red they are both genuine.
The first is from a St. Andrews professor, who is stated to be a great
authority in such narratives.
In one of our northern counties, a rural district had its harvest
operations affected by continuous rains. The crops being much laid, wind
was desired in order to restore them to a condition fit for the sickle.
A minister, in his Sabbath services, expressed their want in prayer as
follows:--"O Lord, we pray thee to send us wind; no a rantin' tantin'
tearin' wind, but a noohin' (noughin?) soughin' winnin' wind." More
expressive words than these could not be found in any language.
The other story relates to a portion of the Presbyterian service on
sacramental occasions, called "fencing the tables," _i.e._ prohibiting
the approach of those who were unworthy to receive.
This fencing of the tables was performed in the following effective
manner by an old divine, whose flock transgressed the third commandment,
not in a gross and loose manner, but in its minor details:--"I debar all
those who use such minced oaths as faith! troth! losh! gosh! and
lovanendie!"
These men often showed a quiet vein of humour in their prayers, as in
the case of the old minister of the Canongate, who always prayed,
previous to the meeting of the General Assembly, that the Assembly might
be so guided as "_no to do ony harm."_
A circumstance connected with Scottish church discipline has undergone a
great change in my time--I mean the public censure from the pulpit, in
the time of divine service, of offenders previously convicted before the
minister and his kirk-session. This was performed by the guilty person
standing up before the congregation on a raised platform, called the
_cutty stool_, and receiving a rebuke. I never saw it done, but have
heard in my part of the country of the discipline being enforced
occasionally. Indeed, I recollect an instance where the rebuke was thus
administered and received under circumstances of a touching character,
and which made it partake of the moral sublime. The daughter of the
minister had herself committed an offence against moral purity, such as
usually called forth this church censure. The minister peremptorily
refused to make her an exception to his ordinary practice. His child
stood up in the congregation, and received, from her agonised father, a
rebuke similar to that administered to other members of his congregation
for a like offence. The spirit of the age became unf
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