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The Young People's Prmer-Meetm 
 and its improvement. 
 
 By CAL. OGBURN. 
 
 SiZITH KM INTRODUCTION B¥ 
 
 Vx^U-<XAs 
 
 PPwES. D. R. Dungan, 
 Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy, Cotner University. 
 
 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of 
 
 the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, 
 
 in spirit, in faith, in purity. — 1 Tim. 4:12. 
 
 St. Louis: 
 CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
 
 1894. 
 
<, 
 
 y ©5 
 
 Copyrighted, 1894, by 
 Christian Publishing Company. 
 
 The Library 
 of Congress 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
D^diqatioi?. 
 
 TO MY MOTHER IN HEAVEN, 
 
 Who always had, and, I am confident, still has, 
 
 deep interest in my welfare, and to whom, more 
 
 than to any other earthly being, I am indebted for 
 
 whatever of goodness and usefulness I possess; and 
 
 with the prayerful hope that it may strengthen 
 
 every good impulse in the minds of its readers, 
 
 help them to worship God more acceptably, and 
 
 enable them to.be more useful to " Christ and the 
 
 Church," this little volume is, with filial and tender 
 
 regard, inscribed by 
 
 The Author. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 If ' 'books are born, not made," I can truly 
 say that this little volume is no exception to the 
 rule. It is not the mechanical combination of 
 words and sentences, but the offspring of Expe- 
 rience and Observation. 
 
 In its pages I have endeavored to state clearly 
 and to explain fully, as far as I have gone, how 
 to make the young people's prayer -meetings 
 more interesting and profitable. 
 
 It may at first appear to some that I have en- 
 tered too much into detail, but I think it will be 
 conceded at once by all for whom I have written 
 — the young people in Christ of all religious de- 
 dominations — that nothing has been explained too 
 fully. 
 
 I am quite sure that we, whose duty it is to in- 
 instruct the people, give them credit for knowl- 
 edge they do not possess ; and this I say without 
 thought of casting any reflection whatever on 
 
 them for their lack of understanding. The re- 
 
 (5) 
 
6 Preface. 
 
 flection, if any, is rather upon those whose duty 
 it is to impart instruction. We seem to forget 
 that it has taken "precept upon precept; line 
 upon line; here a little, and there a little,'' to 
 give to us the comparatively small amount of in- 
 formation we possess; so we only offer "hints 
 and suggestions, ' ' to those whom we should in- 
 struct, which are often as meaningless to them 
 as the hieroglyphics on an Egyptian obelisk. 
 
 Let it be borne in mind , then , that I have not 
 written for the young people of the past, but for 
 those of the present and future — not for the ex- 
 perienced, but for the inexperienced, and let the 
 value of the book be determined accordingly. 
 
 And now, little book, may God bless you on 
 your mission of usefulness to the young men and 
 young women, and to the boys and the girls, who 
 have pledged, or shall pledge, themselves to be 
 loyal to ' 'Christ and the Church. ' ' 
 
 Cal. OgburNo 
 
 Riverside, Cal, Feb. 3, 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Introduction. v . . . . u 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WHO SHOULD NOT ATTEND? 
 
 The ill-behaved— Hobby-riders, whether old or young— The 
 habitually lugubrious— The hypercritical— The super- 
 sensitive— Members of ' 'Mutual Admiration Societies. ' ' 
 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 WHO SHOULD ATTEND? * 
 
 All who are mentioned in the preceding chapter, after they 
 reform— The officers of the church— Old people who are 
 still young in spirit— The pastor— All Christian young 
 men and young women— All young people who are in 
 sympathy with the purpose of the meeting. ... 25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SECURING ATTENDANCE. 
 
 Increase the number of active members— Increase the num- 
 ber of associate members — Look after the absent — Have 
 the meetings announced from the pulpit— Make use of 
 the printing-press— Advertise the meeting in the local 
 papers — Post invitations in hotels, depots, etc. — Dis- 
 tribute cards— Extend personal invitations— Use tact- 
 House to house canvassing — Talk the meeting up — Make 
 the meeting interesting 3i 
 
 (?) 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE PRAYER - 
 
 MEETING. 
 
 All the work of this committee auxiliary to the prayer- 
 meeting— Members should go early— Act as a reception 
 committee— See that the room is neat and tidy— Be 
 bright and " sunshiny "—Greet all at the door— Act as 
 ushers— Fill up the front seats, if you can— Introduce 
 strangers 49 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE PRAYER -MEETING COMMITTEE AND ITS WORK. 
 
 Prepare a list of topics — Secure leaders— Conduct or be 
 present at a "leaders' conference' '— Have the general 
 oversight of the meetings— Prevent long pauses— Assist 
 in arranging an order of exercises— Suggestive pro- 
 grams 54 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE WORK OF THE MUSIC COMMITTEE. 
 
 Its importance— Co-operate with the leader in selecting ap- 
 propriate hymns— Arrange for a little special singing- 
 Give a brief history of familiar songs— Relate incidents 
 connected with their use — Call for favorite hymns — Sup- 
 plement hymns with a verse or two of some Bible song 
 — Start hymns impromptu — Sing with the spirit — Be on 
 time— Organize a "chorus choir"— Sing the gospel, and 
 get others to sing it , 63 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE LEADER'S GENERAL PREPARATION. 
 
 Preparation very necessary— Questions to be correctly an- 
 • swered — General preparation never finished— More im- 
 portant than special preparation— A liberal education — 
 
Contents. 
 
 A knowledge of God's Word— The cultivation of piety- 
 Be prayerful— Cultivate every Christian virtue and 
 grace— Dr. Beecher's sermon 74 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE LEADER'S SPECIAL PREPARATION. 
 
 Peculiarly forcible questions— Study the subject and texts 
 — Subdivision of the topic — Arrangement of the program 
 — Selection of an appropriate Scripture lesson— The 
 choice of appropriate texts— Quotations from popular 
 author— Prayer— Dr. Clark's advice— Attention to de- 
 tails 83 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LEADING THE MEETING. 
 
 Froebel's maxim— Come early— Begin on time— Be master 
 of the situation— Never scold— "I'm not prepared" — 
 Speak briefly and to the point— Leaving the meeting in 
 the hands of the society — Request to " verse-readers" 
 —Discourage desultory Bible reading— Speak distinctly— 
 "Ten minutes more"— Close on time or before— Have a 
 "wider margin." 95 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PREPARING TO TAKE PART. 
 
 * c Those awful pauses"— Thorough preparation— Two 
 special reasons for being prepared— Study the subject 
 and the Bible— Compare text with text— Memorize 
 choice texts— Study the prayers of the men of God- 
 Talk about the meeting with others— Write upon the 
 subject— " Only an idea, my dear"— Prof. Greenleaf's 
 request— Gather up illustrations— "Pray without ceas- 
 'ing"— Audience fright 105 
 
10 Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 TAKING PART. 
 
 The first essential— " The true ■worshiper' '—Two commend- 
 able ways— Silent prayer— Audibly means audibly— Be 
 natural, if you can— "Talking to kill time"— Vary the 
 manner of participation — Take the part assigned — Do 
 not tell how you feel— Sentence prayers— Participation 
 by attentive listening 120 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE CONSECRATION MEETING. 
 
 The thermometer of the society— Repeating lessons learned 
 before — The roll-call— An objection considered— How to 
 keep the meeting out of ruts— The two purposes of the 
 meeting — Self-examination and reconsecration — One 
 duty performed does not release from others— Collective 
 consecration— Rev. F. E. Clark quoted 131 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SUGGESTIVE ORDERS OF EXERCISES FOR THE CONSE- 
 CRATION MEETING. 
 142 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SELECTIONS FOR THE CONSECRATION MEETING. 
 
 150 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS. 
 
 A catechetical meeting— Missionary meeting No. 1— Mission- 
 ary meeting No. 2 — An evening .with hymn-writers and 
 their hymns 156 
 
 The Use of the Blackboard in the Young 
 People's Prayer -Meeting. 175 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The work of the young people has become so 
 important that it cannot be passed in silence. The 
 time was when grave and thoughtful men stood 
 in doubt of it. Not wishing to stand in the way of 
 any force to be operated in favor of the cause of 
 Christ, and fearing, on the other hand, that the 
 inexperience and want of discipline on the part 
 of the leaders would cause it to fail of its pur- 
 pose, and so leave the cause its adherents loved 
 weaker than it found it, they said nothing. Their 
 plan was , ' ' Let be , and see if Elias will come 
 and help him ;' ' ' 'Let it alone, for if it is from 
 men it will come to nought, but if it be of God ye 
 cannot overthrow it. ' ' 
 
 But the time of waiting is over. We know now 
 that it is a power for good. Nor do we endorse 
 it because of its rapid growth and great numbers , 
 but because its aims are right, its workers are 
 willing and active, and its plans are wise. 
 
 1. The commission, ' 'Let him who hears say, 
 (11) 
 
12 Introduction. 
 
 Come, ' ' calls on all who know the Lord to par- 
 ticipate in the work of turning the world to God. 
 It is not a question of age nor sex, but of know- 
 ing the Lord, and ability and desire to work in 
 his cause. 
 
 2. What individuals and classes of disciples 
 can do to the best advantage in the service of 
 their Master can, many times, be learned by 
 trial. The ability of the Endeavor workers, for 
 instance, has now been sufficiently tested. No 
 reasonable doubt now remains as to this being a 
 legitimate field, and one of the best which, at 
 this time, they can occupy. 
 
 3. These earnest workers are nearer the young 
 people who are out of Christ than the pastor or 
 the older members of the church. Hence they 
 can reach them easier and do them more good 
 than any others. 
 
 4. They are more active in the work than are 
 the older members. Their hope is stronger and 
 their blood is warmer. They will go when and 
 where the older ones will not and can not go. 
 And the pastor who does not have the assistance 
 of a young people's society is unfortunate, to 
 say the least. The only pure church is the one 
 that is active in the service of the Lord. Where 
 
Introduction. 13 
 
 all are workers there will be no grumblers , and 
 no cases of discipline. 
 
 5. The effects of this movement are the diffu- 
 sion of Biblical knowledge, the adoption of 
 practical methods for the evangelization of the 
 world, and the unity of all the people of God. 
 As they have no creed but Christ, they cease to 
 feel the influence of sectarianism. Maturing 
 under these conditions , they will ever work and 
 pray for the unity of the people of God. 
 
 6. I have long felt the need of a work which 
 would set before these enthusiastic workers for 
 Christ principles and orders which would assist 
 them in their work. And I am delighted in the 
 prospect before me. The book to which you are 
 now introduced has been carefully written by 
 Cal. Ogburn, of Riverside, California. I re- 
 member him as one of the best and most faithful 
 of my students in Drake University, Des Moines, 
 Iowa. lam charmed with the book itself: it is 
 just the work which is needed at the present 
 time; its characteristics are correctness, clear- 
 ness, adequacy, force, brevity. May the bless- 
 ing of God rest and remain upon the book, the 
 author, and the many thousands who read it and 
 follow its wise -hearted suggestions. 
 
 D. R. DUNGAN. 
 
Young People's Prayer-Meeting 
 
THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S PRAYER-MEETING 
 AND ITS IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WHO SHOULD NOT ATTEND? 
 
 HThe prayer-meeting should have for its 
 * object the cultivation of the devo- 
 tional spirit. If persons without this de- 
 sire are in the majority, or if there are 
 even enough of them present to make 
 their presence felt, they will injure or ruin 
 the meeting. They create an atmosphere 
 that is decidedly malarious. The devo- 
 tional sentiment is soon poisoned and 
 dies. 
 
 It has often happened, and will doubt- 
 less happen again, that a meeting that has 
 been planned for and prayed over by a de- 
 vout few, and has been looked forward to 
 with joy, has been made a miserable fail- 
 ure by those being present who were en- 
 
 2 (17) 
 
18 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 tirely out of sympathy with the purpose of 
 the meeting. Who, then, should come to 
 a young people's prayer-meeting? This 
 is a vexed question, and one that it is 
 difficult to settle practically. No rule 
 can be made that will always be effective. 
 No two communities or congregations of 
 young people are exactly alike. Sancti- 
 fied common sense must be used in all 
 cases in deciding this matter. It is safe 
 to say, however, that persons should not 
 come who are ill-behaved when present. 
 It is a sad fact that there are those who 
 think themselves young men and young 
 women, and who would be greatly insulted 
 if they should be charged with lacking the 
 principal element of true manhood or 
 womanhood — due respect for the house 
 and people of God — who attend the meet- 
 ings with more or less regularity and, as 
 regularly as they come, misbehave in. a 
 shameful manner. Prayer-meetings have 
 been laughed and whispered out of exis- 
 tence. Save the "giggling girls" and the 
 "smart young fellows," who are usually 
 with them, if you can, but do not sacri- 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 19 
 
 fice the prayer-meeting. Patience, even, 
 sometimes ceases to be a virtue. If the 
 meetings are losing in interest from time 
 to time, silent forbearance with the dis- 
 turbers must end. 
 
 Sometimes to have a pious middle-aged 
 or elderly member of the church attend 
 the meetings and sit near those who are in 
 the habit of misbehaving will obviate the 
 necessity for doing anything more to se- 
 cure good order. Care should be taken, 
 if this is done, to select some one in whom 
 they have the utmost confidence as to his 
 being a true Christian. Not to do this is 
 to make a bad matter much worse. 
 
 If this does not effect a reformation, it 
 is better to ask the pastor or one or more 
 of the elders or deacons to talk to them 
 privately about their lack of respect for 
 the people who meet to worship God, 
 than for the young people to take the 
 case in hand. Unless you are quite cer- 
 tain there are young people in the society 
 who have great influence over them, turn 
 the whole matter over to the official board 
 of the church, where it properly belongs. 
 
20 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 Hobby-riders, whether old or young, 
 should stay away. Theoretically it would 
 be very appropriate to have a placard 
 above the door bearing the words, "No 
 admittance to religious cranks and hobby- 
 riders," but practically it would be per- 
 fectly useless to do so, for they would be 
 the last persons in the world to apply it to 
 themselves. About the only way to deal 
 effectually with them is to tell them pri- 
 vately and plainly, face to face, that the 
 prayer-meeting is not the place for them 
 to parade their pet chargers; that no- 
 body cares who Cain's wife was, or what 
 became of " the lost ten tribes of Israel." 
 They may take offense and remain away 
 altogether. If so, congratulate yourselves 
 that " their room is better than their com- 
 pany." It is utterly impossible to reform 
 a chronic religious crank — one who is for- 
 ever dilating upon some wild theory. Do 
 not waste time and patience in trying to 
 bring about a reformation, for "Ephraim 
 is joined to his idols: let him alone." 
 
 All who are habitually lugubrious should 
 not come. Fortunately for themselves 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 21 
 
 and others this is a very limited class. 
 But one or two can kill a prayer-meeting. 
 His very appearance is sad and dolorous. 
 You would think he had lost all his friends 
 but for the absence of the antiquated 
 crape hat-band, and you even feel like 
 presenting him with a whole bolt of crape, 
 thinking that probably in his extreme sor- 
 row he had overlooked that sacred badge 
 of mourning and index to a broken heart. 
 The whole congregation cannot sing, "Joy 
 to the World " or "Blessed Assurance " 
 loud enough to drown his deep sighs. 
 Occasionally he places his handkerchief 
 to his face to absorb the solitary, and to 
 him very welcome, tear that steals down 
 his cheek. He knows that death or some 
 impending disaster is near at hand. These 
 are very degenerate days to him. He 
 looks only on the dark side of everything. 
 If he calls for a hymn to be sung it is 
 "Hark from the Tomb." His favorite 
 passage of Scripture is Ps. 90:10. His 
 favorite poem Burns' "Man was made to 
 Mourn." He cannot understand why 
 anyone, and especially young people, 
 
22 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 should be so light-hearted. He is an east 
 wind to the prayer-meeting. Keep him 
 away. 
 
 The hypercritical should not attend. 
 There are a few persons in every com- 
 munity who seem to have been born in 
 the "objective case." Nothing suits 
 them. They are never happy, but the 
 nearest approach to it is when they can 
 find, or make, which it is not hard for 
 them to do, an opportunity to unmerci- 
 fully criticise some one. They are as 
 often found at the prayer-meeting as any- 
 where, and invariably for the one pur- 
 pose for which they live — to criticise. 
 They are nothing if not critical. These 
 self-appointed critics will tell you the 
 singing was perfectly awful, the prayers 
 dull and prosy, the remarks of the leader 
 rambling and disjointed, though he, as 
 often probably she, neither sang, or 
 prayed, or uttered a single sentence. She 
 seldom does. She does not attend for 
 that purpose. You can tell that by the 
 turn of her nose and the curl of her lip, 
 which indicate anything but a devotional 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 23 
 
 spirit. She is not present at every meet- 
 ing. Her refined ethical nature can not 
 bear the strain. She is sure to be pres- 
 ent, however, at all special meetings and 
 upon all important occasions. Bless her 
 dear life! how much occasion she gives 
 for the cultivation of at least one Chris- 
 tian virtue — patience. 
 
 Super-sensitive people should absent 
 themselves from the prayer-meeting. How 
 uncomfortable they are, even in the house 
 of God. They are always being slighted 
 by some one or everyone. The more at- 
 tention they receive the more they de- 
 mand. They are more exacting than Shy- 
 lock. They will not tolerate any recog- 
 nition of others, for it is always at their 
 expense. Poor, silly, sensitive, selfish 
 soul ! How I pity you ! I know you are 
 rather a rare specimen, and for that rea- 
 son you would probably be more comfor- 
 table in a dime museum than at a young 
 people's prayer-meeting. I advise you, 
 therefore, to place yourself on exhibition 
 in some third-rate "museum of wonders." 
 
 All who belong to any " Mutual Admi- 
 
24 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 ration Society" should remain away. The 
 motto of these societies is not "For Christ 
 and the Church," but, "You compli- 
 ment me, and I'll compliment you." If 
 self-praise is half scandal, then the ful- 
 some flattery of each other by the mem- 
 bers of these societies is all scandal. It is 
 a shameful, sinful thing to do. Avoid 
 hypocrisy as you would the deadliest 
 poison, as in fact it is. Never bestow an 
 empty, meaningless compliment. Neither 
 by hint or insinuation, or in any other 
 manner, indicate your desire to receive 
 such. Be too Christ-like to ever do any- 
 thing to receive praise of men. Compli- 
 ment the deserving in an honest, mod- 
 est way, but do not flatter them. If at 
 any time inclined to be anything but true 
 and honest in the sight of God in this 
 matter, read Matt. 25: 1-33. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 WHO SHALL ATTEND? 
 
 T^his question is quite as important as 
 * the one discussed in the preceding 
 -chapter. There should be no imitation 
 of the old man's prayer for salvation — 
 "Me and my wife, my son and his wife, 
 we four and no more" — in answering this 
 question. There should be nothing self- 
 ish or clannish connected with it. The 
 prayer-meeting must not be for the 
 benefit (?) of a select few. It should 
 he entirely in the interest of all for 
 whom a young people's prayer-meeting 
 is by its very name intended. All should 
 attend who will assist either directly or 
 indirectly in making it more interesting 
 and profitable, or who will be benefited 
 by being present. 
 
 All who are mentioned in the preced- 
 ing chapter should attend, but with the 
 express understanding that they first 
 
 (25) 
 
26 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 reform. Why should anyone by his con- 
 stant misbehavior disturb and annoy 
 others who are worshiping God? Why 
 should the religious crank repeatedly 
 canter about on his carefully-groomed 
 steed to the utter disgust of those who 
 must witness his monotonous perform- 
 ance? Why should the "graveyard 
 Christian" be there to pour into unwel- 
 come ears his doleful story? Why should 
 the captious, caviling critic, like some 
 hundred-eyed Argus, be present with his 
 compound microscope to magnify the 
 faults and shortcomings of others? Why 
 should the "sensitive plant" come when 
 she knows so well how the slightest 
 touch will cause her such intense pain? 
 And why should the members of the 
 "Mutual Admiration Society" be at the 
 meeting with their selfish pride and 
 vanity? Certainly the folly and sinful- 
 ness of such conduct only need to be 
 pointed out, seen and realized to lead to 
 repentance and reformation. 
 
 ' 'Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us 
 To see oursels as ithers see us, 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 27 
 
 It wad from mony a blunder free us , 
 And silly notion. ' ' 
 
 The officers of the church should be 
 present. Sometimes it is urged as an 
 objection against the Y. P. S. C. E. that 
 " it has a tendency to alienate the young 
 people from the church." A very 
 strange thing indeed when its motto is, 
 "For Christ and the Church;" when a 
 clause in the pledge, without which there 
 can can be no true Christian Endeavor 
 Society, binds the members to "support 
 their own church in every way, especially 
 by attending all her regular Sunday and 
 mid-week services;" and when Arti- 
 cle IX. of the model constitution, which 
 has been adopted by most societies, de- 
 clares that "this society being a part of 
 the church, the pastor, deacons, elders 
 or stewards, and Sunday-school superin- 
 tendent shall be ex-officiis honorary mem- 
 bers. Any difficult question may be laid 
 before them for advice." 
 
