The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-06
SOME QUEER PRAYERS
Curious Mistakes That Have
Been Made by Preachers.
A CAUTIOUS SCOTCH ELDER.
Tho Way He Qualified In His Petition
His Praise Of the Pastors Wits.
The Blum. Appeal of Father Taylor,
the Boston Preacher

The Blum. Appeal of Father Taylor,
the Boston Preacher.
The most frequent cause OF inappro-
PIRATE petitions Is 40 doubt the per
sisterce of habit Certain phrases are
used again and again until they come
10 be repeated without any thought OF
their Immediate application. says the
Chris ian World. We may similarly
explain the stories of the worShouse
chaplain who prayed that those pres
ent might not trust in uncertain riches
and the prison chaplain who beseusht
the Lari 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 at the
weekly prayer meeting the request that
he might be kept from running with
the giddy multitude TO do evil. Ia,
miliaritv 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 dou-
bic portion of the publican's spirit.
Not very complimentary was the use
Of we'll known Scripture passage
made by n minister at wedding:
May 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 a 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 a sermon. so in a prayer. the
attempt to correct hasty utterance
sometimes leads to surprising results.
\ cautious Scotch elder. 1t is said, had
taken supper at his pastors house and
in returning thanks after the meal en-
tered upon a detailed exposition OF
various causes Of gratitude. He con-
cluded by invoking the divine blessing
upon the pastors wife as his godIy
helpmeet, who had always upheld his
hands In every good work-"at least"
he added In saving clause. las far
as we know" 1t is related of com
patriot that in a moment of forgetful-
ness he once thanked God for 1.-The SAL
walton Of all men," but Immediately
redeemed himself fro.A hetcrodoxy by
the qualificat ton, 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, as the Scotchman quoted by
! DR.. Boyd as saying, For. as thou
knoweSt, men do not ga ther grapes OF
/ thorns nor tiEs of the national EN-.
| blem," und the Englishman who thus
| pledged himself. And. q Lord. II thou
| wilt move the heart Of any young ruan
to enter thy service. we will show our
approval in a way which thou wilt
appreciate"
Father Taylor, the Boston sailor
preacher. was one Of the most direct
of men and ON the one recorded occa-
sion when he essayed a roundabout
/ style nature triumphed over artifice.
I 1t was the Sunday before the state
elections, and he was praying fervent-
ly that a man might he chosen for
I governor who would rule in 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 1t 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 for governor. Auen"'
! The temptation to use public prayer
! as n vehicle for the cpnveyin Of infor-
nation has sometimes been too strong
to resist. In his lively "reminiscences
published son.e years ago In the Wes-
! leyan Methodist Magnetic the late Dr.
/ Benja min GREGORY recalled how n Ger
tain Methodist minister Of an earlier
generation WIS accustomed TO convey
| all necessary directions ID his younger
/ colleagues through the medium Of the
throne Of grace" Here is nm example:
20 Lord. bless thy deer young servant.
| Thou knowcst his appointment for to-
I morrow is at -. ami he will have To
/ stop ut Brother IS who Leens n lit
/ tie shop opposite the hurch. oh. grant
: tHit teitG ST. ucS
( forget to let the people hcve the ma "a
! zines and tn bring hone the moneys"
The famous Or HcCcsh af Princeton
was accustomed TO 'lcct the students
/ IN the college chapel every morning,
! when he would make ln.' necessary an.
| nouncements as we'll as corducf devo
tions. One nnorain. IN the prayer with
! which the service concluded he prayed
| for the president o. the United States
| the cabinet the f.emoers OF both
! houses of congress. tha governor -
| New Jersey. the mayor and other of.
! Gals Of Princeton. ard he then carne 10
! the professors and instructors in the
! college. At this paint there flashed
| into his mind Il noti,'c which had beer
/ communicated 10 hsfn orally ard which
| he had omitted TO icciiide in the an.
! nouncemHu's made just before. To
! the surprise ~ the assembled students
| President McCosh continued. And. &
/ Lord. bless Professor Karge. whose