit the habits and temper of our
people; more especially our country con-
gregations, which are often of mixed
character, and become restless even to
impotence when prayer from the pull
pit exceeds FIVE minutes-how much more
when extended to fifteen and even twenty
minutes 1t seems to me manifestly pro-