 I think it is quite possible that this 
 objection has been raised by persons who 
 did not fully understand the principles 
 
28 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 of the society, or it may have been oc- 
 casioned by Endeavorers not being true 
 to their pledge. In either case let the 
 officers of the church attend the prayer- 
 meeting and render what assistance they 
 can to make it more helpful to all. 
 This their experience and good judgment 
 will enable them to do in many ways. 
 They can probably render the greatest 
 assistance as the aged woman helped the 
 young women who had banded them- 
 selves together in a missionary society. 
 She was always present at their meetings, 
 but remained silent. When asked why 
 she attended so regularly, her reply was, 
 i 'To smile on them." Let the officers 
 be at the meeting, not to "run it," but 
 to encourage the young people. Go and 
 "smile on them." It will be like smiling 
 at a mirror — they will smile back at you. 
 Old people, who are still young in 
 spirit, might attend occasionally with 
 pleasure and profit both to themselves 
 and the young members. It might be 
 better for them to take the advice some- 
 times given to children, "Be seen, not 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 29 
 
 heard," especially for much speaking. 
 Engage heartily in the singing and re- 
 sponsive reading, but do not take any 
 further part, especially if there are 
 enough young people present to fully 
 occupy the time, unless invited to do so, 
 and then be brief— please be very brief. 
 Do not "feel slighted" if you are not 
 invited to "say a word." The leader 
 means no disrespect toward you. Re- 
 member the meeting is for young people. 
 You are there to encourage and help 
 them by your presence. 
 
 The pastor should be present at the 
 meeting. This is to both pastor and 
 society a matter of great importance. 
 How can the pastor keep in touch with 
 the young people of his congregation to 
 guide and help them in their religious 
 life if he is habitually absent from their 
 prayer-meetings? If he cannot attend — 
 which is hardly possible — he should give 
 the reason for being absent. Fellow- 
 pastor, do not allow your young people 
 to believe that you have not interest 
 enough in their welfare to attend their 
 
30 The Young People* s Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 meetings. If they have that opinion of 
 you, your power over them for good is 
 at an end. 
 
 Sometimes it is claimed that the pres- 
 ence of the pastor is embarrassing. If 
 this claim is ever justly founded there 
 must be something wrong in the relation 
 between that pastor and his young peo- 
 ple. This is an unnatural condition. 
 Are the children embarrassed in their 
 father's presence? No more should the 
 young members of the church be in their 
 pastor's presence. 
 
 The trouble when it exists may be on 
 the side of the pastor principally, and 
 that too without his being conscious of 
 it. In taking part from time to time in 
 the young people's prayer-meetings, he 
 may display his knowledge of Greek and 
 Hebrew in his exegesis of Scripture, may 
 delve into the mysteries of the sciences, 
 or explore the mazes of metaphysics, 
 quite forgetful of the fact that he is 
 addressing young people. They soon 
 come to the conclusion that they ara in 
 the presence of one who is vastly their 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 31 
 
 superior, and that to attempt to say any- 
 thing will only display their lack of wis- 
 dom, and they very naturally feel embar- 
 rassed. The remedy is at hand and is 
 easily applied. The preacher should 
 come down from the throne where he 
 has unintentionally placed himself, and 
 be one of the young people. 
 
 On the other hand the principal cause 
 of embarrassment may be a misunder- 
 standing of the pastor by the young 
 people. They do not confide in him as 
 they should; do not realize that his 
 chief object in being present at their 
 meetings is to help and encourage them; 
 that he would be the last person in the 
 world to criticise or find fault with any 
 attempt on their part, however blunder- 
 ing and awkward it might be, to take 
 part in the meeting. A careful con- 
 sideration of this matter will remove 
 all occasion for embarrassment. 
 
 It is well for the pastor sometimes to 
 lead the meeting, taking his turn as one 
 the young people. He should be cordial 
 in his manner, and his remarks should 
 
32 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 be simple and brief. He should endeav- 
 or to make every one present feel that 
 it would be a pleasure to take part in 
 the meeting, and he should try to make 
 it easy for them to do so. He should 
 leave many loose ends that can be easily 
 taken hold of by others. Avoid convey- 
 ing the impression in the beginning that 
 " we are about to have an awfully solemn 
 time." 
 
 All Christian young men and young 
 women should come. Not only those who 
 are members of the society, but all who 
 are Christians. There is some danger of 
 laying such stress on the society that 
 young Christians who are not mem- 
 bers of it will not feel that they are 
 welcome at the prayer-meeting. In mak- 
 ing the announcements of the meeting, 
 from time to time, all Christian young 
 people ought to receive a cordial invita- 
 tion to attend. And when they come 
 they should be made to feel "at home," 
 and be invited to take part in the meet- 
 ing. 
 
 All young people who are in sympathy 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 33 
 
 with the object of the meeting should 
 be present. This will include not only 
 the associate members, but many others 
 who have not signed the pledge. 
 
 As far as it is possible, give each one 
 present something appropriate to do to 
 make the meeting more interesting. 
 Everyone should have a hymn book 
 whether he can sing or not. Bibles 
 should be provided for all. Many will 
 read quotations if handed to them with 
 the request to do so. Strive to use every 
 person in such a way that he will con- 
 tribute to the profitableness of the meet- 
 ing. This should be planned for by the 
 leader and Prayer-meeting Committee 
 when arranging the program or order of 
 exercises for the meeting. This is an 
 important matter, and ought to receive 
 due attention at the proper time. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 SECURING ATTENDANCE. 
 
 TVTot the least factor in a successful 
 
 * ^ prayer-meeting is a large attendance. 
 
 Double the number of persons present 
 
 and, other things being equal, you will 
 
 more than double the interest and power 
 
 of the meeting. A young man said, "I 
 
 will be one of a dozen to take part, but I 
 
 cannot be one of a few." To be sure it 
 
 is very possible to have an interesting and 
 
 profitable meeting when there are but 
 
 few present, for it is the assurance of the 
 
 Master that "Where two or three are 
 
 gathered together in my name, there am I 
 
 in the midst of them." Matt. 18 :20. 
 
 The most essential thing of all is to 
 
 meet in the name of Christ. Then the 
 
 greater the number of such persons there 
 
 are together the better for the interest of 
 
 the meeting. 
 
 To secure a larger attendance, increase 
 (34) 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 35 
 
 the number of active members in the so- 
 ciety. These are pledged " to be present 
 at, and to take part, aside from singing, 
 in every Christian Endeavor prayer-meet- 
 ing." If they are true to their pledge, as 
 all real Endeavorers are, they can always 
 be relied on. 
 
 Somebody asked an old soldier who was 
 in charge of a gun commanding an im- 
 portant point at the Battle of Waterloo, 
 what he could see while the battle was in 
 progress. " See," said he, "nothing but 
 smoke and dust." "What did you do? " 
 " Stood by my gun." 
 
 That is what everyone does who has 
 taken the Christian Endeavor pledge in 
 good faith. He stands by the prayer- 
 meeting. 
 
 Wayland Hoyt has beautifully observed 
 concerning the "typical prayer-meeting 
 of the New Testament," an account of 
 which is given in the second chapter of 
 Acts, that "it was an attended prayer- 
 meeting. 'TJiey were all with one accord 
 in one place.' Peter was not absent be- 
 cause it happened to be a little hot, and 
 
36 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 James was not away because it happened 
 to be a little cool, and Bartholomew was 
 not away because it happened to be a lit- 
 tle wet, and Matthew was not away be- 
 cause his toga was a little worn, and Mary 
 was not absent because her veil had got- 
 ten to be a little out of style, and Salome 
 and Andrew did not refuse to fill their 
 places because just then there happened 
 to be a party in Jerusalem, and James the 
 Less was not away because he thought 
 that Peter was taking a little too much to 
 himself and was just a little officious. 
 Not for any reasons like these or for any 
 other reasons imaginable was any one 
 away. It was an attended prayer-meet- 
 ing. They were all with one accord in 
 one place. Oh, the enthusiasm of num- 
 bers ! Oh, the holy contagion of religious 
 elbow touch! Oh, the power of pres- 
 ence! And this typical prayer-meeting 
 had all these. It was an attended prayer- 
 meeting." 
 
 Increase the number of associate mem- 
 bers. These "promise to attend the 
 prayer-meetings of the society habitu- 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 37 
 
 ally," and by taking part in many appro- 
 priate ways, besides their presence being 
 helpful and stimulating to others, they 
 add very much to the interest of the 
 meeting. Their presence should be an 
 incentive to the active members to make 
 the meetings as interesting as possible, 
 with the end in view that they may be 
 led thereby to take a decided stand for 
 Christ. This should never be lost sight 
 of by those who are already Christians. 
 
 Securing names of persons to propose 
 for membership in the society should not 
 be left entirely to the Lookout Commit- 
 tee. While this is a part of their special 
 work, every member should give what as- 
 sistance he may be able. The Lookout 
 Committee should also have the help of 
 all the members in securing the regular 
 attendance of those who have signed the 
 pledge. This means, if it were done, 
 that the committee would have almost 
 nothing to do in this respect, just as they 
 ought not have, for every member would 
 always be present unless detained by a 
 lawful excuse, and in that event, unless it 
 
38 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 were impossible to do so, an explanation 
 for being absent would be sent to the 
 meeting. 
 
 The members should see that looking 
 up absentees is the smallest part of the 
 work of the Lookout Committee. Why 
 should any member by being unneces- 
 sarily absent from the meetings, lay any 
 additional burden upon this committee? 
 It is not courteous or right to do so. 
 
 Absent members should receive atten- 
 tion without delay. If some member of 
 the Lookout Committee can not visit them 
 at once, then letters of friendly inquiry 
 should be sent. Be especially careful not 
 to make any insinuation in those letters 
 that the persons addressed could have 
 been present if they had so desired. This 
 would not be right unless you absolutely 
 knew it to be a fact, and then what is 
 said would better be kindly spoken when 
 you are face to face. Avoid conveying 
 the impression to the absent member that 
 he is being nagged for not being present. 
 If a letter is written, the following may 
 serve as a model : 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 39 
 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 The prayer -meeting last evening was one of the 
 best we have had for a long time. We are very- 
 sorry you were not present to enjoy it with us , 
 and to make it still more interesting. We hope* 
 your absence was not caused by the sickness of 
 yourself or others. We shall call to see you soon. 
 
 Yours in C . E . , 
 
 The Lookout Committee. 
 Jan. 15. 
 
 It is not necessary to say to any Chris- 
 tian Endeavorer, that in writing the truth 
 should always be stated modestly, and 
 that there should be no attempt to flatter. 
 
 Have the meeting announced from the 
 pulpit. This the pastor will be glad to 
 do, especially if a notice of the meeting is 
 given him. Let the leader, or better still, 
 some member of the Prayer-meeting Com- 
 mittee, write plainly a brief notice to be 
 read from the pulpit at the morning ser- 
 vice announcing the meeting for that even- 
 ing. Then in the evening have a notice 
 for the pastor to read, of the young people's 
 prayer-meeting on the following Sunday. 
 You should not expect your pastor to 
 make any announcement of the meeting 
 unless the notice is prepared and handed 
 
40 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 to him or left on the pulpit. He has 
 enough to attend to without doing a part 
 of the work of the Prayer-meeting Com- 
 mittee. Select some member of this com- 
 mittee to prepare the pulpit notices for 
 one month, and another member to fur- 
 nish the press notices for the same time. 
 Fix the responsibility on some individual. 
 "What is everybody's business is nobody's 
 business." 
 
 The following will be suggestive : 
 
 The prayer -meeting of the Y. P. S. C. E. 
 will be held from 6 to 7 o'clock this evening in the 
 lecture -room of the church. The subject is ''Do- 
 ing the will of God. ' ' Miss Nellie Graves will 
 lead the meeting. All young people, whether 
 members of any church or not, are cordially in- 
 vited to attend. 
 
 The Prayer -Meeting Committee. 
 
 Use no stereotyped form of announce- 
 ment. You might say in one of your 
 press notices: 
 
 The young people of the First Christian 
 Church would like to have the pleasure of wel- 
 coming to their prayer -meeting next Sunday all 
 young men and young women who are strangers 
 in the city. Meeting begins at 6 o'clock. Church 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 41 
 
 at the corner of Sixth and Vine streets. Recep- 
 tion committee at the door. 
 
 Make use of the printing press. Ad- 
 vertise. Put brains in it, and advertise. 
 It pays better in the Lord's work than in 
 business. In almost every city and town 
 every local paper will be glad to publish 
 notices of Endeavor meetings, free of 
 charge, if the " copy " is furnished. There 
 is no good reason why the daily and week- 
 ly newspapers should not be used in se- 
 curing a larger attendance at the prayer- 
 meetings, even if it costs something to 
 have a " local ?? inserted. Let it be said 
 to the honor of the editors and publishers 
 of almost all the papers in the land that 
 they are in such hearty sympathy with the 
 Endeavor movement that they cheerfully 
 assist in its advancement without receiv- 
 ing or expecting any financial remunera- 
 tion therefor. 
 
 The member of the Prayer-meeting 
 Committee chosen to do so, should pre- 
 pare the notice early in the week and hand 
 it to the pastor to be incorporated in 
 his announcements, or it may be given 
 
42 TJie Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 
 
 directly to the paper at the proper time. 
 
 The local C. E. Union might have, if 
 the request were made, an " Endeavor 
 Column " in one or more of the city 
 papers, where all their announcements 
 could be made from time to time, and the 
 notices and other important items con- 
 cerning the work of the societies be in- 
 serted. The space should be equally di- 
 vided between the societies represented 
 in the union, and a member selected from 
 each society to act as "reporter." This 
 plan will work well, if it is worked. 
 
 Then there is the invitation for the 
 hotel, the depot, the street car, and the 
 postoffice. Have neat placards printed 
 in two or more colors, and, if permission 
 is given, post them in the various places 
 indicated. A modest frame and a glass 
 to protect from dust are advisable. Do 
 not have anything " loud " about them. 
 This would be sufficient: 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 43 
 
 THE PRAYER MEETINGS 
 
 of the 
 
 Y. P, S, C. E. 
 
 of the 
 First Baptist Church, 
 
 571 Vine Street, 
 Are Held Every Sunday, at 6 P.M. 
 
 All Young People Will Be Welcome. 
 
 There is also the invitation card for the 
 use of the members of the Prayer-meeting 
 Committee. These cards can be had for 
 a trifle from the denominational publish- 
 ing house of your society, as they are 
 usually kept in stock. 
 
 In addition to this, it would be well for 
 every member of the society to have an 
 invitation card for his own or her own 
 use. An ordinary visiting card for the 
 young women and a business card for the 
 young men, having on its reverse side an 
 invitation to attend the prayer-meetings, 
 would be an excellent thing. The extra 
 cost, if any, for the invitation, would be 
 very small to each one if several members 
 had cards printed at the same time, which 
 they could easily arrange to do. It will 
 
44 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 be seen that the cards need not be alike 
 for any two persons. Any style of card 
 may be selected that each individual 
 chooses. I would have on the reverse 
 side of the card an invitation similar to 
 the one suggested for hotels and depots, 
 or such an invitation as this : 
 
 The prayer -meetings of the Y. P. S. C. E. of 
 Calvary Presbyterian Church, 867 Broadway, are 
 held every Sunday at 6 P. M. Yon are cordially 
 invited to attend. Please ask your young friends 
 to come with you. 
 
 Use the printing press freely, but do 
 not depend upon it. Extend personal in- 
 vitations. It is good to advertise, but 
 personal solicitation is better to increase 
 the attendance. Imitate the zealous D. 
 L. Moody. One of his first efforts as a 
 young convert was to hire four pews in 
 Plymouth Church, Chicago, and keep 
 them full of young men every Sunday, 
 and then to fill up a mission school on the 
 North Side, and he has kept at this busi- 
 ness of filling up churches ever since. 
 
 Tact, which is the application of good 
 sense and wisdom to work, is necessary— 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 45 
 
 very necessary — in order to receive a 
 hearty response from those who are in- 
 vited. 
 
 A church in a certain community, feel- 
 ing the need of special efforts to reach 
 the non-church going class, appointed 
 committees to canvass the neighborhood 
 and invite them to attend the services. A 
 lady, on one of the committees, called at 
 a residence and the bell was answered by 
 the gentleman of the house. She said, 
 
 "Mr. B , I am on the committee 
 
 recently appointed by our church to visit 
 all the sinners in the neighborhood to 
 invite them to church, and I just thought 
 I would call on you first! " It is need- 
 less to say that the man was repelled. 
 The invitation was not accepted. The 
 woman who visited him was wanting in 
 tact. 
 
 If persons who have piety, wisdom and 
 discretion, can make the canvass from 
 house to house to invite the young people 
 in the vicinity of the church to attend the 
 prayer-meetings, it should by all means 
 be done. Give them a cordial, hearty, 
 
46 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 sincere invitation to come. Avoid both 
 formalism and flattery. Leave a card an- 
 nouncing the time and place for the meet- 
 ing. If they do not come, call again, if 
 your wisdom and good sense tell you it is 
 the thing to do, and renew the invitation. 
 Be sure to invite strange young people 
 who move into the neighborhood of the 
 church, and do it without delay. If they 
 have not been in the habit of attending 
 church or a young people's prayer-meet- 
 ing, they may come now before they 
 choose their associates. If they have at- 
 tended elsewhere, they will appreciate 
 your interest in them none the less. Go 
 to their homes, if agreeable to them, and 
 accompany them to the meetings, but do 
 not impose your services upon them. 
 Modestly offer yourself as an escort, and 
 your good judgment will tell you whether 
 your company will be acceptable or not. 
 
 Talk the meeting up. Not simply talk 
 about it, but talk it up. A prayer-meet- 
 ing can be as effectually killed before 
 it begins as it can while it is in progress. 
 Speak disparagingly of the last meeting; 
 
The Young People's Prayer 'Meeting. 47 
 
 criticise those who took part; tell how 
 discordant the singing was; say that 
 the prayers were prosy; tell of the mis- 
 takes that were made, and the meeting 
 will be a failure in attendance, in inter- 
 est, in every way. But talk it up, 
 above the last or the coming social, 
 above business, above everything else, 
 and there will be a marked improvement 
 in the meeting. A few persons, who 
 are of very little help to a prayer-meet- 
 ing, who take no part in it worth men- 
 tioning — and those are the only persons 
 who will do so — can talk about the meet- 
 ing till they kill it. Talk it up. Tell 
 what a good meeting the last one was, 
 how much you missed by not being there, 
 and how much you were missed. 
 
 Make the meeting so interesting that 
 all who come once will come again. To 
 do this do not think that the prayer- 
 meeting should be changed to something 
 else, but strive to make it so cheerful, 
 prayerful and good that all will be made 
 to realize that it has been pleasant and 
 profitable to be there. If to "preach the 
 
48 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 gospel and advertise" is a good way for 
 a preacher to get and hold an audience, 
 the same plan must be carried out in a 
 young people's prayer-meeting. Have 
 the meetings of so high an order that 
 all will go away realizing that they have 
 not only been entertained but benefited, 
 then they will come again. 
 
CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 THE SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE PRAYER- 
 MEETING-. 
 
 Tt is not an uncommon thing for a 
 
 * young people's prayer-meeting to be 
 
 at least a partial failure because the 
 
 Social Committee has not done its duty. 
 
 The prevailing opinion of the members 
 
 of this committee is that their work is 
 
 wholly outside of the prayer-meeting, 
 
 and that it is not in any way auxiliary 
 
 to it. This idea is erroneous. They can 
 
 and ought to make their work help the 
 
 prayer-meeting, which is the key-stone of 
 
 the arch of Christian Endeavor. This 
 
 they may do both directly and indirectly. 
 
 The members of the Social Committee 
 
 at least have it in their power to give 
 
 the meeting a good start, and everyone 
 
 knows what a great advantage there is 
 
 in that. If the meeting does not start off: 
 
 well it is almost certain to be a failure. 
 3 (49) 
 
50 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 The Social Committee should go early. 
 Be the first person present at every 
 meeting, Remember you are the Recep- 
 tion Committee. If the room is not in 
 order — and in all probability it will not 
 be — go early enough to put it in order 
 before anyone else arrives. Pick up the 
 lesson leaves used in the Sunday-school 
 in the morning, and other scraps of 
 paper that may be scattered about; ar- 
 range the chairs; distribute the hymn- 
 books and Bibles; prepare the leader's 
 table by placing upon it a Bible, hymn- 
 book, topic and invitation cards, and, if 
 the Flower Committee has forgotten part 
 of its work, a bouquet or two if possible; 
 see that the " lamps are trimmed and 
 burning, 9 ' and the room properly warm- 
 ed and ventilated, if the janitor has neg- 
 lected to do so. 
 
 You would not want an invited com^ 
 pany of young people to come to your 
 homes and find you unprepared to re- 
 ceive them. Paul's injunction, "Let 
 everthing be done decently and in or- 
 der," will apply quite well to everything' 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 51 
 
 connected with the prayer-meeting. Go 
 early, and see that the room is comfort- 
 able, orderly and tidy. Have everything 
 in readiness to receive your guests when 
 they arrive. 
 
