To pour the wine, or divide it into several cups, before thanks, at the
Lord’s table. We thank the Lord for the _cup_, and not _cups_. Thanks
should invariably be given for the _one cup_, while the wine is in the
one cup.
For some one to start and push his way out through the assembly while
an invitation is pending. This is a most manifest impoliteness and
disorder.
For some one that has eat about three dinners at once, to doze and nod
in time of preaching, and in the midst of the exhortation, just when
the preacher is trying to make an impression, to stretch his limbs,
gape and crowd up to the pulpit, and get a drink to extinguish the
fires burning within him. This is ridiculous.
To see some great strapping saphead get up in the middle of a
discourse, and go stamping out, thus interrupting the whole audience.
If these could _see themselves as others see them_, they would be very
clear of showing themselves, as they frequently do.
To see a beautiful young lady sit in time of preaching, and then
stand in time of an invitation, with her mouth spread and a broad and
supercilious grin upon her face.
To see some fellow draw his watch and snap it at the preacher, as he
shuts down the case, as much as to say, “I consider it is time you
would stop.”
To see a lady sit and play with her infant, in time of preaching, laugh
at its little pranks, and try to induce others around her also to laugh
at them.
To see a lady get into a quarrel with her babe, in time of preaching;
slap it, jerk it, hold it, and thus keep it squalling for about half an
hour. If the preacher can keep the thread of his discourse, in a case
of that kind, he is a pretty good preacher.
To have some man standing near the preacher, in time of prayer, chewing
an enormous quid of tobacco, and about once in half a minute, hear a
large spoonful of the filthy spittle splash upon the floor.