The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-18
ORRESPONDENCE.
Letter from New York.
IANnARY 6 1890


McSSrs. Editors,-The week of prayer
services are being held at Broadway
Tabernacle Corner of Sixth avenue and
Broadway, Rev. DR.. Taylor pastor; and
before speaking of the week of prayer
let me ask if you have heard DIR. Taylor
preach.
He is that Rara Avis" Scotch Con-
gregationalist There must be some mis-
chance in his denominational relations.
He is every inch Scotchman and looks
for all the world the Presbyterian di-
vine, and many good judges think him
the best preacher in New York Visi-
tors to the city will easily find the way
to his church up Broadway to Thirty
fourth street, on the left-hand side going
up. In the pulpit they will see an awk-
wardly made up man, with big head and
more hair than is necessary to cover it.
big as it is. He wears a gown and ap-
pears to be bothered by it. His voice is
queer and his whole appearance unat-
tractive. But frCm the invocation to the
doxology you lose sight of his looks in
the interest of his utterances. One rea-
son probably is that he seems to be self
torgetful, and. what a, pleasure it Is to
is the impression that Dr. Taylor makes
from the start, and it deepens as you fol-
low him. He is very earnest in prayer
reads the hymns with that sort of en-
phasis which makes one feel that the
words give expression to his own feelings
and experiences. You at once discover
that his mind has been liberalized by
very extensive and varied reading But
his excursions into the domain of litera-
ture and poetry do not appear to be for
effect They are very natural and in
structive and serve always to elucidate
and illuminate his theme. He is a
preacher of the truth as it is in Christ.
DO not fail to hear him when you come
to New York.
The Week of Prayer.
The first prayer meeting was held on
Monday morning, the End Of January, at
half-past nine o'clock in the morning.
Although the day was given up to New
Years calls, this mornings meeting was
we'll attended, led by Rev. Mr.. Park
hurst, pastor of Madison Square Presby-
terian church formerly DR.. Adams y.
Mr.. Parkhurst is the third pastor of this
church, of which DR.. Adams was the
first. The church has gotten it's three
pastors from New England-graduate
of Andover and not natural born Pres
byterians, but they have all become very
passable ones. Mr.. Parkhurst is a young
man (not yet forty) and has the distinc-
tive marks of New England preacher,
but he is very earnest man, and is very
much of your way of thinking on most
matters, Judging from his preaching and
short address at this opening meeting oi
the week Of prayer the burden of which
was that the Holy Ghost only could
make these meetings profitable. The
subject for the day was Thanksgiving
DIR. McCosh made the first prayer and a
good and long one it was. We hear (be-
ing 80 near to Princeton) of the brusoue
ways of the distinguished Scotchman
but he is an humble man when he prays
and this perhaps is the best standpoint
to Judge man Of strong convictions
from-his prayers. Dr. McCosh confined
his prayer that morning for the Church
to the church of the reformation" Is
this just right? Would it not be better
to follow the Catholic embrace of the
Episcopal service (would that our Epis-
PN VloIhleu were dS llOeIdl as Jnelr
prayers and pray for "a all who profess
and call themselves Christians For
alter all there must be a host of true
Christians in the Roman Catholic Church.
and since the Lord knoweth them that
are his, 1T is good habit in prayers to
leave the bestowal Of the Holy Ghost to
the divine Omniscience.
Mr.. Wells, our lay or local Presbvte-
rian preacher, followed DR.. McCosb. He
was a good man as Wall-street stock
broker (there are number Of such still