 Receive, at the door, all who come. 
 Give everyone, and especially strangers, 
 a cordial greeting. Let yours be " free- 
 hearted hospitality." Be bright, active, 
 courteous, " sunshiny." Extend a royal 
 welcome. Act as ushers. Fill up the 
 front seats first. Besides disturbing the 
 meeting, it is quite embarrassing to many 
 to be compelled to take a front seat after 
 the rear seats are all occupied and the 
 meeting begun. See that there are no 
 vacant seats immediately in front of the 
 leader, for the leader of a prayer-meeting, 
 like nature, " abhors a vacuum," but, un- 
 like nature, has not the power to fill it. 
 
 Every member of the society ought 
 to be willing to take a front seat at every 
 meeting, and he is inexcusable if he does 
 not. The importance of the members' 
 sitting near the leader has so often been 
 pointed out that it would be quite useless 
 
52 The Young Peoples Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 to speak of it again if it were not so gener- 
 ally disregarded. What I am saying can- 
 not be understood as being for informa- 
 tion. It is certainly not so intended. 
 It is only meant for emphasis. Again I 
 repeat, sit near the leader at every meet- 
 ing. Let the members of the Social 
 Committee do all they can, as ushers and 
 otherwise, to see that this is done. It 
 will improve the meeting greatly. 
 
 Hand to everyone who comes into the 
 room during the singing of a hymn, or 
 while the audience is engaged in respon- 
 sive reading, a hymn-book or Bible open 
 at the proper place — book right side up. 
 To do this conveniently, have some hymn 
 books and Bibles at your station near 
 the door, and in your hand a book already 
 open at the hymn that is being sung, or 
 at the chapter that is being read. When 
 you have seated the person, hand him the 
 book. 
 
 Be sociable. Nothing is worth so 
 much to the prayer-meeting that costs 
 so little. Take positions near the door, 
 and allow no person to go out of the 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 53 
 
 room at the close of the meeting without 
 giving him a hearty handshake and a 
 genuine, " Glad to see you. Come again. 
 Please invite your friends to come too." 
 
 If there are strangers present, ask their 
 names and place of residence and intro- 
 duce them to others. If they expect to 
 remain long, call on them during the 
 week and ask others to call. In this 
 way you will make them regular attend- 
 ants at the prayer-meeting. If you can- 
 not remember the name and place of 
 residence, write them down at once in a 
 little memorandum book kept for that 
 purpose. Tell the pastor about them. 
 He would be glad to call, and help you 
 make them feel at home. Sociability is 
 a power for good too often neglected. 
 Use it, cultivate it, and thus assist in 
 improving the prayer-meeting. Make 
 all your work as a Social Committee 
 tributary to this end. Be sociable to all, 
 at all times. Nothing will improve the 
 prayer-meeting more. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE PRAYER-MEETING COMMITTEE AXD ITS 
 WORK. 
 
 A part of the work of the Prayer-meet- 
 **■ ing Committee is to prepare a list 
 of subjects for the meetings, but as the 
 " uniform topics" are now generally 
 used, this part of their work is in most 
 instances done by others for the com- 
 mittee, and it is better that it should be. 
 The subjects selected are usually prefer- 
 able to those an inexperienced committee 
 would choose; the help offered, in the 
 various published expositions and illus- 
 trations of the uniform topics, is a de- 
 cided advantage; visitors may know what 
 the subject of the meeting will be and 
 may come better prepared to take part; 
 while the cost to the society of having 
 the subjects printed is reduced to a mere 
 trifle. These uniform topics, neatly 
 
 printed on card-board, may be obtained 
 (54) 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 55 
 
 from the denominational publishing 
 houses of any society or from the Golden 
 Rule Publishing Co., Boston, Mass. 
 
 Another part of the work of this Com- 
 mittee is that of selecting leaders. In 
 order to make the meeting more interest- 
 ing and helpful, great pains should be 
 taken in making these selections. Study 
 carefully the subject, Scripture texts and 
 leader before the appointment is made. 
 See that there is, as far as possible, mu- 
 tual adaptation of the subject and leader. 
 To illustrate: 
 
 The topic for the meeting some months 
 ago, "Punishment for Sin; Its Certain- 
 ty," was not a proper subject to be as- 
 signed to an innocent little girl, who 
 scarcely knows by experience what sin is. 
 That should have been given to some 
 young man who has repented in sack- 
 cloth and ashes and reformed after hav- 
 ing " sown his wild oats," if there is 
 such a person in the society. He will 
 be more likely to make the meeting a 
 success than one who has not drank so 
 deeply of the bitter cup of sin. 
 
56 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 If there is to be a "Praise Service," 
 put the meeting in the hands of some 
 young lady whose soul is overflowing 
 with songs of thanksgiving and gladness. 
 All will be pleased and helped by the 
 way she will conduct the meeting. 
 
 "Preparing the Way of the Lord," 
 was one of the subjects some time ago, 
 and which was well adapted to a leader 
 who, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the 
 Baptist, Daniel, or King Josiah, would 
 not, under any circumstances, make any 
 compromise with sin in any of its forms. 
 Or to one who, like the Apostle Paul, in 
 addition to this splendid characteristic, 
 has the missionary spirit in great meas- 
 ure. 
 
 Let the temperance meetings be led 
 by those who give forth no uncertain 
 sound on the great curse of the age. 
 But these illustrations are sufficient. 
 The members of the Prayer-meeting 
 Committee ought to be persons who are 
 well acquainted with every member of 
 the society, and who will give the ap- 
 pointment of leaders the attention it 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 57 
 
 deserves. The same suit of ready-made 
 clothing will not fit every person equally 
 well. It would be well to have a " lead- 
 ers' conference" soon after tHe appoint- 
 ments have been made by the Prayer- 
 meeting Committee for the quarter to 
 talk over the prospective meetings, and 
 if it is found at that meeting that a 
 mistake has been made in the selection 
 of any leader, an exchange of leaders 
 and topics can be effected to the 
 mutual advantage of both leaders and 
 with profit to the meeting. Of course 
 the members of the Prayer-meeting Com- 
 mittee should be present at- the leaders' 
 conference. 
 
 If for any good reason the leaders are 
 Hot all selected at one time for the com- 
 ing quarter, the appointment should be 
 made and the subject assigned at least 
 two weeks before the time for the meet- 
 ing. This will give the leader ample 
 time to make all necessary preparation, 
 which is but just to him and to those 
 who will be at the meeting. 
 
 It is also a part of the work of this 
 
58 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 
 
 committee to have the general oversight 
 of the meetings. Long, awkward pauses 
 are likely to occur, especially if the lead- 
 er is inexperienced, or has not made 
 suitable preparation, or if others have 
 failed to come prepared. These pauses 
 are very embarrassing to many, and par- 
 ticularly annoying to the leader, and as 
 they will most effectually kill the meet- 
 ing, the committee should guard against 
 them as much .as possible by previously 
 arranging with a number of persons to 
 take part as soon as the interest appears 
 to be decreasing. It requires both grit 
 and grace to take hold of the " cold end " 
 of a prayer-meeting, but it must be done. 
 Let the Prayer-meeting Committee see 
 those best qualified to act in such an 
 emergency and get them to • promise to 
 do so. 
 
 It is the further duty of the Prayer- 
 meeting Committee, assisted by the Music 
 Committee, to aid the leader in prepar- 
 ing a program or order of exercises for 
 the meeting. This may be at least par- 
 tially arranged at the leaders' conference. 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 59 
 
 No two meetings should be conducted in 
 exactly the same way. There are two 
 extremes to avoid, one is monotony, the 
 other novelty, and one is as fatal to the 
 profitableness of the meeting as the other. 
 Choose the happy medium — variety. 
 Have the same general plan, with some 
 variation each time. Do not allow the 
 meeting to be turned into a singing-school 
 or lyceum. These are very well in their 
 places, but the hour and place appointed 
 for the prayer-meeting are not the most 
 appropriate. 
 
 The following may be suggestive to 
 those who have had but little experience : 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 1. 
 
 1. One or two songs suited to the subject of 
 the meeting. 
 
 2 . Responsive Scripture reading by the leader 
 and the audience. 
 
 3. Two or three short, definite prayers. 
 
 4. A verse or two of an appropriate song. 
 
 5. Reading of lesson texts, and brief, pointed 
 remarks by the leader, followed by a few earnest 
 words of prayer. 
 
 6. Two or three verses of some soul -stirring 
 song. 
 
60 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 7. Meeting open to all for hearty, voluntary 
 participation by brief remarks, fervent prayers, 
 short Scripture quotations, appropriate recita- 
 tions, spirited singing. 
 
 8. Announcements, collection, doxology, Miz- 
 pah benediction. 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 2. 
 
 1. Song suited to the evening hour, such as, 
 "Fading, still fading," "Abide with me, fast 
 falls the eventide, ' ' or, ' 'Sun of my soul, thou 
 Savior dear. ' ' 
 
 2. Silent prayer by all, followed by audible 
 prayer by the leader, or some one previously 
 appointed. 
 
 3. Solo or duet of devotional character. 
 
 4. Short Scripture lesson, say Psa. 1; Rom. 
 12; Titus 2, or James 2, read responsively, with 
 an occasional apt remark by the leader. 
 
 5. The Lord's prayer repeated in concert. 
 
 6. Song on the subject of prayer. "Sweet 
 hour of prayer, " ' 'I love to steal awhile away, ' ' 
 ' 'What a Friend we have in Jesus, ' ' ' 'Just as I 
 am, without one plea, 5 ' are all appropriate. 
 
 7. Announcement of the subject and texts by 
 the leader, followed by prompt, voluntary par- 
 ticipation in the meeting by all present. 
 
 8. Closing remarks by the leader — a few ear- 
 nest, thankful sentences — announcements clearly 
 and concisely made, averse of song, and bene- 
 dictory prayer by the leader or some other person. 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 61 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 3. 
 
 1. A song all will sing. "Lo, the army of 
 our King,'' ' 'Shall we gather at the river?" 
 1 'All hail the power of Jesus' name," or some 
 other universal favorite should be selected. 
 
 2. Sentence prayers by many in quick suc- 
 cession. 
 
 3. A brief biographical sketch of Isaiah, Eze- 
 kiel, Matthew, Paul, etc. , when the Scripture 
 lesson is selected from either of their writings . 
 
 4. Concert reading of the lesson. 
 
 5. Familiar song — solo or duet— congregation 
 singing the chorus. 
 
 6. Prayer by the leader. 
 
 7. Meeting open for voluntary participation. 
 
 8. Invitation by the leader or pastor to confess 
 Christ, song, announcements, closing prayer. 
 
 As soon after the meeting as practica- 
 ble the Prayer-meeting Committee should 
 encourage and compliment all who have 
 taken part in the meeting, who are justly 
 deserving. Care should be taken, of 
 course, not to give undue or overdue 
 praise. No complimentary remarks at 
 all are better than too many. The per- 
 son may be made to doubt your sincerity 
 if too much is said. Flattery is a sin, 
 and its very appearance should be avoid- 
 
62 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 ed. Be quiet and modest in what you say 
 and do. Encourage the timid, and re- 
 strain the ostentatious. Give to each 
 "his portion in due season," jealously 
 guarding yourselves against every form 
 and appearance of "bossism." Do not 
 try to " run things." Let all you say and 
 do be said and done in the spirit of love, 
 and " for Christ and the Church." 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 
 THE WOEK OF THE MUSIC COMMITTEE. 
 
 *T*he work of the Music Committee is 
 * no less important than that of the 
 Prayer-meeting Committee. It is impos- 
 sible to estimate the power of the Gospel 
 in song over the soul. I verily believe 
 that more persons have been sung into 
 the kingdom of righteousness than have 
 been preached into it. The sweet story 
 of Jesus and his love, when wedded to 
 rhythm and music, sweeps everything be- 
 fore it. It is a force that is irresistible 
 when sung with loyal lips from conse- 
 crated hearts. 
 
 This committee, composed, as all com- 
 mittees should be, of persons who will 
 do, promptly and cheerfully, the work 
 assigned them, should co-operate with the 
 leader in selecting songs that shall be, as 
 far as possible, in harmony with the line 
 
 of thought indicated for the meeting. It 
 (63) 
 
64 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 
 
 is not necessary to use one kind of hymn- 
 book exclusively at any meeting, though 
 it is usually better to do so for general 
 singing, as it prevents confusion and less- 
 ens the possibility of being mistaken as 
 to the hymn it is desired to have sung. 
 For half the congregation to sing one 
 hymn and the other half another hymn 
 at the same time would be almost as ludi- 
 crous a blunder as could well be made. 
 No unfamiliar songs should be selected 
 for all to try to sing. When all are asked 
 and expected to sing, the song selected 
 ought to be one that all can sing. There 
 are some hymns and some tunes that have 
 never grown old. Both words and music 
 are always fresh and new, and everybody 
 delights to sing them. These should 
 have the preference when making your se- 
 lections. Do not practice new songs in 
 your prayer-meeting. Have a time es- 
 pecially for that purpose. Remember 
 that the prayer-meeting hour has been set 
 apart for worship, and not for the re- 
 hearsal of new songs. It is not the place 
 for "choir practice. " 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 65 
 
 Arrange for a little special singing at 
 each meeting — -a solo, duet or quartette 
 touching the subject of the meeting, and, 
 better still, touching the hearts of all 
 present. To do this— the latter— the 
 singing need not be " artistic." It is not 
 necessary that the singers should be grad- 
 uates from the " Boston Conservatory of 
 Music," or, for that matter, from any 
 other conservatory. Ask some " good old 
 mother in Israel" to sing for you "a 
 song of ye olden time, a hymn of the 
 long ago," and as you listen to her you 
 will wonder why you had not thought to 
 ask her to sing before. Her voice may 
 not be quite as musical as it once was ; it 
 may have lost some of its clearness ; that 
 rich, sweet cadence that once character- 
 ized it may not be there any more; it may 
 occasionally "flat" or "sharp" at the 
 wrong time, but there is still a melody, 
 an inspiration about her singing that is 
 truly soul-stirring. Listen to her as she 
 sings, "My latest sun is sinking fast," 
 or, " One sweetly solemn thought, comes 
 to me o'er and o'er." Did you ever hear 
 
66 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 anything more beautiful? Probably some 
 kind-hearted Christian mother will sing, 
 " Where is my wandering boy to-night?" 
 I feel confident, if she will, that every 
 young man who hears her sing, as only a 
 mother can sing, will resolve that his 
 mother shall never have cause to mourn 
 because of his prodigality. Why should 
 the good effect of this song be lost by 
 its being sung with an " operatic air," 
 when there are so many mothers who 
 would put their whole souls into it? And 
 who can tell the value of amother's soul, 
 a mother's love! 
 
 I would go further to hear one of the 
 aged saints of God sing one of the songs 
 of Zion than I would to listen to any 
 prima donna who ever graced — or prob- 
 ably oftener disgraced — the stage. If it 
 is a young people's meeting, do not fail 
 to invite the old to sing occasionally. 
 Ypu will enjoy hearing them, and they 
 will be pleased to know that you remem- 
 ber and appreciate them. 
 
 Get some person to tell in a few woMs, 
 aptly chosen, when, by whom, and under 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 67 
 
 what circumstances, some song suited to 
 the subject of the meeting, was composed. 
 Then let a verse or two of it be sung. 
 Or a verse or two may be sung, then a 
 brief account of its composition given, 
 followed by the singing of a second or 
 third verse. Dufiield's " English 
 
 Hymns" will be of valuable assistance. 
 Have some person relate, either before 
 or after a verse of it is sung, an incident 
 connected with the singing of some 
 hymn. Some of these incidents are very 
 beautiful. They tell of souls being 
 brought to Christ; of hope restored; of 
 comfort given ; of temptations withstood ; 
 of friendships renewed. Select each 
 time, if possible, some incident bearing 
 directly on the subject of the meeting. 
 Many of the papers contain, from time 
 to time, material that may be gleaned for 
 future use. Look through your, old files 
 of the Golden Hide, Young People's 
 Standard, Our Young Folks and Youth's 
 Companion. " The Life of Knowles 
 Shaw, the Singing Evangelist," can also 
 be consulted to good advantage. 
 
68 The Young Peoples Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 Ask some one to tell which is his favor- 
 ite hymn, and why it is his favorite. In 
 this way a bit of personal history may be 
 brought to light, or the person's inner 
 life revealed — his temptations, aspirations 
 and desires made known to you, as in no 
 other way, in the hymn he indicates as his 
 favorite — and thus you will be enabled to 
 assist that person in overcoming difficul- 
 ties and rising to a nobler manhood as 
 you have never been able to do before. 
 This will also afford you an excellent op- 
 portunity to reach the associate members. 
 Try it. 
 
 One will say, " This song is my favor- 
 ite because I used to hear my mother sing 
 it so much." Love, gentle, sweet and 
 constant, like a mother's love, will win 
 that person to (jjhrist. Fail not to point 
 out to him the love of God. Isa. 66: 13; 
 Jno. 3: 16, 17. Another person will say, 
 " I was once very sick. A very excellent 
 Christian woman sang this at my bedside. 
 It has ever since been my favorite." 
 Christlike integrity and sympathy will win 
 him to the Savior. 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 69 
 
 Select some old song and get two or 
 three persons to tell, in a few words, why- 
 it is always so new and fresh. It has been 
 translated into various languages, and is 
 everywhere a favorite. Our grandfath 
 ers sang it, and our grandchildren will 
 doubtless sing it. Why is it so univer- 
 sally popular? Is it because the author 
 of the hymn caught an echo of the new 
 song, Eev. 5: 9, and has been able to 
 faintly reproduce it? Does it appeal to 
 a common want? Or are its popularity and 
 vitality due to the music rather than to 
 the words, to the words instead of the 
 music, or to both words and music? 
 
 During the week previous to the meet- 
 ing, a note, something like the following, 
 might be sent through the post-office to 
 two or three members of the society: 
 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 If you could only sing one song, of all you have 
 ever heard, what would you prefer that song to 
 be, and why? Please reply at the Young Peo- 
 ple ' s Meeting next Sunday evening , and oblige , 
 Yours for the Gospel in song, 
 
 The Music Committee. 
 Jan. 23. 
 
70 The Young People'* s Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 See that the remarks about favorite and 
 popular hymns, suggested above, are 
 briefly supplemented something in this 
 manner : 
 
 ' ' Oar attention has been called to some of the 
 songs composed within the last one hundred 
 years, and we have been told why they have 
 lived so long and are still so .young and popular. 
 Now please listen to the reading of a portion of a 
 song composed long before Homer's 'Iliad' was 
 conceived of. ' The - Lord is my strength and 
 song, and he is my salvation: he is my God, and 
 I will prepare him an habitation: my father's 
 God, and I will exalt him. ' Ex. 15: 2. Thus it 
 appears that Whittier's beautiful 'Centennial 
 Hymn' was not entirely new in thought, for we 
 see that Moses sang it fifteen hundred years before 
 Christ was born. ' ' 
 
 Many songs can be appropriately and 
 beautifully supplemented with a verse or 
 two of some Bible song, and it would be 
 well if the Music Committee would see 
 that it is often done. The Word of God 
 is a wonderful treasure-house. Go to it 
 for true riches. 
 
 Speak to the best singers to occasional- 
 ly start familiar hymns impromptu, that 
 is, without announcing the number or 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 71 
 
 title of the hymn, or using the organ. 
 This is especially desirable when the in- 
 terest of the meeting begins to wane, and 
 immediately after an earnest exhortation. 
 The prayers, remarks, quotations and 
 Scripture readings may all be beautifully 
 supplemented in this way. Ask only 
 those who will be most likely to give the 
 tunes the right pitch to do this, otherwise 
 do not suggest it. Not every good singer 
 can give even a familiar tune the right 
 pitch, the first trial he makes, without an 
 instrument. 
 
 Sing with the spirit and the understand- 
 ing also as well as with the voice, and see 
 that everybody else does the same. 
 Strive to express the sentiment of the 
 author of the hymn. David once said he 
 would "make a joyful noise unto the 
 Lord." If there are any in the congre- 
 gation who can not make a joyful noise 
 when singing, get them to make a noise 
 of some kind, even if they do not sing 
 with "expression." Let the singing 
 usually be, in the strictest sense, congre- 
 gational. " Let all the people sing." In 
 
72 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 order that they may do so, be sure that 
 every person has a book, and that the 
 leader distinctly re-announces any song 
 that may be called for. Do not neglect 
 these little matters. Attention to details 
 is what brings success in anything. 
 
 Insist upon all who sing well to always 
 be on time, and to sit and sing to- 
 gether. It would be well to organize a 
 " chorus choir' 9 composed of all the 
 good voices in the society, and let them 
 meet once a week for rehearsal. If there 
 is a large volume of song and one or two 
 get off the tune a little, they are not 
 noticed. Poor singing will kill the meet- 
 ing. Good singing will revivify it. 
 
 Let your consecration as Christian 
 singers be deep, constant and thorough. 
 This couplet should be your motto : 
 
 ' ' Take my voice and let me sing 
 Always — only — for my King. ' ' 
 
 God will not use that voice to win 
 souls that sings comic songs. Churches 
 whose choirs are composed of uncon- 
 verted persons are practically Christless 
 churches. They have no power. They 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 73 
 
 are not saving the people from their sins. 
 One of the pressing needs in almost 
 every church is for more consecrated 
 young men and young women to sing the 
 Gospel. To be sure there are many of 
 these now, but there should be many 
 more. The more Christ there is in the 
 heart of the singer, the more of Christ 
 there will be in the song; and the more 
 of Christ there is in the song, the more 
 there will be at the close of the service 
 in the hearts of the people. Sing the 
 Gospel, and get others to sing it. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE LEADER'S GENERAL PREPARATION. 
 
