The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-31
PREACHERS ODD MISTAKES
'snfelicities Of Pulpit Espression-cur-
ious Use Of SGT Phrases.
From the Christian World

The most frequent cause of inappro-
pirate petitions is M CUB the per-
sistence of habit. Certain phrases are
used again and again. until they come
to be repeated without any thought of
their immediate application. We may
similarly explain the stories of the
rkhou chaplain who prayed that
those present might not trust in I'M
certain riches and the prison chaplain
who besought the Lord that he conduct
the worshippers in safety to their re-
s6pectiVe places of abode. At the Con-
gregational union meeting at Black
pool last year the minister conducting
the devotions at one service so far for
got his surroundings as to refer to the
place OF meeting-the theater of the
Winter garden-as this hallowed spot"
The sense of humor must surely ave
been lacking in the old man of so, sup
GUIDED among his petitions at The
weekly praye meeting the equest that
he might be kept from running with
the giddy multitude to do evil. FanliJ-
1arlty with conventiOna phrase0logy
was the undoing of the minister II
after the sermon on the Pharisee and
the publican. asked that there might
be poured out upon his hearers "a
Not very complimentary was the use OF
a we'll known scripture passage made
by a minister at a wedding.
May these persons live together in
'oNShA III III l. ltcA1 lIS.S-
may finally attain unto that state of
felicity where they neither marry DOR
are given i'm marriage" AS a conolud-
ing example Of the ;.loughtless use of
familiar language one may quote this
remarkable a%rnalgan: oh, Lord. We
praise Thee that we are Thine: we
feel that We are Thine: we know tina
We are Thine: Lord, make us Thine
attempt to correct a hasty utterance
sometimes leads to surprising results.
A cautious Scotch elder. it is said. had
taken supper at his PASTORS house and
tered upon a detailed exposition of
various causes of gratitude. He con-
Guided by invoking the divine blessing
upon the pastors wife AS his godlg
hands in a very good work-"at teast,'
he added, in a >aving clause. as far
as we Know 1t is related of a COM
patriot that in a moment of forgetful-
ness he once II God for the sal
walton of all men," but Immediately re-
deemed himself from hereterodoXN by
the qualification. which oh. Lord. as
Thou knowest, is true in one sense, but
mot in another" ~
The absurdity of attempted mag7lile-
sQuence In prayer has had two sur
passing Illustrations. 1t would be hard
to say whether 20 Thou who art the
ne plus ultra and the sine qua non of
all that is good and great" or 20 Thou
that .paintest the petals of the polyan-
thus is the more terrible exordiu1n.
There are some men who seem to
think that an indirect manner OF ex-
preston is especially suited to sacred
things, as the Scotchman quoted by
DR.. Boyd as saying, For, as Thou
knowest, men do not gather grapes of
thorns nor figs of the national en-
blem,'' and the Englishman who thus
pledged himself, And, o Lord, If Thou
wilt move the heart Of any young man
to enter Thy service as a missionary
we will show our approval in a way
Father Taylor, the Boston sailor
preacher, was one of the most direct
OF men, and on the one recorded oc-
casion when he essayed a roundabout
style nature triumphod over artifice.
1t was the Sunday before the state
elections, and he was praying fervently
that a mar might be chosen for gov
ernor who would rule in the fear of
God, who would never be afraid of the
face Of clay. who would defeat the
Tingleaders of corruption. who would
defy his own party II it yielded to WIRE
pullers, who-suddenly Father Taylor
paused and then exclaimed. 20 Lord,
what's the use of boxing the compass
in this way? Give us George N. Briggs
o governor. Amen!"
The temptation to use public prayer
as a vehicle for the conveying OF in
formation has sometimes been too
strong to resist. In his lively remin-
%fscences, published some years ago in
the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. the
late DR.. Benjamin Gregory recalled
how a certain Methodist minister of an
earlier generation was accustomed ito
convey all necessary directions to his
younger colleagues through h medi-
UNI OF the throne of grace" Here is
an example: 20, Lord. bless thy lear
young servant. Thou knowest his ap-
pointment for tomorrow is at -
and he will have to stop at Brother
--'s. who keeps a little shop OPP
posite the church. o grant that Thy
dear young servant ma not forget to
to bring home the moneys"
The famous DR.. McCosh, OF Prince
ton, was accustomed to meet the stu
dents in the college chapel every morn
ing, when he would max any neces-
sary announcements as we'll as IN
due d%evotions. One morning in the
prayer with which the service con-
cluded. he prayed for the president Of
the United States. the cabinet. the
members of both houses Of congress,
the governor of New Jersey, the mayor
and other officials of Princeton, inc
- Ah~n ao-n - <Io o.o%oroo-~ 80 g.