The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-06-05

Preachers sometimes lament the fac
that so many of our Methodist people
quit kneeling in public prayer. Long,
dull, tedious prayers may have much
to do with it. It is very tiresome to
kneel while q long-winded brother is
irving to make display of rhetoric in
his public prayers. This applies to
preachers as we'll as laymen.-Er'
change.
If one is in proper spirit prayer
unless it be of most eXtraordlnafy
length-cannot be too long. Neither
can a prayer be dull, tedious, if the ST.
lent worshiper be in right frame OF
mind, for then he will be in sympathy
with every petition made; it is often
lack of sympathy which makes SER
nous not 'good," and prayers tedious
and dull. Certainly none OF these
things give any excuse for failing to
follow the prescribed form of worship
in our Methodist churches. The same
principle controlling will keep one
from church when the weather is very
hot or very cold-the sermon be long,
dull, uninteresting, these are the best
reasons in the world for staying at
home. If we are not interested by q
speaker that is his fault always. Is it?
If an astronomer, naturalist, or any
scientist addresses an audience those
in that audience who have known no
better entertainment" than a circus
clowns jokes or the anecdotes and
songs of tour best cork artists" are not
likely to be interested, are they:
Hardly. But others who have some
knowledge of the subject are the eager
listeners, the better read the nearer
and the more learned the speaker the
more thoroughly are they en- rapporte.
This is said of matters of to-day, mat
ters of human discovery and investiga-
ton. Shall it be then that in matters
Of religion, in affairs pertaining to our
highest interests, people who have
professed to have some knowledge of
Christ and His salvation should say
the speaker is dull, the sermon is un-
interesting? 1t depends far more up
on the hearer than the speaker avhether
a sermon is "good' or not-this. of
course, if we have confidence in the in
tegrity of the speaker, which we
should take for granted unless we
know his life bellies his doctrine. If
one knows preacher TO be a hypocrite,
if one knows him in the practice of
evil, then nothing that preacher could
say could by any possibility benefit
that hearer. But, taking as granted
the speakers sincerity and honesty,
should he, could he, be found dull, un-
interesting, as he discourses, it may be
rudely, of the mysteries of faith, re
pentance, salvation Remember, we
speak of tour Methodist people"
Presumably-unhappily presump-
tion not warranted by facts, however
four Methodist people" know from
experience what is meant by the pow
er of God unto salvation, what is
meant by repentance, faith, accept
anee, love. How then eau prayer di-
rected to God, the giver of all good, be
dull, tedious? Is it not that the hearer
as he sits in his pew is not in accord
with the one who prays? that his
heart is far removed from the matters
considered in the prayer? Let each
one who "sits up during prayer ask
himself that question. We speak of
course only of those who sit at prayers
of their own choice, and not from any
disability. WoRsHIPpER.