 Tt is very necessary that suitable prepar- 
 * ation be made to lead a young people's 
 prayer-meeting. The leader will certain- 
 ly fail who does not do so. It would be 
 considered very foolish for a preacher to 
 appear before his audience, or a Sunday- 
 school teacher before her class, who had 
 not made all possible preparation, and it 
 is quite as absurd for any person to 
 attempt to lead a prayer-meeting who has 
 not given the matter the attention that 
 its importance deserves. 
 
 I am persuaded, however, that but few 
 leaders are purposely unprepared to con- 
 duct a prayer-meeting. Many do not 
 know what is required of them, and 
 therefore do not know what preparation 
 to make, and on that account have failed, 
 wholly or in part, to fit themselves for 
 leaders. 
 
 (74) 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 75 
 
 What is the purpose of a young peo- 
 ple's prayer-meeting? What is it to lead 
 the meeting? What shall the leader say 
 and do, and what shall he endeavor to 
 have others say and do? These and simi- 
 lar questions must be correctly answered 
 by every successful leader. 
 
 The essential purpose of the prayer- 
 meeting is to cultivate the spiritual nature 
 of all who attend — to train and develop 
 the devotional spirit. To lead the meet- 
 ing is to assist every one present in doing 
 this. What is said and done should be 
 with this end in view. 
 
 The leader's preparation is of two kinds 
 — general and special, and the first, like 
 a woman's work, is never done. It can 
 and should go on day after day and year 
 after year. If the individual feels that 
 either the general or the special prepara- 
 tion must be neglected, that he cannot 
 do both, by all means let it be the special 
 preparation that is given up. It does not 
 follow, however, that either must be 
 done. I have only said what I have for 
 the purpose of emphasizing the impor- 
 
76 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 tance of general preparation. It is most 
 important. Many persons who would 
 not think of attempting to lead a prayer- 
 meeting without having made special 
 preparation give little or no thought, 
 comparatively, to their general prepara- 
 tion. The relation between the two is 
 similar to that of a university course to a 
 hasty investigation of some very impor- 
 tant subject, and the knowledge gained 
 thereby. What would the physician know 
 about medicine, or the attorney about 
 law, if the study of these sciences was 
 proceeded with in this way? 
 
 The leader's general preparation is very 
 essential to the success of the meeting, 
 and should, if possible, comprise a liberal 
 education. Other things being equal, the 
 person who has the best education will, 
 as a rule, make the best leader. A col- 
 lege or university education is cheap at 
 almost any price, save that of health and 
 godliness. There is great danger, even 
 in our best schools, of the student's be- 
 coming all head and no heart. A minis- 
 ter of the gospel informed me not long 
 
Tlie Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 77 
 
 since that it took him five years to regain 
 the spirituality he lost while taking a 
 course in a theological seminary! The 
 student should carefully guard himself at 
 this point. He may be losing power in- 
 stead of gaining it. His heart, if not his 
 head, may be parting with its locks of 
 strength. Sit much! at the feet of Him 
 who "spake as never man spake. " This 
 is the only absolute preventive of osteo 
 sarcoma — whatever that is— which often 
 accompanies heart failure and loss of 
 power. 
 
 A liberal education, contrary to popu- 
 lar opinion in some parts of the world 
 to-day, includes a knowledge of the Bible, 
 and, without a doubt, should be included 
 in the leader's general preparation. He 
 should know what God has said in his 
 Word, first of all, for his own good, and 
 in the second place, that he may tell 
 others. Occasional apt, correct quota- 
 tions of portions of God's Word during 
 the progress of the meeting by the leader 
 are indeed "like apples of gold in pic- 
 tures of silver" Prov. 25: 11. But how 
 
78 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 can the leader do this if he is ignorant of 
 the Word of God? 
 
 Some person asks to have sung, " Hove 
 to tell the story." The effect is excellent 
 if, before it is sung, the leader quotes, 
 " Jesus, knowing that his hour was come 
 that he should depart out of this world 
 unto the Father, having loved his own 
 which were in the world, he loved them 
 unto the end." John 13: 1. "Almost 
 persuaded" is sung, after which, or be- 
 tween the singing of the stanzas the lead- 
 er repeats, "And after certain days, when 
 Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which 
 was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard 
 him concerning the faith in Christ. And 
 as he reasoned of righteousness, temper- 
 ance, and judgment to come, Felix trem- 
 bled, and answered, Go thy way for this 
 time; when I have a convenient season I 
 will call for thee " (Acts 24: 24, 25), and 
 adds, in a sentence or two, that it is 
 extremely hazardous to delay becoming a 
 Christian. 
 
 Often a prayer, quotation, song or re- 
 mark by another may be beautifully sup- 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 79 
 
 plemented by the leader with a short 
 quotation of Scripture. The whole Bible 
 should be constantly studied, and much 
 of it committed to memory. Make it a 
 point to read not less than two chapters 
 every day, and to memorize at least two 
 verses. By doing this the leader will al- 
 ways have something appropriate to say at 
 all stages and in all conditions of the 
 meeting. 
 
 Cultivate piety a^a part of your general 
 preparation. Not a sickly, sentimental 
 something, or more aptly nothing, but a 
 true, heroic faith in God, and a 6i zealous 
 devotion to his service. ?? Study God 
 everywhere, not only in the Bible, but in 
 nature, and in his acts and dealings with 
 mankind. See in nature as well as in 
 revelation (John 3: 16, 17) that God is a 
 loving Father; that he has invariably 
 dealt with us more graciously than we 
 have dealt with ourselves and with each 
 other, and much better than we have 
 deserved. Under every circumstance 
 there should be a loving, confiding trust 
 in God. Do not for a moment counte- 
 
80 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 nance the idea, made prominent in some 
 ancient theology, that God is merciless 
 and vindictive. Neither let there be any 
 latent infidelity in the heart. Love God 
 supremely. 
 
 Be ever prayerful. Paul's advice to 
 the Christians at Thessalonica was to 
 "pray without ceasing." Our Master 
 spent much time in prayer, and so should 
 we. The thought is beautifully expressed 
 by James Montgomery : 
 
 ' 'Prayer is the Christian's vital breath. 
 The Christian ' s native air ; 
 His watchword at the gate of death, 
 He enters heaven with prayer. ' ' 
 
 Private devotions are too often neglect- 
 ed altogether, or passed lightly and 
 hastily over. " Enter thy closet and 
 pray " is a commandment as binding upon 
 the disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ as 
 to " repent and be baptized " is upon the 
 alien sinner. 
 
 He prays in public most acceptably to 
 God, and most to the edification of those 
 who hear him, who prays oftenest strictly 
 in private. 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 81 
 
 Cease not to cultivate all of the Chris- 
 tian virtues and graces, if you would 
 make your general preparation as a leader 
 of young people's prayer-meetings thor- 
 ough and complete. These are iron for 
 the blood, phosphates for the brain, a 
 tonic for the whole system. Rom. 12, 1 
 Cor. 13 and 1 Pet. 1 : 1-11 are pure gold. 
 Study them carefully and practice in 
 your daily life the duties there enjoined, 
 then, when you are called upon to lead 
 the meeting, you will have confidence in 
 yourself, and better still, others will have 
 confidence in you, and will feel, however 
 you may feel about it, that you led the 
 meeting well, and that is the important 
 thing. Strive to be helpful to others. 
 Endeavor to lead every one to the foun- 
 tain from which you draw your own in- 
 spiration. Try to increase your stock of 
 knowledge and goodness day by day. 
 Allow no opportunity to go by unim- 
 proved. 
 
 Dr. Beecher once preached a very ex- 
 cellent sermon to the students of An- 
 dover, and they asked him how long it 
 
82 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 took him to prepare it. He replied, in 
 his peculiar way, " Twenty years." It 
 was the outgrowth of his twenty years of 
 experience, study and practice as a 
 preacher of the gospel. Like this should 
 be the leader's general preparation to 
 conduct a young people's prayer-meeting. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE LEADER'S SPECIAL PREPARATION. 
 
 \\T hat preparation should I make to 
 * v lead the prayer-meeting? How 
 shall I have others assist in making the 
 meeting interesting? What am I to do 
 as leader?'' These questions come with 
 peculiar force to the person who has been 
 selected for the first time to conduct a 
 young people's prayer-meeting, but sat- 
 isfactory answers do not so readily fol- 
 low. 
 
 The most that can be done to assist 
 the leader in his preparation is to sug- 
 gest. He must decide for himself what 
 is best. Not to have some decision and 
 some sense of propriety is for him to 
 lose his individuality and become purely 
 mechanical in all he says and does. He 
 only acts as he is acted upon. He is at 
 best an imitator, not a leader, and the 
 
 meeting throughout is cold and formal 
 (83) 
 
84 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 
 
 because there is no originality, no person 
 with "a mind of his own, " in charge of 
 it. 
 
 The leader, of course, will have the 
 help of the Music and Prayer-meeting 
 Committees in making his special prep- 
 aration, but there are still many things 
 he must do for himself. Among these 
 may be mentioned, a careful study of the 
 subject of the meeting and the Scripture 
 texts. The topic should be considered 
 from two standpoints. Decide first what 
 you will say upon the subject, and then 
 what you will assign to others. Consider 
 the subject with reference to its divi- 
 sions, with a view to getting others to 
 take part in the meeting. Make as many 
 divisions as the topic, number of partici- 
 pants, and interest of the meeting will, 
 in your judgment, justify. Assign one 
 of these divisions to yourself, and the 
 others, after consulting with the Prayer- 
 meeting Committee, to persons who are 
 qualified and will promise to give them 
 consideration during the meeting in a 
 few well-chosen words. Give them 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 85 
 
 ample time, say a week or more, for 
 preparation. Impress upon all who may 
 need it, that you do not want an address, 
 but just a few short, crisp sentences— 
 "nuggets of gold." 
 
 Sometime during the previous week, 
 or earlier, if they cannot be seen person- 
 ally, a note similar to the following may 
 be sent by mail, or in some other way, 
 to all who are expected to take part in 
 the meeting in the manner indicated: 
 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 I have been appointed by the Prayer- meeting 
 Committee to lead our young people's meeting 
 Sunday evening, May 27th. The subject, as 
 you know, is ' 'The Greatness of Love. ' ' Will 
 you, in the early part of the meeting, give the 
 best definition you can of love? Also the aptest 
 illustration of its greatness? These, of course, 
 you will get from the Bible. 
 
 Yours for Christ 
 
 Mae Wheeler. 
 
 May 17. 
 
 The work of notifying those who have 
 been selected to take some special part 
 in the meeting should be divided between 
 the leader and the members of the 
 
86 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 Prayer-meeting Committee. If the notice 
 is sent out by the Prayer-meeting Com- 
 mittee, it might read somewhat as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 Dear Fellow -Worker: 
 
 ' ' The Greatness of Love ' ' is the topic , as yon 
 already know, of the young people's prayer - 
 meeting one week from next Sunday evening. 
 Please come prepared to take part by briefly con- 
 trasting love with faith in order to show the 
 greatness of love. Be one of the first to take part 
 in the meeting. Yonrs in C. E. , 
 
 The Prayer -meeting Committee. 
 
 May 17. 
 
 The leader should consider the arrange- 
 ment of a program or order of service 
 for the meeting a part of his special 
 preparation. This should be done at a 
 joint meeting of the Music and Prayer- 
 meeting Committees with the leader, 
 or at the <r leaders' conference." This 
 is an important matter, and should not 
 be overlooked. No one thing is more 
 certain to result in failure and chagrin 
 to the leader, and disappointment to 
 others, than to neglect to have an ap- 
 propriate and definite order of exercises 
 
The Young Peoples Prayer -Meeting. 87 
 
 for the meeting outlined. It is to the 
 leader what a general's plan, or lack of 
 apian, is to the campaign. 
 
 The program should be arranged and 
 reduced to writing at least one week 
 before the time for the meeting. It is 
 not to be slavishly followed, to be sure, 
 but it gives the leader confidence, and if 
 properly and thoughtfully prepared keeps 
 the meeting out of the " ruts." One of 
 its purposes is to prevent monotony and 
 routine. 
 
 It should not be forgotten in preparing 
 the order of exercises that the meeting 
 is to be a prayer-meeting. Be sure to 
 remember that and plan accordingly. 
 The prayer-meeting is not a musicale or 
 social, though both music and sociability 
 are very appropriate and helpful ad- 
 juncts. Let the leader see that the 
 prayer-meeting in name is a prayer- 
 meeting in fact. 
 
 The selection of an appropriate Scrip- 
 ture lesson is one of the special duties of 
 the leader. The lesson should be short 
 and should bear directly on the subject 
 
88 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 of the meeting, and after its selection 
 the leader ought to thoroughly familiar- 
 ize himself with it. He should study it 
 word by word and sentence by sentence 
 until he fully understands it; and he 
 should read it and re-read it till he can 
 perfectly convey the meaning of the 
 author. A bungling, stammering at- 
 tempt at reading God's Word is absolute- 
 ly inexcusable, even in a person whose 
 ability to read is quite limited. Better 
 read but one sentence and do it well 
 than to attempt more and make a botch 
 of it. Pronounce every word correctly 
 and plainly. Many persons would be 
 surprised if they looked up the proper 
 pronunciation of such familiar Bible 
 names as Gethsemane, Puteoli, Belial, 
 Salome, Athens, Gennesaret, Diana, 
 Gerizim, Naaman, Aquila, and many 
 others. The leader should consult the 
 dictionary on every word in the lesson 
 that he is in the least doubt as to its 
 correct pronunciation. And he should 
 ascertain, to the best of his ability, by 
 consulting standard commentaries and 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 89 
 
 the Bible, especially the later, for the 
 Bible is its own best commentary, what 
 meaning the author attaches to every 
 word and sentence of the lesson he has 
 selected. 
 
 " The Levites caused the people to 
 understand the law: and the people 
 stood in their place. So they read in 
 the book in the law of God distinctly, 
 and gave the sense, and caused them to 
 understand the reading." Neh. 8: 7, 8. 
 
 The selection of appropriate Scripture 
 texts, to be read by the timid ones and 
 associate members, is a part of the lead- 
 er's special preparation. This will re- 
 quire time, and the more that is given to 
 it the better. " Search the Scriptures." 
 Let the selections be made as far as 
 possible both with reference to the sub- 
 ject and to the persons who are to read 
 them. The associate members may be 
 brought to Christ by a wise selection of 
 Scripture texts for them to read, follow- 
 ed by an apt remark by the leader, in- 
 directly, making an application of the 
 passage read. To illustrate : 
 
90 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 The subject is "The Love of God." 
 An associate member is given John 3: 16, 
 17 to read. When he has finished the 
 leader says, "If God so loved us, ought 
 we not reciprocate that love, and ap- 
 propriate the salvation he offers? Surely 
 this is not too much for him to expect 
 of us." 
 
 Do not have too many Scripture refer- 
 ences, especially of your own selection. 
 Better stimulate the study of the Bible 
 in others. Endeavor to do this. When 
 preparing to lead the meeting such re- 
 quests as the following may be made : 
 
 "Which one of the Savior's parables do you 
 think is the best illustration of 'The Love of 
 God' — the subject of our meeting for next Sun- 
 day? Please answer at the meeting. ' ' 
 
 c ' What does Paul say in his Roman letter 
 about God commending his love toward us? 
 Please find the text and read it at our meet- 
 ing next Sunday evening. ' ' 
 
 ■ ' What two verses in the first chapter of 
 James make known to us the wonderful love of 
 God? Read them, please, at our next young 
 people ' s meeting. ' ' 
 
 "What does John say, in the fourth chapter 
 of his first epistle, God did for us because he 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 91 
 
 loved us, and what does he say, in the following 
 verse, we should do on that account for each 
 other? Please read the two verses indicated at 
 the young people ' s meeting next Sunday. ' ■ 
 
 The Scripture texts that the leader 
 selects should be neatly and plainly writ- 
 ten or printed on slips of white paper 
 and handed to those who are to read 
 them either before the meeting begins or 
 soon after, and if after the meeting be- 
 gins, preferably during the singing of a 
 hymn. The leader can leave her station 
 while the audience is singing and go 
 quietly to those for whom the references 
 are intended and give them to those who 
 will promise to read them. See that 
 each one given a reference has a Bible. 
 
 The selection of other appropriate 
 quotations belongs, at least in part, to 
 the leader when preparing to lead the 
 meeting. These may be both prose and 
 poetry. Gems of thought, wise maxims, 
 couplets or stanzas of poetry, and terse 
 sentences, all bearing more or less di- 
 rectly on the subject of the meeting, 
 should be selected. They may be clipped 
 
92 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 from newspapers and periodicals or cop- 
 ied from books. The help of others 
 might be enlisted in making these selec- 
 tions. Try to have something for all 
 to do out of the meeting as well as in it 
 to add to the interest. 
 
 The leader should pray often and es- 
 pecially just before opening the meeting. 
 This is a very essential part of his special 
 preparation. It is a part :that | cannot 
 possibly be delegated to others, not 
 even to the Prayer-meeting Committee. 
 Secret prayer has a wonderfully trans- 
 forming influence. " As he prayed, the 
 fashion of his countenance was altered/' 
 There is no substitute for secret prayer. 
 It gives strength and courage to the 
 timid. 
 
 * ' There is no power like secret prayer to make 
 The fleshly garments from the^Spirit take 
 Its shape and look. ' ' 
 
 " Secrecy in prayer is essential to its 
 reality and truth. In the presence of 
 others we are influenced more or less 
 to say what we are expected to say, or 
 think we ought to say, and the intellect 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 93 
 
 is concerned with the form of utterance. 
 These are proper considerations in public 
 prayer, but unless the spirit has had 
 real speech with God, spirit with spirit, 
 the personal life breathing its living 
 thoughts, wants, and actual needs, with 
 no one hearing but the Father, prayer 
 is likely to be addressed to the hearers, 
 and do little good as prayer." 
 
 "Do not leave the selection of hymns 
 to the last moment, and then hastily 
 turn the pages after you reach the vestry. 
 Choose the hymns carefully to fit the 
 subject, and pick out the particular 
 verses of the hymn that will most help 
 the meeting. Earely sing more than two 
 verses at a time, and often only one. 
 Consult with the organist and chorister. 
 If the singing is weak and scattering, 
 get the singers to sit together. Get some 
 member who can do it to start familiar 
 hymns spontaneously, without announce- 
 ment." 
 
 This advice by Eev. P. E. Clark, 
 should be carefully considered and heed- 
 ed by every leader. 
 
94 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 Give due attention to every detail. 
 Leave nothing to chance or the " spur of 
 the moment.'' To do so is to invite 
 failure. Do not be officious, but as far 
 as possible see that the "little things" 
 are not neglected by others. 
 
 Michael Angelo was one day explain- 
 ing to a visitor at his studio what he had 
 been doing since his previous visit. Said 
 he, " I have been at work on this statue. 
 1 have retouched this part, polished that, 
 softened this feature, brought out that 
 muscle, given some expression to this 
 lip, and more energy to that limb." 
 "But these are only trifles," remarked the 
 visitor." It may be so," replied the sculp- 
 tor, "but recollect that trifles make per- 
 fection, and that perfection is no trifle." 
 
 Nicholas Poussin, when asked by what 
 means he had gained so high a reputation 
 among other painters in Italy, replied, 
 "Because I have neglected nothing." 
 
 The principle is invariably the same, 
 whether applied to a sculptor, an artist, 
 or the leader of a young people's prayer- 
 meeting. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LEADING THE MEETING. 
 
 T earn to do by doing. " This maxim of 
 " Friedrich Froebel, the originator of 
 the kindergarten system of child training, 
 is quite as applicable, with a little varia- 
 tion, to the leading of a young people's 
 prayer-meeting as it is to the training of 
 children. "Learn to lead by leading." 
 This is the better way. It is seldom that 
 theory and practice perfectly agree. 
 Much may be learned, however, by ob- 
 servation and from the experiences of 
 others. Do not try any doubtful exper- 
 iments, but keep the meeting out of ruts; 
 yes, by all means, lead the meeting. 
 
 The leader, with the assistance of the 
 Music and Prayer-meeting Committees, 
 having previously prepared' an order of 
 exercises, should come early and begin 
 the meeting on time. To come early is 
 
 to be present at least ten minutes in 
 
 (95) 
 
96 The Young Peoples Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 advance of the hour the meeting is to 
 begin. These ten minutes can be very 
 profitably spent in a preparatory prayer- 
 meeting in an adjoining room with the 
 president of the society and the members 
 of the Prayer-meeting Committee. To 
 begin on time is not to delay a minute. 
 There can be no reasonable excuse for 
 waiting. There are almost always some 
 who habitually come late, but it is not 
 courtesy to them — at least not a courtesy 
 they deserve — and especially is it not to 
 those who come early, to delay the open- 
 ing service until they arrive. They need 
 to be spoken to about their tardiness. It 
 might do them good to have their atten- 
 tion called to Matt. 25: 1-13. Try it. By 
 all means begin on time. Tardiness begets 
 tardiness, a bad habit, for which, if it 
 becomes chronic, it is difficult to find a 
 satisfactory remedy. 
 
