Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-04-02
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 Wife.
The Blunt Appeal Of Father Taylor,
the Boston Preacher.

His Praise Of tho 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
70 he 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
cnt 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 clutches, 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. Fa-
miliarity with conventional phraseoiogy
was the undoing Of the minister VINO,
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 publcans spirit
Not very complimentary was the use
of a well known Scripture passage
made by a minister at wedding:
"May these persons live together Ill
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 conclud-
ing example of the thoughtless use OF
familiar language one may quote this
remarkable amalgam: so 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 sermon, so in prayer, the
attampt 10 correct hasty utterance
sometimes leads to surprising results
| A cautious Scotch elder, it 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
Guided by invoking the divine blessing
upon the pastors wife as his godly
bcIpneet. who had always upheld his
hands In evviy good work-"at least,
he added in a saving clause, las fal
as we know" 1t is related OF com
patriot that in moment of forgetful
ness he once thanked God for 1.-The sal
walton of all men," but Immediately
tredeemed himself from heterodoXy by
the qualification, (which, . Lord, as
thou knowest, is true in one sense, Du'
uOt in another"
There are some men who seem &c
think thar an indirect manner OF eX
preston is especially suited to sacred
things, as the Scotchman quoted by
DR.. Boyd as saying, For, as thot
knowest, men do not gather grapes Of
thorns nor figs Of the national EN-
blem," and the Englishman who thus
pledged himself, "And. 0 Lord, II th0r
wilt move the heart Of any young maj
to enter thy service, we will show oul
approval in q way which thou viii
! appreciate"
Father Taylor, the Boston sailor
preacher, was one Of the most olrec
OF men and on the one recorded coca
sion when he esSayed a roundabout
style nature tciumphed over artlhce
It was the Sunday before the state
elections, and lie was praying fervent
" that man might be chosen fol
governor who would rule In the feaI
of Gcd. who would never lie afraid @
the face Of clay, who would defeat th'
ringleaders of corruption. who would
defy his own party if it yielded to wir'
pullers. who-suddeniy Father Taylo
J paused ard then exclaimed: 80 Lord
, what's the use Of boxing the compass
in this way? Give us George n
Briggs for governor Amcn.'
The temptation to use public rraye
as a vehicle for the conveying Of infer
, nation has sometimes been too stron.
70 resist. In his lively "reminiscences
published some years ago IL the Yves
Ieyan Methodist Magazine the late pl
Benjamin Gregory recalled how Ger
tain Methodist minister of al carrie
generation was accustomed "to cCnye.
all necessary directions to his younge
colleagues through the medium or tn
throne Of grace" Here IS an example
80 Lord, bless thy dear young servant
Thou knowcst his appointment for tC
: morrow is at -, and he will have {
IS stop at Brother IS, who keeps Il Ill
tie shop opposite the church. Oh. gran
that thy dear young servant may no
forget TO let the people have the maya
zines and to bring home the moneys.
The famous DR.. McCosh Of Prinieto
WIS accustomed to meet the student
in the college chapel every morning
when he would make any necessary al
nouncements as we'll rs conduct dev(
tons. One morning in the prayer Wit
which the service concluded he praye
for the president Of the United States
the cabinet. the members CT bot
houses CT CONGRESS-, the governor
New JERSEY, the mayor ard other Of
Gals Of Princeton, and he then came
the professors and instructors in III
college. At this point there tpshe
into his mind 4 notice which had bee
communicated to Lin orally ard wh!c
no had omitted TO include IL the al
nounccmcnts made just before. I
tie surprise Of the assembled student