Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-02
PRAYER AND PRAISE.

PRAYER AND PRAISE.
 pr. Taylor on the Best Way to wor- ship-Sources efHymns and theWay to Collect Them-ConnectiOn of the 2 Ritual with Worship - Need of the Psalter-The Right Way to Pray | Should Pray in Straight Lines.
 Rev. William F. Taylor, D. D., of New York city, yesterday lectured fin Mar quand chapel to the divinity students on ''The devotional services of public wor- ship" The chapel was we'll filled, chiefly by divinity students and few from the college. His words were very practical and to the point, as will be seen by the following extract:
 Worship is the ascribing of honor to God through his works and his word and especially his son Jesus Christ. Public worship is the worship of people assem- bled in one place, and consists chiefly in words of: grace, song, prayer, and tho reading and preaching of the gospel. It is important to say that our words are ad- dressed mainly to God, and are to be such as not men, but God will ap- prove. And yet the approval of both may be attained, for that which we seek to make acceptable to God will be ap- proved and delighted in by dsvout men. sThe true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and in truth So long as men stand aloof from God and regard him only as lawgiver and judge he is wor- shipped as he wishes. A right conception of God is essential to the true worship. If these things are so,' some people say, I've need no; outward worship'-which would be so if we were spirits; but as being in the flesh we need some form of expression At the same time, the ritual without the spirit is dead, and the danger | of making it of more account than the lat ! ter is not confined to an elaborate cere- monial. Worship will not be attained l without earnest and devout attention. 'Now as to praise in music the words must be more appropriate than the time. | The time should be so simple as to be comprehended by child and welded to | the words. The source of supply is as wide as the history of the church. In the word of God itself we find the richest ma terial for hymns. At the head of tho Eng. fish poets stands Isaac Watts. It is a has been allowed to fall into disuse. Ii should not be read alternately, as thii breaks up the sense, but should be chant cd. It would lay up in the hearts ot Christians many passages which would come back to them spontaneously in time of need. One thing I miss most is the ole Scotch Psalm-book. My delight hal been in silent watches of the night to ge
 over these old passages which have beer
 extremely helpful to me in my ministry Praise as such should be congregational to,
 and the tune one with which all are famil
 iar The hymn book should consequent,
 contain few hymns and not many. You
 book here contains ], 200 hymns which i so many that none are familiar. A grea deal might be done to have congregations
 singing, the minister should mark tn
 tunes the people want and by and by h.
 will have hymnal that people can't hell
 singing. Better less appropriate hymn
 than one the people wont sing, be it eve
 so appropriate.
 8 "But as to public prayer. The sam : might be said of this as of praise. Praye
 is making request and the other is givin
 thanks, and it is not difficult to understan
 how one passes into the other. The prim requisite for both is sincerity. No fas 8 rule may be laid down, but prayer need
 much careful preparation. Attention ma l well be given to the prayers of Paul, St : Augustine, Thomas A. Kempis and so on See to it your method is not stereotyped a and let it not be too long. Some hay = l OlV1ueu Gno long prayer HUG two, put Gn consequence is only two long prayers in stead of one. Be brief; do not amplify
 but pray in telegraph. Public praye
 should be common-not soliloquy or
 rhapsody, but supplication enterin | into the peoples needs and thoughts one to which they can say 'amen
 It should be petitionary and no f meditational. It should not praise Brothe
 Smith or any one else present. Neithe
 should it be dialectic and full of anti quated forms come down from the elder f and perhaps also the deacons Qaughte,
 which meant something only when frs a used. The simpler the words the better :. They should be 'business-ike,' as one ma said. Before our conversion we prayed i
 circles, but now in straight lines. Th s tprayers should be microscopy as we'll. 5 "To sum up all, remember that the hol
 spirit will help us in all, and never let U + forget to ask his gracious assistance befor
 we go into the pulpit and we shall receiv f abundant answer"
 Dr. Taylor closed by thanking the stu :, dents that he was once more permitted ] see their faces, and wished them a success
 fui ministry, telling them that thoug : there were many things in his life b would do different if he retraced it, b would never exchange the Christian mir a istry, which brought him new blessing l. every year.
 1O4 Years old.
 Mehitabel Dayton of Glastonbury wa
 1O4 years old yesterday. The event wa