 As leader of the meeting, be master of 
 the situation. Not in a commanding sort 
 of way, but by self-control, which is 
 everywhere the best generalship. A 
 timid, diffident manner is contagious. 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 97 
 
 Guard against it, but do not go to the 
 opposite extreme. Be a Christian gen- 
 tleman, or lady, in your demeanor. Not 
 bold and bombastic in manner, but calm, 
 earnest, dignified, Christ-like. Never 
 scold. 
 
 Do not say at the beginning of the 
 meeting, or at any other time, by way of 
 excusing yourself for your lack of prepar- 
 ation, that you are not prepared to lead 
 the meeting, unless you have absolutely 
 had no opportunity to prepare, and then 
 you should state the reason why you are 
 unprepared. You have no more right to 
 attempt to lead a prayer-meeting without 
 having made due preparation than a min- 
 ister has to preach a purely extempora- 
 neous sermon, and perhaps not as much, 
 for you have probably not had the ex- 
 perience that he has had. If you could 
 have made all necessary preparation to 
 lead the meeting and did not do so, you 
 are perfectly inexcusable, and should not 
 " add insult to injury" by saying, " I am 
 not prepared," and then continue to 
 occupy the position of leader. This 
 
98 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 statement fron\ the leader produces a 
 decidedly chilly sensation, and it is more 
 than doubtful if there will be any per- 
 ceptible reaction from it during the meet- 
 ing. If you are not prepared, kindly 
 decline in favor of some one who is, or 
 who is better qualified to take charge of 
 the meeting than you are. Do not bring 
 mortification and chagrin to yourself and 
 make the meeting " a glorious failure" 
 by persisting in the attempt to do a thing 
 for which you are not fitted. This is not 
 meant to apply to the person who has 
 done the best she could to prepare to 
 lead, but who feels that " somebody else 
 could do so much better." 
 
 Speak briefly and to the point. Re- 
 member that a wise man, one who culti- 
 vated brevity in speech, has said that " a 
 word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in 
 pictures of silver." Prov. 25 : 11. Do not 
 squeeze the subject dry nor make it into 
 pulp at the beginning. Pomace and peel 
 are neither appetizing nor nutritious. Do 
 not " exhaust " the subject in your open- 
 ing speech. Develop but one point in 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 99 
 
 the lesson, and do that in as few words as 
 possible. Reserve something for an oc- 
 casional apt remark, if it may be made 
 without seeming to go out of your way, 
 during the progress of the meeting. One 
 of the best ways to induce others to be 
 brief is to be brief yourself in taking 
 part. If there are those who will persist 
 in "preaching a sermon," the leader 
 must kindly remind them that " the time 
 is short and there are others who would 
 like to take part." If they still go on, 
 call for the singing of a familiar hymn- — 
 and sing it. 
 
 The leader must not "leave the meet- 
 ing in the hands of the society," after the 
 opening exercises, so completely that his 
 relation to it will cease. Neither should 
 he adhere too rigidly to his order of exer- 
 cises. The meeting must be somewhat 
 flexible in order to be interesting and 
 profitable. 
 
 Announce the subject of the meeting in 
 your opening remarks. There may be 
 persons present who will not know what 
 the topic of the meeting is if this is not 
 
100 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 done. It is "good form" to do so any 
 way, even if you know you will not be 
 imparting information to any one. 
 
 Bequest, in the beginning, that "verse- 
 readers" add a single sentence, if no 
 more, thereto. Or that they preface the 
 passage with some statement of their 
 own. Discourage the reading of long 
 selections of Scripture. Two or three 
 verses at most are usually quite sufficient. 
 The study of the Word of God ought to 
 be encouraged, but the best means of 
 doing it is not by having the prayer-meet- 
 ing turned into a sort of desultory Bible- 
 reading, 
 
 Speak distinctly. Talk so every one in 
 the room can readily understand every 
 word that is spoken. There can be no 
 excuse for not doing this. Repeat the 
 number of every hymn that may be called 
 for during the progress of the meeting, in 
 a clear, audible voice. Make any an- 
 nouncements in the same way. If repeti- 
 tion will emphasize this so it will be put 
 into practice, I will say again, " Speak 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 101 
 
 distinctly and loud enough so that all can 
 hear." 
 
 Do not say 3 when the time has almost 
 arrived to close the meeting, " There are 
 ten minutes more, let the time be im- 
 proved." After some waiting, in breath- 
 less silence, in which moments seem 
 hours, a hymn is called for, which ten to 
 one is altogether foreign to the subject 
 and spirit of the meeting, and it is sung 
 to kill time, or a well-meaning brother, in 
 a rambling, off-hand address, betrays the 
 fact that he is "occupying the time." 
 Many an otherwise good meeting has 
 been spoiled by this being done. Say 
 nothing about how much time there is 
 yet. Do not frequently consult your 
 watch, and especially in such a way that 
 everybody in the room will know that is 
 what you are doing. This is as bad as 
 to tell the audience outright what time 
 it is. Endeavor to make them forget that 
 time is passing by the interest you arouse 
 in the meeting. 
 
 Close the meeting on time, no differ- 
 ence how well it may be progressing, 
 
102 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 or before the time expires and the 
 meeting expires with it. If all seem to 
 have taken part who desire to do so, 
 close the meeting at once. Nothing will 
 be gained by attempting to prolong it. 
 You may " fill out the time," but you will 
 bring in a feeling of dissatisfaction and 
 disappointment. Better close and spend 
 the balance of the time socially. Never 
 run over the time, no difference how 
 much the interest of the meeting may 
 seem to demand it. 
 
 Strive to have a wider margin, as lead- 
 er of the meeting, than any one else has 
 had, by giving due attention to the details 
 of the meeting — to the little things — both 
 before it begins and while it is in pro- 
 gress. 
 
 ' 'Little things, aye, little things 
 Make up the sum of life. ' ' 
 
 President Garfield once said, in one of 
 his speeches to the students of Hiram 
 College, "I was thinking, young ladies 
 and gentlemen, as I sat here this morn- 
 ing, that life is almost wholly made up of 
 margins. The bulk itself of almost any 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 103 
 
 thing is not what tells. That exists any 
 way. That is expected. That is not what 
 gives the profit or makes the distinguish- 
 ing difference. The grocer cares little 
 for the great bulk of the price of "his tea. 
 It is the few cents between the cost and 
 selling price, which he calls the margin, 
 that particularly interests hira. Is this 
 to be great or small is the thing of im- 
 portance. Millions of dollars change 
 hands in our great marts of trade, just on 
 the question of margins. This same 
 thing is all important in the subject of 
 thought. One mind is not greater than 
 another, perhaps, in the great bulk of its 
 contents, but its margin is greater, that's 
 all. I may know just as much as you do 
 about the general details of a subject, but 
 you can go just a little farther than I can. 
 You have a greater margin than I. You 
 can tell me of some single thought just 
 beyond where I have gone. That is your 
 margin. I must succumb to your supe- 
 riority." 
 
 This hint, alike applicable to the ambi- 
 tious student and the leader of a young 
 
104 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 people's prayer-meeting, who has for his 
 motto, "Excelsior," coming as it does 
 from the wise and honored ruler of one 
 of the greatest nations on earth, shall be 
 the appropriate ending of this chapter. 
 
CHAPTEK X. 
 
 PREPARING TO TAKE PART. 
 
 IWIuch has been said and written from 
 *"* time to time about " those awful 
 pauses 5? in the prayer-meeting. The 
 leader and the various committees, in 
 many societies, have done and are still 
 doing all they can to prevent them, but 
 have only been partially successful, be- 
 cause they have not always had the hearty 
 co-operation of the other members, some 
 of whom have been negligent, some have 
 not thought it necessary for them to make 
 any special preparation, while others 
 have felt the need of being' prepared but 
 have not known how to prepare to take 
 part in the meeting with pleasure to 
 themselves and profit to others. 
 
 Perhaps the most essential thing is for 
 every member to fully realize the import- 
 ance of his own thorough preparation. 
 
 It is not difficult for one to see that an- 
 (105) 
 
106 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 other person ought to have been pre- 
 pared; that his prayer lacked fervor 
 and directness; that his remarks were 
 disjointed and rambling; that the text of 
 Scripture selected was entirely foreign to 
 the subject; and that the hymn an- 
 nounced was unfamiliar and otherwise 
 unsuited to the subject of the meeting; 
 but it is not so easy for one to see his own 
 faults, or so common for him to think of 
 his own lack of preparation. 
 
 It is important to be 4 prepared to take 
 part in the meeting for two reasons es- 
 pecially, either of which is quite suffi- 
 cient — for the individual's own good, and 
 the benefit of others. Every member 
 ought to be prepared to take part in the 
 meeting, even if he knows he will not 
 have an opportunity to do so. Justice to 
 himself demands it. He receives more 
 help and strength in this way than in any 
 other. Then there should be thorough 
 preparation for the benefit — not pleasure 
 or entertainment — -but benefit and edifica- 
 tion of others. It is as essential to pre- 
 pare to take part in the meeting as it is 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 107 
 
 to lead it. This is contrary to the pre- 
 vailing practice, but it is true notwith- 
 standing. 
 
 Study the subject of the meeting. The 
 preparation will be insufficient without an 
 abundant outlay of intellectual power. 
 An old Greek proverb very truly says, 
 " The gods sell us everything for labor." 
 Look at the subject from every possible 
 angle. Take any subject and it may be 
 studied from many stand-points. Let us 
 suppose the topic is, "The Wisdom of 
 God." It is seen in the beautifully com- 
 plex nature of man; in the abundant pro- 
 vision God has made for his welfare; in 
 the harmony and utility of nature; in the 
 wonders of revelation; in the history of 
 nations and individuals; in special provi- 
 dences. 
 
 Or the subject is, "The Results of 
 Disobedience." It may be studied in 
 one's own experience; in the experiences 
 of others; in history, both sacred and 
 secular; in the book of nature. 
 
 Study the subject by frequently reflect- 
 ing upon it. Turn it over again and 
 
108 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 again in the mind. Do not be satisfied 
 with knowing something about it, but try 
 and desire to know it all. It is wonder- 
 ful how much an earnest dersire for in- 
 formation will enable a person to obtain 
 it. Study the subject of the prayer-meet- 
 ing by studying everything. Keep your 
 eyes and ears and heart open, and you 
 will find " tongues in trees, books in the 
 running brooks, sermons in stones, and 
 good in everything." 
 
 Study the WoH of God, especially the 
 texts selected for the meeting. Do not 
 be satisfied till you are perfectly sure you 
 know the mind of the author, and, if you 
 expect to read some passage or text in 
 the meeting, not till you are quite certain 
 you can convey the sense of the Scripture 
 to other minds. 
 
 Alexander Campbell said in one of his 
 lectures on the Penteteuch,' that, "Asa 
 book for calling forth superior qualities 
 of the art of reading, the Bible is worthy 
 of all consideration. The importance of 
 understanding is not greater than the im- 
 portance of properly reading a chapter; 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 109 
 
 and we maintain that it requires more 
 and better learning to read a chapter of 
 the Bible, as it should be read, than to 
 read one of Cicero's orations; and in 
 some European colleges the highest de- 
 grees of honor are conferred upon the 
 best readers. It requires hours of study, 
 in many instances, to be able to read one 
 verse or chapter in the Bible, so as to 
 produce the proper effect, upon the read- 
 er and the hearer." 
 
 Have a concordance and a reference 
 Bible and compare text with text, author 
 with author, prophecy with its fulfillment, 
 type with antitype. Remember that the 
 best Bible commentary is the Bible itself. 
 Take the subject for almost any prayer- 
 meeting and you will be surprised how 
 clearly it has been stated, how fully ex- 
 plained, and how aptly illustrated in 
 God's Word if you have never given the 
 matter any consideration. 
 
 Memorize at least one verse of Scrip- 
 ture, bearing on the subject of the meet- 
 ing, to repeat, if "memory verses " are 
 called for by the leader, or it seems at 
 
110 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 any time during the meeting to be the 
 proper thing to do. Eev. F. W. Robert- 
 son used to have an open Bible before 
 him, committing portions of it to mem- 
 ory while he was dressing in the morning. 
 
 The study of the prayers to be found 
 in the Bible, and an endeavor to under- 
 stand the conditions out of which they 
 arose as urgent desires to God, will assist 
 in prayer, and serve to bring out the re- 
 vealed will of God for our guidance 
 under the same needs and circumstances. 
 
 The following authentic story well illus- 
 trates the effect of Biblical knowledge 
 upon prayer, and that, too, where it 
 might be least expected : 
 
 "I knew a woman," said Eev. Lewis 
 O. Thompson, "who came from the 
 South so illiterate she could not talk bet- 
 ter than a negro, though a white woman; 
 but when she began to pray, after a very 
 little her spirit came to her, she seemed 
 to drop the mortal part, and she fell into 
 the language of the Old Testament. An 
 eminent lawyer said of her that he had 
 heard all the able men in the west, but he 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. Ill 
 
 had never heard a human being that af- 
 fected him as the poor woman did when 
 she got into those higher moods, and 
 brought to her higher nature the use of 
 all that sublime language of the Old Tes- 
 tament that seemed to be congenial to 
 her human nature." Surely there is no 
 prayer-book like the Bible. 
 
 ' 'No book is like the Bible, 
 For childhood, youth and age ; 
 Our duty, plain and simple, 
 We find on every page. 
 
 * 'It came by inspiration, 
 A light to guide our way, 
 A voice from Him who gave it, 
 Reproving when we stray. 
 
 ' 'No book is like the Bible, 
 The blessed book we love ; 
 The pilgrim's chart of glory, 
 It leads to God above. ' ' 
 
 Talk about the subject of the meeting 
 with others. In your efforts to tell what 
 you know about it you will have the 
 knowledge you attempt to convey to 
 others more firmly fixed in your own 
 mind. The teacher is taught by teach- 
 ing. Paradoxical as it may seem, knowl- 
 
112 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 edge is retained by giving it away. Be- 
 sides you will often receive new ideas 
 from those with whom you converse, and 
 that too from many that you least expect 
 to be able to impart them. 
 
 Write upon the subject. Whatever 
 is suggested in glancing over the list of 
 topics ought to be written down at once 
 for future reference. " Reading maketh 
 a full man, conference a ready man, and 
 writing an exact man." But if you write, 
 it should not be with a view of committing 
 it to memory; for this will always keep 
 you in bondage, and keep you from ac- 
 quiring the larger liberty of extempore 
 speech, that is, if you memorize for the 
 purpose of reciting. Only write for the 
 purpose of preserving and fixing in the 
 mind. Good thoughts are very fugitive. 
 Note them down before they take their 
 departure forever. 
 
 A story is told of Emerson, that he 
 once rose at dead of night, lighted a 
 candle, and went to his study. Return- 
 ing, he replied to his wife's anxious in- 
 quiry, " Only an idea, my dear." But 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 113 
 
 the idea was gerniinant. A poem, or an 
 address, or perhaps a series of letters 
 would be needed to unfold and mirror it 
 forth. 
 
 An inventor, apparently engaged with 
 the sermon his pastor was preaching, 
 startled those near him by exclaiming, 
 "I've got it!" He arose and left the 
 house. What was it he had discovered? 
 A machine, or rather the essential fea- 
 ture of the machine he had long looked 
 for in vain. Without it all combinations 
 had proved worthless ; with this his for- 
 tune was easily made. 
 
 Prof. Greenleaf once met Arthur T. 
 Pierson, and asked him to give him his 
 best thought during the twenty-four hours 
 previous. He afterward explained that 
 he was wont to collect such best thoughts 
 and give them to his school of girls. 
 A capital suggestion for the prayer-meet- 
 ing. Preserve, in writing, your best 
 thoughts of it. Believe that anything 
 short of the best will not be good enough. 
 
 Gather up illustrations for the meet- 
 ing. Let them be short, crisp, pointed 
 
114 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 and well-suited to the subject of the 
 meeting or do not use them. Illustra- 
 tions are either "feathers for arrows," 
 or " weights without wings," according 
 to the wisdom displayed in selecting and 
 using them. They are very abundant 
 everywhere. They are to be had from 
 nature, sermons, lectures, newspapers, 
 books, magazines, experience, imagina- 
 tion, other people, the Bible. "Truly 
 the attentive listener will hear the grass 
 grow, and at every step in life find illus- 
 trations that will prove feathers to 
 guide the arrow of discourse in its flight, 
 and barbs to make it stick." Use your 
 memory. Train it to keep whatever has 
 been intrusted to it. Use the scissors. 
 Clip papers and magazines that you do 
 not care to keep. Use pencil and paper. 
 Copy good illustrations and preserve for 
 ready reference. Have a scrap-book, 
 properly indexed, in which to keep what 
 you clip and write. Bible illustrations 
 are the best. Study the word of God, 
 and you will always have many apt illus- 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 115 
 
 trations of every subject selected for the 
 prayer-meeting. 
 
 Pray. Pray much. "Pray without 
 ceasing." Cultivate a spirit of prayer- 
 fulness day by day. The principle is 
 well established by general consent, as 
 well as by divine precept, that every 
 Christian ought to pray. The active 
 Endeavorer has promised to " pray every 
 day." That is right. He is then in line 
 with the devout servants of God in all 
 ages. " Daniel . . . went into his 
 house; and his windows being open in 
 his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneel- 
 ed upon his knees three times a day, and 
 prayed, and gave thanks before his 
 God." 
 
 ' 'Oh Thou, by whom we come to God, 
 The Life, the Truth, the Way; 
 The path of prayer thyself hast trod : 
 Lord, teach us how to pray 1 ' ' 
 
 Avoid " vain repetitions" in prayer. 
 Eschew conventional forms and "ritual- 
 istic recitations" when making your 
 wants known to God. Be brief in your 
 private as well as your public devotions. 
 
116 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 Thank God always for what he has done 
 for yourself and others, and tell him in 
 a few sentences what you think you 
 need. Do not be a pitiful coniplainer, 
 or an incessant beggar. Nothing is more 
 despicable after all that God has done 
 for you. Be exceedingly grateful for 
 all of his mercies. If the way seems 
 dark, do not go to God complainingly, 
 but say, 
 
 ' 'I know not what's before me, 
 My way I cannot see , 
 But I know that Jesus leads nie, 
 And that's enough for rue. 
 
 c * Though friends may all forsake me , 
 And earthly comforts flee , 
 There ' s one who ' 11 never leave me , 
 And that's enough for me. 
 
 ' 'Though fall the tears of sorrow, 
 Let grief my portion be, 
 I've Jesus ever with me, 
 That's joy enough for me.' ' 
 
 Yes, by all means, in preparing to take 
 part in a young people's prayer-meeting, 
 pray. Do not "say your prayers," but 
 pray. 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 117 
 
 Overcome timidity, if possible, but if 
 not possible, do your duty regardless of 
 it. But two things are necessary — have 
 something to say, and say it. Do the 
 best you can in both of these things this 
 time and you can do better next time, 
 both in preparing something to say and 
 in saying it. 
 
 It may be encouraging to know that 
 the most experienced speakers often 
 suffer from audience fright. Cicero has 
 said of himself, that " he grew pale at 
 the beginning of a speech, and felt a 
 tremor in every part of his frame." "I 
 am an old man," said Luther, "and 
 have been a long time occupied in preach- 
 ing, but I never ascend the pulpit with- 
 out a tremor." Tierney, the great par- 
 liamentarian, used to say that he never 
 rose in the House of Commons without 
 feeling his knees tremble under him. It 
 is related of Livingstone, the great Afri- 
 can explorer, that the first time he tried 
 to preach for a minister who was sick, 
 he could not say a word after reading his 
 text, and that he took his hat and went 
 
118 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 away, leaving the service unfinished. 
 An evangelist of almost national reputa- 
 tion said to me recently at the close of 
 a Thanksgiving service, where, by invita- 
 tion, he had preached the sermon, " I 
 trembled like an aspen leaf." 
 
 Scores more of illustrations could be 
 given showing that timidity and embar- 
 rassment are not confined to those w T ho 
 take part in young people's prayer-meet- 
 ings. Make as thorough preparation as 
 possible, then summon all your will- 
 power and " launch out into the deep." 
 There is no other way. "England ex- 
 pects every man to do his duty." As 
 was said in the prayer-meeting confer- 
 ence during the International C. E. 
 Convention held at Philadelphia in '89, 
 "Be willing to break down for Christ." 
 Determine, as a part of your preparation, 
 that you will do your whole duty "for 
 Christ and the Church," and do it. 
 
 Prepare to do, as well as you can, 
 whatever you have been asked to do by 
 the leader or any member of either of the 
 committees. Christian courtesy requires' 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 119 
 
 it of you. Something else may suit you 
 better, but if the leader has desired you 
 to take part in a certain way, cheerfully 
 comply with the request. Do not neg- 
 lect or refuse to take part in the manner 
 indicated. Be quick to promise and 
 quicker to perform what you have prom- 
 ised. And even when a formal promise 
 has not been made, the request is quite 
 as binding. I have known members to 
 completely ignore the request to answer 
 a simple question bearing on the subject 
 of the meeting. This is not right, and 
 of course ought not to be. If this has 
 ever happened in your case, please do 
 not allow it to occur again. 
 
CHAPTEE XL 
 
 TAKING PART. 
 
