SOME "MEENISTER" STORIES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 13

SOME "MEENISTER" STORIES.

Dr Boyd (A.K.H.8.) in his new book, " The last Years at St. Andrew's," tells the following story :—Long ago, when Dr Blair was minister of the High Kirk of Edinburgh, he had quite the most cultivated congregation in Scotland. It is the fashion now tc run Blair down. But he had his day. And even Samuel Johnson, bitter against Presbytery, declared that Blair's sermon on •* Cornelius, a devout man," was the best ho ever read. Once an extremely homely old Highland minister came to Edinburgh, and Dr Blair somehow had to ask him to preach. The congregation never forgot his sermon. Neither did Dr Blair. There was a crotvd of all the refinement of the Scottish metropolis ; and there was j the elegant Blair himself. The sermon ; was upon the duty of Hutueeliahlion. "And now, mafreens, in the Thirteenth place, I sail proceed to set before you a Thairteenth reason fur Humeeliahtion. And it sail bo a reason taken Irom the Sheeance o' Auawtomy. We are in formed, by them as 13 skeeled in the Sheeance o' Anawtomy, that v.e have gut aw the Paddna of a Soo but een. Now I ask you aw, if .ve have got the Paddna of a Soo but. een, if that is no' a Thairteenth reason for Hurneeliahton, and a reason taken from the Sheeance 0' Anawtomy." It was an awful day th.it, in the High Kirk of Edinburgh. Just think what Dr Blair looked like. Another of Dr Boyd's stories i 3 as follows : —ln a certain chuich, the young ass slant was saying the prayers, suppostd to be made (on the instant) out of his own head ; the minister sitting at the Communion-tablo below. A« the youth concluded, and was about to give out a hymn, the minister arose, and said : " Stoap ! I want to say to you, my friends, that Mr Snooks has given us a capital prayer. lc is one of the best prayers 1 ever heard. I want to say that to you—a capital prayer. And I want to thank him for it, Thank you, Mr Snooks ! And now you may go on." The story appears almost incredible. et Iwasassund by one who had the very best authority that it was literally true. Long ago to use the Lord's Prayer condemned a young parson. It was " not sound." It was "a form." In that lamentable day, a youth went to preach for line old Dr Gilchrist, of the Cmongate, in Edinburgh. "We always say the Lord's Prayer here," the venerable father said in the ves:ry. The poor youth looked unhappy. Much evil might come upon him so doing. And, with a discomfited countenance, ho said, "Must I give tho Lord'3 Prayer / " " Not r.t all," said old Dr Gilchrist. " Not at all, if you can give us anything better ! " Of course, like the Puritan Moderator, the youth "gave" something which (in his own judgment) was incomparably better.