Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-02-20
SOME QUEER PRAYERS.
Curious Mistakes That Have
Been MaGt by Preachers.
A CAUTIOUS SCOTCH ELDER.
The Way He Qualified In His Petition
His Praise Of the Pastors Wife
The Blunt Appeal of Father Taylor,
the Boston Preacher.

the Boston Preacher.
The most frequent cause of inappro.
pirate petitions Is no doubt the per.
sistencc of habit. Certain phrases are
used again and again until they come
to be repeated without any thought Of
their immediate application. says the
Christian World. We may similarly
explain the stories of the workhouso
chaplain who prayed that those pres
ent might not trust In uncertain riches
and the prison chaplain who besought
the Lord that he conduct the worship.
ers in safety to their respective places
of abode.
The sense of humor must surely have
been lacking in the old man of eighty.
supported by crutches, who regularly
included among his petitions Mt the
weekly prayer meeting the request that
he might be kept from running with
the giddy multitude to do evil. Fa-
mIliarity with conventional phraseology
was the undoing Of the minister who.
after the sermon ON the Pharisee and
the publican asked that there might
be poured out upon his hearers Il dou.
BILE portion of the publicans spirit.
Not very complimentary was the use
of well known Scripture passage
made by n minister mt a wedding:
"AIay these persons live together in
such harmony in this life that they
may finally attain unto that state of
felicity where they neither marry nor
are given in marriage" As n conclud.
Ing example of the thoughtless use OF
familiar language one may quote this
remarkable amalgam: 20 Lord. we
praise thee that we are thine; we feel.
that we are thine: we know that we
are thine: Lord. make us thine
As IN n sermon, so In 4 prayer, the
attempt TO correct Il hasty uttcrance
sometimes leads TO surprising results.
A cautious scotch elder II is said, had
taken supper ut his pastors house and
In returning thanks after the meal en-
tered upon Il detailed exposition Of
various causes of gratitude. lie con-
cludcd By invoking the divine blessing
upon the pastors wife rs his godly
helpmcct who had always upheld his
hands In every good work-'at least,
he added in Il saving clause. las far
rs we know" II is related of Il com
patriot that in a moment of forgetful-
ness lie once thanked God for the sal
walton of all men," but Immediately
redeemed himself from heterodoxy by
the qualification, (which, O Lord, as
thou knowest, is true In one sense, but
not in another"
There are some men who seem to
think that an indirect manner of ex-
preston is especially suited TO sacred
things, rs the Scotehman quoted by
DIR. 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, IL thou
wilt move the heart of any young man
to enter thy service, we will show our
approval In way which thou wilt
appreciate"
Father Taylor, the Boston sailor
preacher, was one of the most direct
of men and on the one recorded coca
sion when he essayed roundabout
style nature trlumphed over artiiice.
1t was the Sunday before the state
elections. and he was praying fervent-
~ that n man might be chosen for
governor who would rule I'm the fear
OF God. who would never be afraid of
the face of clay, who would defeat the
ringleaders of corruption. who would
defy his own party II II yielded to wire
pullers, suddenly Father Taylor
paused and then exclaimed; 20 Lord,
what's the use Of boxing the compass
In this way? Give us George y.
Briggs for governor. Amen"
The temptation TO use public prayer
rs vehicle for the conveying OF infor.
nation has sometimes been too strong
to resist. In his lively "reminiscences
published some years ago In the Yves
lcyan Methodist Magazine the late Or.
Benjamin Gregory recalled how a Ger
tain Methodist minister OF an earlier
generation was accustomed ito convey
all necessary directions to his younger
colleagues through the medium Of the
throne of grace" Here Is an example:
20 Lord bless thy dear young servant.
Thou knowcst his appointment for TO.
morrow Is at --. and he will have 10
stop ut Brother IS. who keeps Il lit.
lie shop opposite the church. oh grant
that thy dear young servant may not
forget TO let the people have the maya.
zines and 20 bring home the moneys"
The famous Dir. McCosh of Princeton
was accustomed TO meet the students
in the college chapel every morning.
when lie would make any necessary an.
nouncoments as well as conduct devo.
tions. One morning in the prayer with
which the service concluded 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 Off
clals Of Princeton, and he then came 20
the professors and Instructors In the
college. At this point there dashed
into his mind n notice which had been
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