 HPhe first essential in taking part in a 
 * young people's prayer-meeting is to 
 concentrate the mind on the purpose of 
 the meeting— to strive to appreciate the 
 fact that you are not present to entertain 
 others or that you may be entertained, 
 but for the purpose of worshiping God 
 and thus edifying yourself and others. 
 Thoughtlessness too often characterizes 
 religious assemblies of all kinds. Proper 
 attention to the object of the meeting 
 can and should be given before the meet- 
 ing begins — actual part-taking— by get- 
 ting one's self in touch and sympathy with 
 the subject and spirit of the meeting, and 
 into vital communion with God. With- 
 out this, participation will be cold, for- . 
 mal and lifeless, and of course void of 
 any good results. There must be the 
 
 glow and warmth of spirituality origin- 
 (120) 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 121 
 
 ated and fostered by an intimate, gracious 
 knowledge of God. This may be secured 
 by a thoughtful contemplation of God, 
 and a prayerful study of his Word. Rush 
 not into the presence of the Almighty, in 
 the public assembly of worshipers, un- 
 prepared by meditation. No person 
 would think for a moment of presenting 
 himself in the presence of an earthly, 
 sovereign in this manner, and why should 
 the Supreme Ruler of the universe be 
 approached with such inexcusable rash- 
 ness? The individual whose mind is dis- 
 tracted, or filled with pleasure, or en- 
 grossed with business can not worship 
 God acceptably. " The true worshipers 
 shall worship the Father in spirit and in 
 truth: for the Father seeketh such to 
 worship him." John 4: 23. The con- 
 stant aspiration should be, " Nearer, my 
 God, to thee." Let the meditation and 
 assurance of the heart, as well as the 
 song of peace and gladness be, 
 
 * 'I know I love thee better Lord, 
 Than any earthly joy, 
 For thou hast given me a peace, 
 Which nothing can destroy. ' ' 
 
122 The Young Peoples Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 Until this is characteristic of the per- 
 son, either in desire or reality, he is not 
 in a proper condition of mind and heart 
 to take part in the meeting to the best ad- 
 vantage. " Let the peace of God rule in 
 your hearts." » 
 
 There are two commendable ways of 
 taking part in a prayer-meeting — silently 
 and audibly — and one is the complement 
 of the other. A person is better quali- 
 fied to participate audibly who has lifted 
 his heart to God in silent prayer. Care 
 should be taken, however, not to make a 
 show of the fact that you are engaged in 
 secret devotion. To make any such dis- 
 play or demonstration is Phariseeism and 
 an abomination in the sight of others and 
 of God. Do not advertise in any way 
 that you are "saying your prayers," or 
 that you are about to say them. 
 
 When the interest of the meeting will 
 justify, it is exceedingly helpful to have 
 the entire audience engage in silent 
 prayer. No infallible rule can be given 
 for judging of the proper condition, but 
 it is safe to say that if the spiritual at- 
 
The Young Peoples Prayer -Meeting. 123 
 
 mosphere is not favorable it is more like- 
 ly to be an injury than otherwise. It may 
 easily be overdone, and I am sure often is 
 carried to a hurtful extreme. Tact and 
 wisdom are needed by the leader in noth- 
 ing so much as in knowing when, how 
 often, for what purpose, and for what 
 length of time to request the audience to 
 unite in silent prayer. But whenever the 
 request is made, it should be promptly 
 heeded by all. Every praying member 
 should pray. 
 
 In taking part audibly, this word — audi- 
 bly — should have its full meaning, i. e., 
 "ina manner to be heard." There can 
 be no sufficient excuse for not doing so. 
 A person may be timid or embarrassed, 
 but even then he can speak loud enough 
 to be heard by all in any ordinary room. 
 The individual who has this fault should 
 by all means overcome it, I mean the 
 fault of habitually speaking in an under- 
 tone. 
 
 Then the opposite extreme, the loud, 
 sophomoric, declamatory style, so pecu- 
 liar to some, is equally if not more objec- 
 
124 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 tionable. This " national holiday style 
 of oratory" is quite out of place in a 
 young people's prayer-meeting, whatever 
 may be said of it elsewhere. If you can, 
 be perfectly natural and speak in a nat- 
 ural tone of voice. The "holy tone," 
 the whining manner, the inflated style are 
 all out of order. Be yourself. Have 
 something to say, and say it in the most 
 natural way possible, which is the best. 
 Cultivate an ordinary conversational tone 
 and manner. Do not try to " make a 
 speech/' but just tell what you have to 
 say, and leave the speech-making for 
 " the other fellow." 
 
 Be brief in taking part. Spurgeon 
 said, " I never like to hear one of my 
 people pray for half an hour and con- 
 clude by asking the Lord to forgive our 
 shortcomings." If there are sixty per- 
 sons present who ought to take part in 
 the meeting each individual is only en- 
 titled to one-sixtieth of the time at most, 
 including the time spent in singing and 
 responsive reading. When this is real- 
 ized no one will appropriate that which 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 125 
 
 does not belong to him, until others have 
 had an opportunity to do their duty. If 
 they fail in this, and you can avoid creat- 
 ing the impression that yon are " talking 
 to kill time," you can with perfect pro- 
 priety occupy more time than your equal 
 share. Probably the best way to proceed 
 is to take part early in the meeting by oc- 
 cupying no more than your proportion of 
 the time, and afterwards, if the meeting 
 drags, briefly take part again. 
 
 Do not try to present more than one 
 thought in your remarks, and let your 
 prayer be short and to the point. Ask 
 God for something and without "vain 
 repetitions," and express your thankful- 
 ness without verbosity. 
 
 Do not take part in the same way in 
 every meeting. This for your own good, 
 as well as the edification of others. 
 There is danger of one's using the same 
 phraseology unconsciously to himself, but 
 painfully apparent to those who hear him 
 from time to time. This habit can be 
 broken up by careful attention and by 
 varying the manner of participation. If 
 
126 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 you lead in prayer at one meeting, at sub- 
 sequent meetings read a text of Scripture 
 and comment briefly upon it; recite an 
 appropriate stanza or two of poetry; an- 
 swer a question that comes naturally out 
 of the subject of the meeting; sing a 
 solo, if God has given you the ability to 
 do so; read a short, apt selection from 
 some author; quote a suitable passage of 
 Scripture; point out a lesson in the por- 
 tion of God's Word read by the leader at 
 the beginning of the meeting; call atten- 
 tion to a truth in some quotation or re- 
 mark made by another; or prepare and 
 read a short paper. Be eclectic. Say 
 what you think will be most helpf ul each 
 time. 
 
 Take the part assigned you by the 
 leader or Program Committee. Not to 
 do this is, to say the least, discourteous 
 to them. They have a perfect right to ex- 
 pect you to keep your promise, made in 
 fact or implied by your being a member 
 of the society, and one is iust as binding 
 as the other. This is said for those who 
 seem to think themselves " privileged 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 127 
 
 characters," and who will not respond 
 unless the request is in perfect harmony 
 with their wishes, whims or caprices, as 
 the case may be. If no request has been 
 made, then, of course, take the part that 
 in your judgment will be best for the in- 
 terest of the meeting. 
 
 In participating in the meeting do not 
 tell how you feel. Feeling is deceptive. 
 Jacob felt quite certain that Joseph was 
 dead, Gen. 37: 32-35, but he was mistak- 
 en. It is not uncommon to hear persons 
 say, "I feel that I'm a Christian," or "I 
 feel that I'm a child of God." If such 
 persons really mean what their language 
 indicates— -if their only assurance of sal- 
 vation is feeling — then they must be in a 
 very unsatisfactory condition of mind and 
 heart. If they have better evidence of 
 pardon than feeling, then they are making 
 a very unhappy choice of words, to say 
 the least, to give expression of their con- 
 dition by repeatedly telling how they feel. 
 Their testimony is practically worthless. 
 The world does not care how a Christian 
 feels. Such evidence would not be taken 
 
128 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 in any court of law in the land in the 
 most trivial case. How any person feels 
 is of no value as evidence. 
 
 Paul does not remind the Christians at 
 Rome of how they felt, when he says, 
 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield 
 yourselves servants to obey, his servants 
 ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin 
 unto death, or of obedience unto right- 
 eousness? But God be thanked, that ye 
 were the servants of sin, but ye have 
 obeyed from the heart that form of doc- 
 trine which was delivered you. Being 
 then made free from sin, ye became the 
 servants of righteousness." Rom. 6: 16, 
 17. 
 
 When the leader calls for sentence- 
 prayers, there should be a prompt re- 
 sponse on the part of every member, and 
 that too with the meaning of the request 
 carefully heeded. I have often been 
 present at young people's meetings when 
 the leader has asked for sentence-prayers, 
 when his wish has been utterly disre- 
 garded. Long, rambling, wordy medleys 
 of phrases, clauses and sentences — all 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 129 
 
 commonplace and often the merest plati- 
 tudes — have been uttered in response! 
 A sentence-prayer is a prayer in one sen- 
 tence, and Webster defines sentence as, 
 " a combination of words, complete as 
 expressing a thought." 
 
 If the request of the leader is for sen- 
 tence-prayers touching some one thing, it 
 would be very inconsistent to pray for 
 something different at that time. If the 
 Sunday-school is made a subject of prayer 
 do not ask God to "bless the Kurds of 
 Siberia or the natives of Patagonia." 
 
 An excellent plan is for one sentence- 
 prayer to supplement the one immediate- 
 ly preceding it. As an illustration, sen- 
 tence prayers might be offered by differ- 
 ent persons, for the society, somewhat as 
 follows : 
 
 - * ' Dear Father in heaven, bless the members 
 of this society — Give grace and wisdom to us all, 
 that we may ever walk uprightly before thee — 
 Qualify us for greater usefulness in thy service — 
 Help us to be very diligent in the discharge of our 
 Several duties — Make us to realize the need and 
 the blessedness of being soul -winners — May the 
 spirit of Christ our Savior be pre -eminently ours — 
 
130 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 Give us in great abundance of thy Holy Spirit, 
 and let a double portion rest upon our president — 
 Bless all the officers and the members of the va- 
 rious committees — Let thy benediction rest upon 
 the absent members — Give all who are tempted 
 sufficient strength to withstand the temptation — 
 May the promises of thy Word be a source of 
 comfort to those who are afflicted — May we ever 
 be thankful for the blessing of health — And for 
 the many other blessings thou art continually be- 
 stowing upon us. — Amen. ' ' 
 
 Take part in the meeting by showing 
 that you are interested. Be attentive 
 and appreciative of others. Do not be 
 turning the leaves of the hymn-book or 
 writing on the margins of the leaves or 
 elsewhere, or in any other way detract 
 from the interest of the meeting by not 
 being an attentive listener. Blessed are 
 they who take part in a young people's 
 prayer-meeting, or in any other worship 
 ing assembly, by being appreciative audi- 
 tors ! 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE CONSECRATION MEETING. 
 
 Tt would be difficult to place too much 
 * emphasis on the importance of the 
 monthly consecration meeting. It is the 
 thermometer of the society, and should 
 always indicate "summer heat," which 
 is the normal temperature. 
 
 A cold prayer-meeting is conceded to 
 be one of the most unpleasant and unin- 
 viting places in the world, but even worse 
 than a cold prayer-meeting is a lifeless, 
 formal consecration meeting, where every 
 thing is said and done in a listless, in- 
 different manner. Spirituality and con- 
 secration cannot exist in such an atmos- 
 phere. A tropical plant will soon perish 
 if transplanted into a frigid climate. 
 
 The importance of the consecration 
 meeting is quite generally recognized, I 
 am glad to say, but it ought to be uni- 
 versally so. No young Christian should 
 (131) 
 
132 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 
 
 allow a meeting to pass without re-conse- 
 crating himself to God. A vessel may 
 easily drift out of the harbor, but it can 
 only be brought into it again by a proper 
 effort. It will never drift back. Just so 
 it is with the Christian. Business, or 
 pleasure, or study, or something else may 
 so engross the attention that the individ- 
 ual does not realize that he is drifting out 
 to sea. The consecration meeting gives 
 him an opportunity to take his bearing; 
 to ascertain his latitude and longitude; 
 and to determine the position of his spir- 
 itual craft — the distance and direction — 
 from the harbor. 
 
 It is profitable to all to frequently sit 
 at the feet of the past, and to repeat 
 again the lessons taught us by experience. 
 It is needless to say that this should not 
 be done with morbid and undue self -in- 
 trospection. There is less danger of this, 
 however, than of its being wholly neglect- 
 ed. The tendency of young people is to 
 anticipate the future to the partial or 
 complete neglect of the past. It is not 
 as pleasant to review the mistakes and 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 133 
 
 shortcomings of the past, and profit by 
 them, as it is to preview the glories and 
 excellencies of the future ; hence the les- 
 sons of "the days that are no more " are 
 neglected. 
 
 When Moses was addressing the chil- 
 dren of Israel for the last time, just be- 
 fore his final separation from them, his 
 advice was that they " ask of the days 
 that are past, which were before thee," 
 Deut. 4: 32, and his audience, with the 
 exception of the two old men, Caleb and 
 Joshua, was composed entirely of young 
 people. Num. 26: 63-65; Deut. 2: 14, 15. 
 
 It is the custom in most societies to 
 make the last regular prayer-meeting in 
 the month a consecration or experience 
 meeting, and to call the roll of members. 
 "The responses of the active members 
 who are present shall be considered as a 
 renewed expression of allegiance to 
 Christ." So says the " model constitu- 
 tion," which has been adopted by nearly 
 all societies. 
 
 The distinguishing and peculiar feature 
 of the consecration meeting, or rather, 
 
134 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 one of the peculiar features, is the roll- 
 call. It has its advantages, and probably 
 some disadvantages, over the ordinary 
 prayer-meeting. Among the former are, 
 first, the recognition of the individual, 
 which is of no little importance to him, 
 especially in large societies where he is in 
 constant danger of only being recognized 
 in a general, wholesale way; secondly, 
 the sense of obligation to himself, to 
 others, to God, that it brings to the per- 
 son whose name is called; thirdly, it im- 
 presses the importance and necessity of 
 knowing whether his name is recorded in 
 the " Lamb's book of life," and if he has 
 the assurance that it is there written, then 
 the joy of such blessed knowledge; and 
 fourthly, the information it gives, in a 
 very quiet but practical way, to the Look- 
 out and Prayer-meeting Committees. 
 
 Sometimes it is objected that once a 
 month is too often to have a consecration 
 meeting, but really this objection is with- 
 out support. Every prayer-meeting ought 
 to be a consecration meeting, and in fact 
 re-consecration ought to be characteristic 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 135 
 
 of every day we live. A repetition of the 
 vows we have made to Christ cannot too 
 often occur. 
 
 This objection may have originated in 
 the idea, somewhat prevalent, that the 
 consecration of one's self to God is a terri- 
 ble ordeal through which to pass, though 
 it is much more likely to be on account 
 of the thoughtless, slip-shod manner in 
 which so many say, "I reconsecrate my- 
 self." Webster defines consecration as 
 " the act or ceremony of separating from 
 a common to a sacred use, or of devoting 
 and dedicating a person or thing to the 
 service of God." For a person to dedi- 
 cate himself to the service of God ought 
 to be recognized as an important and 
 pleasant duty. There is nothing terrible 
 and awful about it, neither is it a light 
 and frivolous matter. 
 
 The consecration meeting, probably 
 more than any other, is in danger of be- 
 coming stereotyped, owing to the calling 
 of the roll, which tends, on account of 
 the way in which it is so often done, to 
 give it a set form. The same order is 
 
136 TJie Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 followed at each meeting, and besides 
 there seems to be a lack of flexibility; 
 hence the consecration meeting is some- 
 times only another name for humdrum 
 and monotony, and all seem glad when it 
 is over, and that it will not occur again 
 for a month. This ought not to be so. 
 The consecration meeting should really, 
 if any difference, be the best meeting of 
 the whole month, and it is very possible 
 to make it such. 
 
 To do this, vary the order and exercises 
 of the meeting. This is the first essential 
 thing to do. An order that is not as good 
 as the one you have been following is 
 better, for a change, than to continue 
 with the old one indefinitely. Care must 
 be taken to prevent the meeting being 
 monotonous. By all means, and any 
 means, keep it out of ruts. 
 
 Not only change the order of the meet- 
 ing from time to time, but let each mem- 
 ber study variety in the manner of re- 
 sponding to the roll-call. To be sure 
 every one must utter the desire and pur- 
 pose of his heart in whatever way he 
 
TJie Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 137 
 
 responds. Perfect honesty should char- 
 acterize every word that is spoken. The 
 consecration 'meeting is a suitable time 
 for self-examination as well as dedication 
 of one's self to God, and should have both 
 for its object. 
 
 A person responds, when his name is 
 called, by saying, "I reconsecrate my&elf 
 to God." Before any such statement is 
 made by any individual he ought to be 
 perfectly sure that he has ever really con- 
 secrated himself to God in the fullest and 
 truest sense. Again let me say that the 
 strictest self-examination should be pecu- 
 liarly characteristic of every consecration 
 meeting. " Absolute honesty and sincer- 
 ity are the qualities to be encouraged and 
 insisted upon." 
 
 Consider your special fitness to do some 
 one thing, and at the roll-call speak of it 
 briefly and modestly, and consecrate 
 yourself to that particular work. It may 
 be that you have the ability to sing the 
 gospel as many others cannot; the pecu- 
 liar fitness to do house to house canvass- 
 ing in the interest of the church or 
 
138 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 Sunday-school; the talent to assist in the 
 Junior work; the qualifications to teach 
 in the Sunday-school; the gift, for it is a 
 gift from God, to make money honestly 
 and rapidly; or the faculty of doing per- 
 sonal, face to face work for the Master. 
 Study yourself, and whatever God-given 
 talent you discover, consecrate it to 
 66 Christ and the Church." 
 * Think of the duties you owe to your- 
 self, and consecrate yourself to their 
 performance. Among these there is the 
 duty of studying God's Word daily; of 
 constantly cultivating the spirit of thank- 
 fulness ; of developing the nobler, faculties 
 of the mind; of resisting temptation; and 
 of striving to grow into the likeness and 
 image of Christ. 
 
 Realize the needs of others and the 
 obligations you are under to them, and 
 consecrate yourself accordingly. It may 
 be to minister to the poor; send the gos- 
 pel to the heathen; comfort the afflicted 
 encourage your pastor; visit strangers; or 
 co-operate with others in making the 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 139 
 
 prayer-meetings more interesting and 
 profitable. 
 
 Consecration to the performance of one 
 duty does not release a person from his 
 obligation to perform others if he can do 
 so. At most it only gives one duty the 
 preference over others for the simple 
 reason that more good may be accom- 
 plished for the individual in that way. 
 Because I minister to the poor and needy 
 as my special work, I am under no less 
 obligation to the heathen; and if I have 
 consecrated myself as a foreign mission- 
 ary, I have not thereby released myself 
 from my duties to my pastor, if I have 
 one. It is just as necessary for me to 
 support him in every way I can as 
 before. If I am an active member of 
 the society, I am under the same obliga- 
 tion to be loyal to my own church as I 
 was before I signed the pledge. No, 
 because a person is consecrated or pledged 
 to do a certain duty, his obligation to 
 perform all other duties is not thereby 
 terminated or lessened. 
 
 The members may not only consecrate 
 
140 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting . 
 
 themselves individually, in some such 
 manner as indicated, but they may, in 
 addition thereto, consecrate themselves 
 to some special work collectively. This 
 tends to bring about concerted action, 
 which is often very necessary to success. 
 It is apparent that the mid-week prayer- 
 meeting is not as well attended and help- 
 ful as it might be ; that the young people's 
 meeting is lacking in interest; that the 
 Sunday evening service is not as good as 
 it can be made; or that the pastor de- 
 serves a more general and hearty sup- 
 port of the members of the church than 
 he is receiving. The leader or president 
 selects some one of these, and, after 
 impressing upon the minds of all the 
 obligation that rests upon each individual 
 to make it a success, asks all who will 
 consecrate themselves to assist in making 
 it a success to indicate such consecration 
 by rising. Do not call for this general 
 consecration at every meeting, but con- 
 centrate the whole effort in the perform- 
 ance of the one thing selected, and make 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 141 
 
 it a success before the attention and effort 
 are diverted to anything else. 
 
 More specific directions for each con- 
 secration meeting will be found in the 
 next succeeding chapter, but remember, 
 as Rev. F. E. Clark has well said, that 
 "the method of the meeting is of com- 
 paratively little importance. The princi- 
 ple of the meeting is of great importance 
 — a definite and specific season for the 
 review of the past, and for recommitment 
 to Christ for the future." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SUGGESTIVE ORDERS OF EXERCISES. 
 
 (For The Consecration Meeting). 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 1. 
 
 1. Singing of appropriate hymns. All stand- 
 ing. 
 
 2. Prayer by the president or pastor. 
 
 3. Reading of suitable Scripture lesson by 
 the leader. Psa. 119: 1-12 ; Luke 9:57-62 ; 1 Cor. 
 12:12-27; Phil. 3:7-16; 1 Tim. 4:1-8; Heb. 
 6:1-9 are all appropriate. 
 
