The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-02-10
SOME QUEER PRAYERS
Curious Mistakes That Have
Been Made 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 most frequent cause of inapprO-
pirate petitions is no doubt 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, says the
Christian World We may similarly
explain the stories Of the Workhouse
chaplain who prayed that those pres
ent might not trust in uncertain riches
and the prison chaplain who bcsought
the Lord that he conduct The worship
crs 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 erutehes. who regularly
included among his petitions at the
weekly prayer meeting the request that
he might he kept from running with
the glddy multitude 10 do evil. Ia
miliarty with conventional phrascology
was the undoing Of the minister who
after the sermon Oh the Phafisee and
the publican. asked thai there might
be poured out upon his hearers Il dou-
Bile portion of HE publcans spirit
Not very complimentary was the use
of well known Scripture passage
made by n minister III 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 II conclud-
ing example of the lhoughtless Use OF
familiar language one may quote this
remarkable amalgam. 20 Lord. we
praise thec that We are thine. we feel
that we are thine, we know that we
are thine: Lord. make us thine
AS in 4 sermon. So i'll prayer. the
attempt 10 correct u hastY ultcranCe
sometimes lends To surprising results
4 cautious Scotch cider. il is said had
taken supper 1T his pastors house and
in returning thanks after the meal en-
tered upon detailed opposition of
various causes of gratitude He con
cluded by invoking the divine blessing
upon the pastors wife as his godly
hclpmcet. who had always upheld his
hands in every good work At least,
he added In a Swing clause. AS far
rs we know. II is related Of a com.
patriot that in Il moment Of forgetful.
ness he once thanked Cod for The sal /
yation of all men. hui Immediately +
redeemed himself from hetefeaoxF hg
the qualification. which. . Lord rs
hou knoWest, IS trae in one sense. hui
not in another
There are some meH vile seem Is
hink that mn indirect manner Of eN-
preston IS especially suited to sacred
hings. rs the Scotchmm quoted by
Dr Boyd as saying, For, rs thou
men do not gather grapes OF
horns nor Ags Of The national en
blem," and the Englishmm who thus +
pledged himself And . Lord. if then +
wilt move the heart of any Young man I
TO enter thy service. We Will show our
approval in WAY which theu wilt
appreciate.
Father Taylor, the Boston sailor
WAS one of the most direct
OF men and on the one recorded UCca-
sion when he essaNed Il roundabout
style mature triumphed over ariiiice,
1t was the Sunday before the state
elections, and he was praying fcrVcnl
ly that man might be chosen fer
governor who would rule In the fear
Of God. who would never he afraid Of
the face Of clay. who would defeat the
ringlcadcrs Of corruption. Who would
defy his own party If II yielded TO wire
pullcrs. who suddenly Father TAYLOR
paused and then exclaimed 20 Lord
what's the use OF boxing the compass
in this way Give us George \
Briggs for governor Amen"
The temptation 10 use public PRAYER
as a vehicle for the conveying Of infor-
nation has sometimes been too strnne
to resist In his lively "reminiscences
published some Years ago in the Nc.
lcyan Methodist Magazine the late pr
benjamin Gregory recalled how cer-
tain Methodist minister Of III carlier
generation WAS accustomed 10 CONVEX
all necessary directions Ia his Younger
through the medium Of The
throne Of grace. Here IS aH example
20 Lord. bless thy dear Young servant
Thou knewest his appointment Tor o.
morrow is NJ and IL will have -
stop Mt Brothcr IS Who keeps 4,
Tie shop opposite lie church oh. grant