Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-03-20

His Praise OF the Pastors Wlte.
The Blunt Appeal Of Father Taylor,
the Boston Preacher,
IN" most frequent cause Of iu0ppru.
pirate petitions is no doubt the pen.
sisjrucc of habit Certain phrases are
used again and again anti they come
20 be repeated without any bought Vt
their immediate application, says tho
Christian World We may similarly
explain the stories of the wornhousr
chaplain who prayed that thuso pres
cnt mght 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 crutchcS, who regularly
included among his petitions at the
weekly prayer meeting the request that
he might he kept from running with
the glddy multitude to do evil. Fa-
mliarly with conventional phraScoIOgy
was the undoing Of the minister who,
after the sermon on the HhariScc and
the publican, asked that there might
he poured out upon his hearers Il dou-
Bile portion of the publican's spirit
Not very complimentary was the use
Of a we'll known Scripture passage
made by minister at Il wedding:
"NIay 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 marriages. As a Conclud-
ing example of the thoughtIcSs use Of
familiar language one may quote this
remarkable amalgam: 90 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, 50 in prayer, the
attempt to correct a hasty uttcrance
sometimes leads to surprising results.
4 cautious Scotch elder, it is said, had
taken supper at his pastors house and
in returning thanks after the meal en-
tered upon Il detailed exposition Of
various causes of gratitude. He con-
Guided by invoking the divine blessing
upon the pastors wife rs his gUdly
hclpmect, who had always upheld his
hands in every good wOrk-"0t least"
he added in a saving clause las far
as we know" 1t is related of a com
patriot that in Il moment of fUrgCttul-
ness he once thanked God for "thC sal
walton Of all men," but Immediately
I,i,,,,,lf hnt,pIlnN-N- l,y
the qualification, (which, O Lord, as
thou kuowest, is true in one sense, but
not In another"
There are some men who seem to
think that an indirect manner Of cX-
preston is especially suited to sacred
things, as the Scotchman quoted by
DR.. Boyd as saying, For, as thou
kmowest, men do not gather grapes Of
thorns nor figs of the national en-
blcm," and the Englishman who thus
pledged himself, ".And, . Lord, If thou
wilt move the heart of any young man
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 eSSGyed a roundabout
style nature triumphcd over artilice.
1t was the Sunday before the state
elections, and he was praying ferycut-
ly that a man might be chosen for
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 if it yielded to wire
pullcrs, who-suddcnly Father Taylor
paused and then exclaimed: 80 Lord,
what's the use of boxing the compass
In this way? Give us George n.
Briggs for governor. Amen"
The temptation to use public prayer
rs Il vehicle for the conveying Of infor-
nation has sometimes been too strong
to resist In his lively "reminiscences
published some years ago in the Wes-
lcyan Methodist Magazine the late DR..
Benjamin Gregory recalled how Il GER
tain Methodist minister OF an earlier
generation was accustomed "tO convey
all necessary directions to his younger
colleagues through the medium of the
throne of grace" Here is an example:
30 Lord, bless thy dear young servant.
Thou knowcst his appointment for to-
morrow is at -, and he will have to
stop at Brother IS. who keeps lit
tie shop opposite the church, Oh, grant
that thy dear young servant may not
forget to let the people have the maya
zines and to bring home the moneys"
The famous DR.. McCOSh of Princeton
was accustomed to meet the students
in the college chapel every morning,
when he would make any necessary an
nouncemcnts as we'll as conduct devO-
tlOnS. 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,
"ialS Of Princeton, and he then came to
the professors and instructors in the
college. At this point there flashed
into his mind notice which had been
communicated to him orally and which
be had omitted to include In the am
nouncements made Just before. To
the surprise of the assembled students
President McCosh continued, "And, O
Lord, bless Professor Karge, whose
French class will be held this morning
ut 0 o'clock instead of $50, as usual"
He who hesltates much will accom-
pliSh little.-Von MoItke.