 4. Prayer by the chairman of the Prayer - 
 meeting Committee. 
 
 5. Consecration hymn, "I am thine, O 
 Lord. ' ' 
 
 6. Short talk on the meeting and method of 
 consecration, by the leader. 
 
 7. Roll-call by the secretary. One name at 
 a time. Responses from the members, inter- 
 spersed with apt remarks by the leader, and an 
 occasional verse of song. Play neither prelude 
 nor interlude, and it is preferable not to use the 
 organ at all if the hymns can be sung well with- 
 out it. 
 
 8. Announcements. 
 
 (142) 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 143 
 
 9. Song, "The Endeavor Band." (Gospel 
 Hymns No. 6). 
 
 10. Mizpah benediction, Gen. 31:49. 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 2. 
 
 1. An organ voluntary, if well rendered, not 
 too long, and the music appropriate. It ought 
 to be of a devotional character, and suited to the 
 evening hour, if the meeting is held at that 
 time, as is usually the case. There could be no 
 better voluntary than one composed of the fa- 
 miliar old tunes to the equally familiar and pre- 
 cious old hymns, ' 'Sun of my soul, thou Savior 
 dear," "Nearer, my God, to thee,'' "Abide 
 with me, fast falls the eventide,'' "More love 
 to thee, O Christ, ' ' ' 'Sweet hour of prayer, ' ' 
 "Fading, still fading, the last beam is shin- 
 ing. ' ' 
 
 2. Reception of new members. As each 
 name is read by the secretary the member rises 
 and remains standing. The president or pastor, 
 with a few well -chosen words, welcomes them 
 into the society. All present then rise. 
 
 3. Active membership pledge repeated in con- 
 cert. 
 
 4. Prayer by the chairman of the Lookout 
 Committee. 
 
 5. Song, < 'Take my life and let it be. ' ' 
 
 6. Roll-call. Three names at a time. Oc- 
 casionally sing a verse or two of some appropri- 
 ate hymn during the calling of the roll. Also 
 
144 The Young People 9 s Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 have persons who can do it well to offer prayer 
 when it seems to be especially in order. 
 
 7. Repeat the twenty -third Psalm in concert. 
 
 8. Announcements by the president. 
 
 9. Song, ' 'Blest be the tie. ' ' 
 
 10. Benediction by the pastor. 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 3. 
 
 1 . Remarks by the leader on the necessity of 
 being fully consecrated to the service of God. 
 
 2. Silent prayer for deeper consecration, fol- 
 lowed by the chairman of the Prayer -meeting 
 and Lookout Committees and the president of 
 the society, each leading in a short prayer. 
 
 3. Song, "For Christ and the Church.'* 
 (Gospel Hymns, No. 6). 
 
 4. Responsive reading. Psa. 51:1-17. 
 
 5. Song, ' 'Blessed be the fountain of blood. ' ' 
 (Gospel Hymns, No. 5). Sung as a solo and 
 chorus. 
 
 6. Meeting open for all to take part. 
 
 7. Roll-call. All who are present and have 
 already fulfilled their pledge by taking part, 
 simply answer "present" when their names 
 are called. Those who have not taken part can 
 do so when the secretary reads their names, 
 and the absent ones can have their quotations 
 read, if they have arranged to have it done. 
 
 8. All pledge themselves by rising, at the 
 request of the leader, that they will assist in 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 145 
 
 every possible way to make the mid-week prayer - 
 meeting more interesting and profitable. 
 
 9. Song, "God be with you till we meet 
 again. ' ' 
 
 10. Announcements and benediction by the 
 leader. 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 4. 
 
 1 . Sing two or three verses each of three or 
 four bright, cheery, familiar hymns. Moody 
 once said, ' ' Of the hour set apart for the prayer - 
 meeting, I would have half the time spent in 
 singing." Rev. F. E. Clark, when in Aus- 
 tralia, while making his tour of the world, had 
 three hymns sung at the beginning of a prayer - 
 meeting he was leading before he got the right 
 ' 'key' ' for the meeting, and would have called 
 for a fourth if he had not been successful with 
 the third. 
 
 2. Read, in concert, Matt. 6:1-9, and, bow- 
 ing the head, repeat the Lord's Prayer. 
 
 3. Song, ' 'Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. ' '" 
 (Gospel Hymns, No. 6). 
 
 4. Roll-call by the leader. All active mem- 
 bers present whose name begins with ' ' A ' ' will 
 please rise and renew their pledge by taking 
 part in this consecration service. The person 
 who is nearest the front will respond first each 
 time , and then the next nearest will take part . 
 
 When all whose name begins with ' ' A ' ' have 
 responded, call for those whose initial letter 
 
 10 
 
146 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 is "B, " and so on to the end of the alphabet. 
 Let a verse or two of song be interspersed when- 
 ever it will add to the interest of the meeting. 
 
 5. Have the secretary call the roll as in 
 No. 3. 
 
 6. Ask all who will consecrate themselves as 
 missionaries — all who are ' ' willing to be made 
 willing' 'to ' 'go or send' ' the gospel to others — 
 to indicate their consecration by rising. 
 
 7. Prayer by the pastor that the ' 'spirit of 
 missions, which is the spirit of Christ, ' ' may 
 be the controlling principle in all hearts. 
 
 8. Sing "Speed away," (Gospel Hymns, 
 No. 6), as a dnet. 
 
 9. All read in concert Miss Havergal's conse- 
 cration hymn, ' 'Take my life and let it be. ' ' 
 
 19. Announcements briefly made and meet- 
 ing closed by the leader repeating, "Brethren, 
 I count not myself to have apprehended; but 
 this one thing I do, forgetting the things that 
 are behind, and reaching forth unto those things 
 which are before, I press toward the mark for 
 the prize of the high calling of God in Christ 
 Jesus . ' ' 
 
 The audience responds by saying, "Let us 
 therefore, as many as be perfect, be like 
 minded. ' ' 
 
 To this the leader replies, "And if in any- 
 thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal 
 even this unto you. ' ' 
 
 All repeat in concert, "Nevertheless, whereto 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 147 
 
 we have already attained, let us walk by the 
 same rule, let us mind the same thing. ' ' Phil. 
 3:13-16. 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 5. 
 
 1 . Responsive reading of the twelfth chapter 
 of Romans by the leader, members of the various 
 committees as called upon, and the entire au- 
 dience. The leader should read the first verse, 
 then ask the Lookout Committee to read the 
 second, everybody present the third, and the 
 Prayer -meeting Committee the fourth, and so on 
 to the end of the chapter. The members of the 
 various committees should sit together. 
 
 2. Song, "Oh, happy day that fixed my 
 choice. ' ' 
 
 3. Prayer by the leader. 
 
 4. Song, solo or duet and chorus. 
 
 5. Roll-call by the leader, who asks all the 
 members of the Prayer -meeting Committee to 
 rise and take part, then the Lookout Committee, 
 the Music Committee, the Social Committee, and 
 so on till all the committees have responded, 
 which they should endeavor to do in such a way 
 as to indicate the special work of each com- 
 mittee. 
 
 Have appropriate congregational singing inter- 
 spersed, also arrange for an occasional solo or 
 duet. , * 
 
 6. Have the secretary call the roll as in 
 No. 3. 
 
148 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 7. Song, of a devotional character. 
 
 8. Invitation by the pastor to the associate 
 members and others to confess Christ as their 
 Savior. 
 
 9. Invitation hymn, "Why not now?" (Gos- 
 pel Hymns, No. 6). 
 
 10. Announcements and benediction by the 
 president. 
 
 Order of Exercises, No. 6. 
 
 1. The chairman or a member of the Music 
 Committee might give a brief sketch of the 
 author of some familiar consecration hymn, 
 dwelling especially upon the origin of the hymn , 
 then let it be sung. 
 
 2. Prayer by the president. 
 
 3. Announcement of the subject by the lead- 
 er and reading of the Scripture texts selected 
 by the International Committee, followed by 
 the repetition of appropriate texts by the chair- 
 man of the various committees. 
 
 4. Singing of a consecration hymn. 
 
 5. Have the names of all the active members 
 in the society printed and a copy placed in the 
 hands of every person present. Ask the person 
 whose name first appears on the list to take part, 
 to be followed by the next and so on to the end 
 of the list. To avoid blunders, one person 
 should quickly follow another. If anyone is 
 absent, there need be but a short pause. A 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 149 
 
 mimeograph or hectograph may be used to do 
 the printing. 
 
 6. Let the chairman of the Lookout Com- 
 mittee call the names of those who did not re- 
 spond. Quite likely they are unavoidably ab- 
 sent, but have sent a quotation to be read by 
 another. 
 
 7. Song, suited to the purpose of the meeting. 
 
 8. Let all bow their heads,' while as many as 
 possible offer sentence prayers of self -consecra- 
 tion. 
 
 .9. Closing remarks by the pastor. 
 
 10. Announcements, song, benediction by the 
 leader, ''The Lord bless thee and keep thee. 
 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be 
 gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his counte 
 nance upon thee, and give thee peace. ' ' Num. 
 6:24-26. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SELECTIONS FOR THE CONSECRATION 
 MEETING. 
 
 ""There is no more appropriate way of 
 * taking part in a consecration meet- 
 ing than by the recitation of a verse of 
 Scripture, or a stanza or two of some 
 suitable hymn, provided the quotation 
 voices the sentiment and desire of one's 
 own heart. The selection must be made 
 thoughtfully and truthfully with this end 
 in view. 
 
 The selection, expressing the aspiration, 
 purpose, desire, or determination of an- 
 other, should be prefaced or supple- 
 mented, by the reader, with a few words 
 indicating this to be his wish also. 
 
 The following selections of texts of 
 Scripture and stanzas of consecration 
 hymns, supplementing each other and ex- 
 pressing practically the same thought, it 
 is hoped will be suggestive and helpful. 
 
 (150) 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 151 
 
 They should in no case be substituted for 
 thoughtful, prayerful, studious prepara- 
 tion. They are not meant to take the 
 place of anything that a person can and 
 should do for himself, but to be stimulat- 
 ing and suggestive : 
 
 1 Chron. 29: 5. 
 
 All for Jesus ! all for Jesus ! 
 
 All my being's ransomed powers: 
 All my thoughts, and words, and doings, 
 
 All my days, and all my hours. 
 
 Let my hands perform his bidding, 
 
 Let my feet run in his ways , 
 Let my eyes see Jesus only, 
 
 Let my lips speak forth his praise. 
 
 — Mary D. James. 
 
 Matt. 20: 27, 28. 
 
 My life, my love I give to thee, 
 Thou Lamb of God, who died for me ; 
 Oh, may I ever faithful be, 
 My Savior and my God. 
 
 Oh, thou who died on Calvary, 
 To save my soul and make me free, 
 I consecrate my life to thee , 
 My Savior and my God. 
 
152 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 1 John 1: 7. 
 
 To Jesus I give up my all, 
 Every treasure and idol I know ; 
 
 For his fullness of blessing I call, 
 Till his blood washes whiter than snow. 
 
 — Wm. McDonald. 
 
 Heb. 9: 12. 
 
 Lord, I am thine, entirely thine, 
 Purchased and saved by blood divine. 
 With full consent thine I would be, 
 And own thy sovereign right in me. 
 
 Here, at the cross where flowed the blood 
 That bought my guilty soul for God, 
 Thee, my new Master, now I call, 
 And consecrate to thee my all. 
 
 — Samuel Davies, 
 
 ICor. 6: 19, 20. 
 
 My body, soul, and spirit, 
 Jesus, I give to thee, 
 A consecrated offering, 
 Thine evermore to be. 
 
 I'm thine, O blessed Jesus, 
 Washed by thy precious blood, 
 Now seal me by thy Spirit, 
 A sacrifice to God. 
 
 — Mary D. James. 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 153 
 
 Acts 4: 32. 
 
 Naught that I have my own I call ; 
 To Christ I do devote my all — 
 Lord, if a sacrifice it be, 
 I make it willingly for thee. 
 
 (Adapted) F. E. Snow. 
 
 Romans 12: 1. 
 
 God, my Father in the sky ! 
 Thou who dost hear me when I cry ! 
 
 Oh, make ' 'these hands, these lips, these eyes, 
 This heart , " a living sacrifice ! 
 As once again, on bended knee, 
 
 1 consecrate myself to thee. 
 
 —M. Alice Metcalf. 
 
 Romans 14: 7-9. 
 Thine forever ! God of love , 
 Hear me from thy throne above ; 
 Thine forever may I be, 
 Here and to eternity. 
 
 —Mary F. Maude. 
 
 Mark 1: 19, 20. 
 
 Lord, I obey thy call, 
 
 My youth, my strength, my hope, 
 My talents , aspirations — all 
 
 Are thine and thine alone. * 
 
 — Joel S. Ives. 
 
154 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 2 Tim. 4: 6-8. 
 
 Be this the purpose of my soul, 
 My solemn, my determined choice, 
 
 To yield to his supreme control, 
 And in his kind commands rejoice. 
 
 Now I resolve with all my heart, 
 With all my powers to serve the Lord, 
 
 Nor from his precepts e ' er depart 
 Whose service gives such rich reward. 
 
 — Miss A. Steele. 
 
 ECCL. 12: 1. 
 
 Lord, I would gladly give 
 Youth's morning bright ; 
 
 Love ' s true endeavor spend 
 Speeding the right ; 
 
 Offering my youth to-day, 
 
 Take it, O! God, I pray, 
 
 Guide me in thine own way — 
 In truth and light. 
 
 — Wm. Bryant. 
 
 Psalm 40: 3. 
 
 I've learned to sing a glad new song 
 
 Of praise unto our King I 
 And now with all my ransomed powers 
 
 His praises I will sing. 
 
 — J. B. Hutchinson. 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 155 
 
 Psalm 104: 33.] 
 
 I will praise the Lord my Glory, 
 I will praise the Lord my Light, 
 He my cloud by day to cover, 
 He my fire to guide by night. 
 
 I will love him, I will trust him, 
 All the remnant of my days, 
 And will sing through endless ages, 
 Only my Redeemer's praise. 
 
 — EL Nathan. 
 
 1 Peter 1: 18, 19. 
 
 I belong to Jesus ; 
 
 He has died for me ; 
 I am his and he is mine 
 
 Through eternity. 
 
 I belong to Jesus ; 
 
 I am not my own ; 
 All I have and all I am, 
 
 Shall be his alone. 
 
 — M. Fraser. 
 
 Romans 6: 12, 13. 
 
 Lord, I give my all to thee, 
 
 Friends , and time , and earthly store ; 
 Soul and body thine to be , — 
 
 Wholly thine for evermore. 
 
 —Wm. McDonald. 
 
156 ' The Young Peoples Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 Lam. 3: 27, 
 
 In this the morning of my day, 
 To Christ I give myself away, 
 Without reserve, without delay ; 
 O Lord, to thee I come. 
 
 —R. A. D. 
 
 Psalm 89: 1. 
 
 I will sing of my Redeemer , 
 And his wondrous love to me ; 
 
 On the cross he sealed my pardon, 
 Gave his life to make me free. 
 
 Yes, I'll sing of my Redeemer, 
 And his heavenly love for me ; 
 
 He from death to life hath brought me, 
 Son of God, with him to be. 
 
 P. P. Bliss. 
 
 Luke 24: 27, 32. 
 
 More about Jesus would I know, 
 More of his grace to others show ; 
 More of his saving fullness see, 
 More of his love who died for me. 
 
 More about Jesus let me learn, 
 More of his holy will discern ; 
 Spirit of God, my teacher be, 
 Showing the things of Christ to me . 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 157 
 
 More about Jesus, in his Word, 
 Holding communion with my Lord ; 
 Hearing his voice in ev ' ry line , 
 Making each faithful saying mine. 
 
 —E. E. Hewitt 
 
 Rev. 5: 9, 10. 
 I will sing the wondrous story, 
 
 Of the Christ who died for me, 
 How he left his home in glory, 
 
 For the cross on Calvary. 
 
 Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story, 
 Of the Christ who died for me ; 
 
 Sing it with the saints in glory, 
 Gathered by the crystal sea. 
 
 — F. H. Rawley. 
 
 Matt. 26: 42. 
 Lord Jesus, as thou wilt ; 
 
 Oh, may thy will be mine ; 
 Into thy hand of love 
 
 I now my all resign : 
 Through sorrow or through joy, 
 
 Conduct me as thine own, 
 And help me still to say, 
 
 My Lord, thy will be done. 
 
 — Jane Borthivick. 
 
 Philippians 3 : 7. 
 My Jesus, I love thee, 
 I know thou art mine , 
 
158 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 For thee all the follies 
 Of sin I resign ; 
 I will love thee in life, 
 I will love thee in death, 
 And praise thee as long 
 As thou lendest me breath. 
 
 — London Hymn Book, 1864. 
 
 Matt. 10: 37. 
 
 Jesus, I love thee, yes, thou art mine, 
 Living or dying, still I am thine ; 
 Jesus, I love thee, thou art to me 
 Dearer than mortal ever can be. 
 
 — Ella Dale. 
 
 Luke 14: 33. 
 
 Though late, I all forsake ; 
 
 My friends , my all resign : 
 Gracious Redeemer! take, O take, 
 
 And seal me ever thine ! 
 
 — Charles Wesley. 
 
 Psalm 51: 7. 
 
 Lord Jesus, look down from thy throne in the 
 
 skies, 
 And\help me to make a complete sacrifice ; 
 I give up myself, and whatever I know ; 
 Now, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
 
 — James Nicholson. 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 159 
 
 Matt. 20: 4. 
 
 I will toil in the field where he calle'th me to go, 
 
 Though humble the work may be ; 
 I will ask no more : I only care to know 
 
 'Tis the way my Lord leadeth me. 
 
 — W. 0. Cushing. 
 
 Mark 14: 7. 
 
 I'll clothe the naked, lead the blind, 
 
 Give to the weary rest ; 
 For sorrow's children comfort find, 
 
 And help for all distressed. 
 
 —W. Cutter. 
 
 Matt. 7: 13, 14. 
 
 Let thoughtless thousands choose the road 
 That leads the soul away from God ; 
 This happiness, blest Lord, be mine, 
 To live and die entirely thine. 
 
 —H. F. Lyte. 
 
 MATT-. 5: 45. 
 
 SinGe from thy bounty I receive 
 Such proofs of love divine , 
 
 Had I a thousand hearts to give , 
 Lord, they should all be thine. 
 
 — S. Stennett. 
 
160 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 John 3: 16, 17. 
 
 Just as I am, thy love, unknown, 
 Has broken every barrier down ; 
 JSTow to be thine, yea, thine alone, 
 O, Lamb of God, I come, I come. 
 
 — Charlotte Elliott. 
 
 Matt. 5: 8. 
 
 Purer in heart, O God, 
 
 Help me to be ; 
 May I devote my life 
 
 Wholly to thee. 
 Watch thou my wayward feet, 
 Guide me with counsel sweet ; 
 
 Purer in heart 
 Help me to be. 
 
 Purer in heart, O God, 
 
 Help me to be ; 
 That I thy holy face 
 One day may see ; 
 Keep me from secret sin, 
 Beign thou my soul within ; 
 Purer in heart 
 Help me to be. 
 
 — Mrs. A. L. Davison. 
 
 Acts 20: 24. 
 
 My life I bring to thee , 
 I would not be my own ; 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 161 
 
 O Savior, let me be 
 
 Thine ever, thine alone ; 
 My heart, my life, my all I bring, 
 To thee, my Savior and my King. 
 
 — Miss F. R. Havergal. 
 
 John 13: 1. 
 
 Savior, thy dying love 
 
 Thou gavest me ; 
 Nor should I ought withhold, 
 
 Dear Lord, from thee. 
 
 — 8. D. Phelps 
 
 Matt. 10: 29: 30. 
 
 How happy all thy servants are ! 
 
 How great thy grace to me ! 
 My life, which thou hast made thy care, 
 
 Lord, I devote to thee. 
 
 — Samuel Wesley. 
 
 1 THESS. 5: 22, 23. 
 Thine, most gracious Lord, 
 
 O make me wholly thine — 
 Thine in thought, in word, indeed, 
 For thou, O Christ, art mine. 
 
 -—Mrs. Annie S. Hawks. 
 
 Acts 26: 28. 
 Fully persuaded, Jesus is mine ; 
 
 Fully persuaded, Lord, I am thine! 
 11 
 
162 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 O make my love to thee 
 Like thine own love to me , 
 So rich , so full and free ; 
 Savior divine. 
 
 — J. B. Atchinson. 
 
 Mark 10: 38. 
 
 Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow 
 
 That a time could ever be, 
 When I proudly said to Jesus, 
 
 ' 'All of self, and none of thee. ' ' 
 
 Higher than the highest heavens , 
 Deeper than the deepest sea, 
 
 Lord, thy love at last has conquered — 
 ' 'None of self, and ail of thee. ' ' 
 
 Theo. Monod. 
 
 Mark 14: 3. 
 
 Set wholly apart for the use of the Master ; 
 
 To work, or to rest, or to speak for his sake , 
 To give to him, like Mary, my choice alabaster, 
 
 My sweetest and best o'er his pierced feet to 
 break. — Frances Beamish. , 
 
 1 Samuel; 15: 22. 
 
 I will go where you want me to go, Lord, 
 Over mountain, or desert, or sea; 
 
 I will say what you want me to say, Lord, 
 I will be what you want me to be. 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting, 163 
 
 1 Cor. 6: 19, 20. 
 ' Not my own ! " my time, my talent, 
 
 Freely all to Christ I bring, 
 To be used in joyful service 
 For the glory of our King. 
 
 — El. Nathan. 
 
 GALATIANS2: 20. 
 
 Thine, Jesus, thine, 
 
 No more this heart of mine 
 Shall seek its joy apart from thee ; 
 The world is crucified to me, 
 
 And I am thine. 
 
 Thine, thine alone, 
 
 My joy, my hope, my crown ; 
 Now earthly things may fade and die, 
 They charm my soul no more, for I 
 
 Am thine alone. 
 
 — English. 
 
 Galatians 6: 14. 
 Precious Savior, may I live, 
 
 Only for thee ! 
 Spend the powers thou dost give 
 
 Only for thee I 
 Be my smiles and be my tears, 
 Be my young and riper years , 
 Be my peace and be my strife, 
 Be my love and be my life 
 
 Only for thee ! 
 
 —Eliza Ann Walker. 
 
164 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 Philippians 4: 7-9. 
 
 Prince of peace , control my will ; 
 Bid this struggling heart be still ; 
 Bid my fears and doubtings cease, 
 Hush my spirit into peace . 
 
 Thou hast bought me with thy blood, 
 Opened wide the gate to God : 
 Peace I ask — but peace must be , 
 Lord, in being one with thee. 
 
 — Mary A. S. Barber. 
 
 Psalm 51: 10. 
 
 Take my soul and body ' s powers ; 
 
 Take my memory , mind and will ; 
 All my goods , and all my hours ; 
 
 All I know , and all I feel ; 
 All I think, or speak, or do; 
 
 Take my heart, but make it new. 
 
 — Charles Wesley. 
 
 COLOSSIANS 3: 11. 
 
 Before the cross of Him who died, 
 
 Behold, I prostrate fall ; 
 Let every sin be crucified, 
 
 And Christ be all in all. 
 
 — Matthew Bridges. 
 
CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS. 
 
 A Catechetical Meeting. 
 
 (Subject— "Soul- Winning. ") 
 
 1. Song, " Rescue the perishing. " 
 2o Prayer by the pastor for more soul -win- 
 ners. 
 
 3. Song, ' 'Who is on the Lord's side?" 
 
 4. Responsive reading of Bible questions and 
 answers, one person reading the question and 
 another the answer. To do this, both references 
 should be duplicated and numbered, or else the 
 texts should be written or printed in full and 
 numbered thus : 
 
 QUESTIONS. 
 
 
 ANSWERS. 
 
 To. 1. Mark 8: 36. 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 Psa. 49:6, 7. 
 
 " 2. Mark 8: 37. 
 
 " 2. 
 
 IPet. 1:19, 20. 
 
 " 3. Psa. 88:14. 
 
 " 3." 
 
 Isa. 59:2. 
 
 " 4. Rom. 7:24. 
 
 " 4. 
 
 Acts 4: 10-12. 
 
 "5." Acts 16: 30. 
 
 " 5. 
 
 Acts 16: 31-34. 
 
 " 6. Rev. 7:13. 
 
 " 6. 
 
 Rev. 7:14-17. 
 
 " 7 Luke 13: 23. 
 
 " 7. 
 
 Rev. 7:9. 
 
 " 8. Matt. 19:25. 
 
 " 8. 
 
 Rev. 22:17. 
 
 All repeat in concert Rev. 22 
 
 :14. 
 
 5. Song, ' 'Whosoever heareth. ' ' 
 
 
 (165) 
 
 
166 The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 
 
 6. What is it to be a soul -winner? Give a 
 short, concise definition. 
 
 7. Will you give three reasons why every 
 Christian ought to be a winner of sonls? The 
 will of God; your own salvation, Ezek. 33: 8, 9 ; 
 the church supplied with workers, pastors, 
 teachers, missionaries, Matt. 9:36-38; the ex- 
 ample and command of Christ ; the value of the 
 soul, are some of the reasons that may be given. 
 Occupy not more than two minutes . 
 
 8. Song, "Oh, what are you going to do, 
 brother?" 
 
 9. Short prayer for willingness to toil in any 
 field. 
 
 10. What are some of the things that cause 
 failure in an attempt to win souls? Lack of 
 faith, tact, perseverence or courage ; insufficient 
 preparation ; not enough love , ' ' Love never 
 f aileth ; ' ' not really consecrated to God and the 
 work, are among the causes of failure. Speak 
 briefly of two or three of these, from experience, 
 or observation, or both. 
 
 11. Prayer — brief, earnest, fervent, believing 
 —for wisdom to win souls. See Prov. 11:30; 
 James 1:5-7, 5:16-18. 
 
 12. Song, "Weary gleaner, whence comest 
 thou?" To be sung as an antiphonal solo, the 
 congregation joining in the chorus. Let three 
 persons respond in turn. 
 
 13. Will you tell of some of the earthly re- 
 wards of soul -winning? The good that comes 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 167 
 
 to the community ; to the family of the indi- 
 vidual ; to the person himself who has been turn- 
 ed from sin ; to the person who turned him, may 
 be mentioned as some of these rewards. See 
 James 5: 20. 
 
 14. Song, solo and chorus, * 'Where is my 
 wandering boy?' ' 
 
 15. Prayer for prodigal sons and daughters, 
 and their anxious fathers and mothers. 
 
 16. Luke 15:11-32 read by different persons 
 in the audience, each reading a verse as they 
 shall be called upon by the leader. 
 
 17. What does the Bible, experience and ob- 
 servation teach us follows soul -winning? Joy 
 to the soul saved ; to the individual who has been 
 the instrument of God in his salvation ; rejoicing 
 among the good on earth and the saints and 
 angels in heaven. Develop these and similar 
 facts in a two -minute talk. See Luke 15:7, 10, 
 32; 2 Cor. 7:4; Phil. 2:17, 18; 1 Pet. 1:8. 
 
 18. Invitation hymn, "Why do you wait, 
 dear brother?' ' 
 
 It will be observed that the songs, 
 Scripture reading and requests for re- 
 marks are nearly all in the interrogative 
 form, hence the name, " Catechetical," 
 given to the meeting. A considerable 
 amount of tact is necessary on the part 
 of the leader to prevent the meeting 
 
168 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 being formal, but if suitable preparation 
 has been made by all who are to partici- 
 pate, and the leader will use tact in con- 
 ducting the meeting, the results, I am 
 sure, will be in every way satisfactory. 
 I have selected the topic, " Soul- 
 winning," on account of its importance. 
 Any other subject may be treated in a 
 similar manner. Everything, even to the 
 minutest detail, should be arranged be- 
 fore the meeting. When you get 
 through with the program as you have 
 outlined it, stop. If the time expires 
 before you have carried out the entire 
 order of exercises, stop. The songs indi- 
 cated in this program may all be found 
 in "Gospel Hymns, Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4." 
 
 Missionary Meeting, No. 1. 
 
 1. Song, "From Greenland's icy moun- 
 tains* ' ' 
 
 2. The 67th Psalm repeated in concert, the 
 request having been made at the meeting the 
 previous Sunday that all memorize it during 
 the week. 
 
 3. Prayer by the chairman of the Missionary 
 Committee for foreign missions . 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 169 
 
 4. Song, "Over the ocean wave, far, far 
 away. ' ' 
 
 5. Recitation of missionary texts. Let the 
 request be made in time for all to be prepared. 
 Matt 28:19, 20; Acts 8:4; Psa. 2:8; Isa. 54: 
 2, 3; Acts 16:9, 10; Psa. 72: 8 ; Acts 18: 8 ; Mai. 
 1:11; Acts 2:41; Psa. 22:27; Dan. 7:14; Acts 
 11:19-21; Isa. 2:4, and many others. They 
 should be repeated in quick succession. 
 
 6. Prayer by the leader for the growth of the 
 missionary spirit. 
 
 7. Quartette, "Sowing in the morning. ' ' 
 
 8. Original two -minute paper on ' 'The Biog- 
 raphy of a Heathen Woman,'' — "unwelcome 
 at birth; untaught in childhood; unloved in 
 womanhood ; uncherished in widowhood ; unpro - 
 tected in old age ; unlamented when dead. ' ' 
 
 9. Recitation, Miss Frances R. Havergal's 
 poem entitled, "Sisters,'' in Missionary Tid- 
 ings, Indianapolis, for May, 1891. 
 
 10. Prayer for more helpers, by some mem- 
 ber who is actively engaged in doing missionary 
 work. 
 
 11. "Our work in India." Three two- 
 minute papers by as many persons on subdivi- 
 sions of the topic. One on "The Field,'' in 
 which the people; our mission stations, how 
 many, where located; when established; opposi- 
 tion to the work ; converts ; present needs ; out- 
 look for the future, may be considered. A 
 second paper on ' ' Our Missionaries ' ' —how 
 
170 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting, 
 
 many have we? who are they? where were they 
 educated? why did they go to the foreign field? 
 how are they supported? And a third paper on 
 ' 'Helping the Missionaries in their Work" — 
 their need of help ; our obligation to assist ; the 
 various ways in which help may be given, by 
 our prayers, letters of encouragement, money; 
 their work and ours inseparable. 
 
 12. Song, ' 'Tell it out among the nations. ' ' 
 
 13. Collection for Indian missions. 
 
 14. Doxology and benediction. 
 
 Missionary Meeting, No. 2. 
 
 lo Song, "We gather again in the name of 
 our Lord, ' ' 
 
 2. Responsive recitation of Miss Havergal's 
 consecration hymn, ''Take my life," and ap- 
 propriate texts of Scripture. After each couplet 
 of the hymn has been repeated, have some per- 
 son respond with an apt Scripture quotation. 
 As there are ten couplets , it should be arranged 
 to have twenty persons take part. The follow- 
 ing references may be suggestive : Acts 20 : 24 ; 
 Psa. 63:4; Rom.- 10:15; Psa. 104:33; Psa. 
 145:1, 2; Acts 21:13, 14; John 5:30; Psa. 
 138:1; Psa. 18:1, 2; Rom. 12:1, 2. 
 
 3. Prayer by some member of the society who 
 is a thorough missionary. 
 
 4. Reading of Isa. 54:2-5 by the leader, 
 which he follows with a short talk. 
 
 5. Song, ' 'The morning light is breaking. ' ' 
 
The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 171 
 
 6. Short paper on "The Relation of the 
 Christian Endeavor Society to Missions . ' ' 
 
 7. Song, ' 'Great Jehovah, mighty Lord. ' * 
 
 8. Paper, "What our Society is Doing for 
 Home and Foreign Missions. ' J 
 
 9. Song, ' 'Work for the night is coming. ' ' 
 
 10. Reading of a letter from some missionary 
 the society is assisting to support. 
 
 11. Prayer with special reference to this 
 missionary and her work. * 
 
 12c "What more can we do for missions ?' ' 
 Ask five or six persons to thoughtfully consider 
 the question and be prepared to give short, defi- 
 nite answers. 
 
 13. Select the one thing suggested that seems 
 to be the most important and practical, and, 
 after briefly emphasizing these two points, ask 
 all who will pledge themselves to its support to 
 do so by rising. Request the pastor to invoke 
 the blessing of God upon the object chosen, as 
 well as upon the members who have assumed 
 the responsibility of this additional work, ' 'for 
 Christ and the Church. ' ' 
 
 14. Solo and chorus, ''Throw out the Life- 
 line." 
 
 15. Benediction by the president. 
 
 All hymns selected from "Gospel Hymns, 
 No. 6, Endeavor Edition. ' ' 
 
172 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 An Evening With Hymn -Writers and their 
 Hymns. 
 
 (Consult Driffield's "English Hymns," bio- 
 graphical encyclopedia, musical dictionaries, 
 hymn books, papers and magazines) . 
 
 1. A three -minute talk by the pastor on 
 "Mary, the Mother of Jesus" — her lineage, 
 name , home , traditional appearance , song etc . , 
 dwelling particularly upon the annunciation as 
 the occasion of the composition of her song, and 
 the peculiarities of her ' 'hymn of praise. ' ' 
 
 2. Scripture reading in concert — Mary's 
 Song— ' < The Magnificat . ' ' Luke 1 : 46 - 55 . 
 
 3. Prayer by the chairman of the Music Com- 
 mittee. 
 
 4. "Isaac Watts and his hymns." Occupy 
 not more than three minutes in bringing out the 
 principal features. 
 
 5. Song, "Joy to the world, " tune, "Anti- 
 och. ' ' 
 
 6. A short biographical account of Handel, 
 the composer of ' ' Antioch. ' ' 
 
 7. "The Esthonian Legend of the Origin of 
 Song." See "English Hymns, " page 307. 
 
 8. The tune "Old Hundred," and Wilhelm 
 Franc its composer. 
 
 9. Biographical sketch of Bishop Thomas 
 Ken, author of the doxology, "Praise God, 
 from whom all blessings flow. ' ' 
 
 10. Hymn, "Praise God." Tune, "Old 
 Hundred. ' ' 
 
The Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 173 
 
 11. Relate briefly one or two incidents con- 
 nected with the use of this hymn. See ■ 'English 
 Hymns, ' ' page 456. 
 
 12. Give a short history of Miss Phoebe 
 Cary. 
 
 13. Hymn, "One sweetly solemn thought." 
 To be sung as a solo. 
 
 14. Repeat the authentic story of the gamblers 
 in China, illustrating the power of song in 
 general, and of this one in particular, over the 
 soul. See ' 'English Hymns, ' ' page 448. 
 
 15. Give a three -minute talk about "Charles 
 Wesley, the hymn -writer. ' ' 
 
 16. Hymn, ' 'Jesus, lover of my soul. ' ' Tune, 
 "Martyn. " 
 
 17. Tell of this hymn being a universal favor- 
 ite , and give two or three reasons why you think 
 it is so. 
 
 18. Read what Henry Ward Beecher once 
 said concerning it. "English Hymns," page 
 287. 
 
 19. Arrange for two or three persons to each 
 relate an incident in which this hymn had a con- 
 spicious place. 
 
 20. Read a two -minute paper on ' 'Mendels- 
 shon, the musical composer. 
 
 21. Hymn, ' 'Hark, the herald angels sing. ' ' 
 Tune, Mendelsshon ' s ' ' Herald Angels . ' ' 
 
 22. A brief history of "Edward Perronet and 
 the hymn that made him famous — 'All hail the 
 power of Jesus' name. ' ' ' 
 
174 The Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 
 
 23. "Coronation" and Oliver Holden — the 
 Tune and its Composer. Give a short account of 
 both. See * 'English Hymns, ' ' page 19. 
 
 24. Hymn, "All hail the power of Jesus' 
 name. ' ' Tune, ' 'Coronation. ' ' 
 
 25. Benediction. 
 
THE USE OF THE BLACKBOARD 
 
 IN THE 
 
 YOUNG PEOPLE'S PRAYER -MEETING. 
 
 Tt has often occurred to me that one of 
 * the most valuable aids to the young 
 people's prayer-meeting is being sadly 
 neglected. I refer to the blackboard. 1 
 see very little in our papers concerning 
 its use, and I believe its proffered assist- 
 ance is being refused by the mighty host 
 of young people who meet every week in 
 the capacity of a prayer-meeting. If this 
 is so, then one of the principal avenues 
 to the heart is not being utilized for the 
 gospel message. There are songs, Scrip- 
 ture readings, prayers, illustrations, re- 
 marks, quotations, etc., ad infinitum, 
 appealing to the heart through the ear, 
 to the partial or entire neglect of that no 
 less important avenue, the eye. 
 
 Object-teaching has long been consid- 
 ered the most effectual means of child 
 (175) 
 
176 The Use of the Blackboard 
 
 training, and we ought to realize that it 
 is one of the best methods of instructing 
 the adult — " the child grown older." 
 
 This was the method adopted by the 
 Savior, and he never made any mistakes. 
 Bead the Gospels and see the beauty and 
 learn the power of object-teaching. 
 
 The blackboard, if used intelligently, 
 can be made very helpful. Like every 
 thing else that tends to make the meet- 
 ings more interesting and profitable, it 
 must have time and thought applied to it. 
 Even a blackboard can get into a " rut." 
 
 Let me suggest a few of the ways in 
 which a blackboard can be put to good 
 use in the prayer-meeting. 
 
 Do not always use it in the same way. 
 That is the bane of nearly all religious 
 service to-day. The blackboard is used 
 more extensively in the Sunday-schools 
 than in any other department of church 
 work, and almost invariably in a stereo- 
 typed manner. There are other "chest- 
 nuts" besides the oft-repeated stories 
 and illustrations, especially when applied 
 to the church, Sunday-school, mid-week 
 
In the Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 177 
 
 prayer-meeting, and, sometimes, to that 
 fresh, vigorous, promising organization, 
 the Y. P. S. C. E. 
 
 Do not allow the blackboard to come in 
 for its share of censure, by making a 
 "wall-flower" of it, or at least the same 
 kind of wall-flower at every meeting. 
 
 Do not use the blackboard to show your 
 ingenuity as a delineator. The prayer- 
 meeting is not the place to display fashion 
 plates and show-bills. I have sometimes 
 seen what appeared to me something very 
 much like this attempted in the Sunday- 
 school, and in the " custom made " black- 
 board illustrations in certain Sunday- 
 school journals, where more ingenuity 
 than sanctified common sense was used. 
 
 Illustrate the subject of the meeting if 
 it can be aptly done, otherwise do not 
 attempt it. Some topics can be well 
 illustrated by some persons. This is a 
 very important statement, and should 
 always be remembered. An illustration 
 fails to illustrate if it does not carry with 
 it its own explanation and application of 
 the fact illustrated. 
 
 12 
 
178 The Use of the Blackboard 
 
 The idea I would convey is that the 
 illustration to be apt and appropriate 
 must not be similar to the two pictures 
 the little boy drew on his new slate. One 
 was the picture of a cow, the other that 
 of a sheep, but they were so nearly alike 
 that he had to distinguish them by writ- 
 ing, "This is a cow. The other is a 
 sheep." 
 
 Apt pictorial illustrations, like words 
 fitly spoken, are like apples of gold in 
 pictures of silver, and if you have some 
 one in your society endowed with the 
 peculiar talent to make them, give him 
 an opportunity to do so. 
 
 If the subject can not be suitably illus- 
 trated, then let some other appropriate 
 theme be thus brought to the attention of 
 those present. "Lost Opportunities" 
 may be written at the top of the black- 
 board and illustrated in scores of ways. 
 The same may be said of " The Value of 
 Little Things," "Intemperance," " Sow- 
 ing and Reaping," "The Power of 
 Habit," and many other subjects of equal 
 importance, all of which should be in> 
 
In the Young People's Prayer- Meeting. 179 
 
 pressed upon heart and mind again and 
 again in every conceivable way. 
 
 Write or print the subject of the meet- 
 ing and the central thought, together 
 with the Scripture texts to be read for 
 the opening lesson. A few hymns, to be 
 sung at the beginning of the meeting, 
 may be selected and the numbers indi- 
 cated on the blackboard. An appropri- 
 ate stanza or two of some hymn may also 
 be added — written in full. 
 
 At another time a suitable text of 
 Scripture may be written on the board, 
 followed by one or two lessons that should 
 be learned from it. Or the text may be 
 supplemented by a sentence or two of 
 appeal, or an exclamatory sentence indi- 
 cating surprise, or an interrogatory sen- 
 tence. Matt. 11 : 28 may be followed by 
 lessons or sentences as indicated, as may 
 hundreds of other texts. But try this 
 one and see how easily it can be done. 
 
 Write on the blackboard what Charles 
 Darwin said about foreign missionary 
 work; William E. Gladstone's statement 
 concerning modern preaching; Napoleon 
 
180 The Use of the Blackboard. 
 
 Bonaparte's tribute to Christ; Queen 
 Victoria's message to the Queen of Mad- 
 agascar; Robert IngersolPs despairing 
 wail at the funeral of his brother; James 
 A. Garfield's creed, or the "weighty 
 words" of some other noted person. 
 
 Subdivide the topic and write the topic 
 and subdivisions on the blackboard, hav- 
 ing previously arranged with as many 
 persons as there are subdivisions to con- 
 sider them briefly in the order in which 
 they are written. 
 
 At the close, write the best sentence on 
 the board that has been spoken by any 
 one during the meeting. It is well to 
 have a reversible board so that this sen- 
 tence may be placed by itself on the op- 
 posite side. 
 
 The leader need not always be the 
 judge of the best sentence. Sometimes 
 the chairman of one of the committees 
 or the president or some one else may act 
 in this capacity, and should briefly tell 
 what he thinks the best sentence spoken, 
 and why. 
 
 Of course his opinion may differ from 
 
In the Young People's Prayer -Meeting. 181 
 
 the opinions of others, but it should not 
 lead to the expression of those opinions, 
 especially in the spirit of criticism and 
 fault-finding. 
 
 Whatever is placed upon the black- 
 board should be done before the meeting 
 begins, with the exception just men- 
 tioned. 
 
 Studiously avoid all acrostics, mono- 
 grams and "flourishes" done for " ef- 
 fect," for they do not produce the effect 
 that should be desired. Use the black- 
 board conscientiously; use it prayerfully; 
 use it eclectically; use it regularly; and 
 you will surely use it profitably. 
 

 
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