 Lang 's appointment as a canon of St Paul 's Cathedral required him to spend three months annually as the canon in residence , with administrative and preaching duties . Following his appointment as canon , he was also appointed Treasurer of the Cathedral . His preaching on Sunday afternoons caught the attention of William Temple , Lang 's future successor at both York and Canterbury , who was then an undergraduate at Oxford . Temple observed that , in contrast to the Bishop of London 's sermons , listening to Lang brought on an intellectual rather than emotional pleasure : " I can remember all his points , just because their connexion is inevitable .... And for me , there is no doubt that this is the more edifying by far . " Lang was a member of the cathedral 's governing body , the Dean and Chapter , and was responsible for the organisation of special occasions , such as the service of thanksgiving for King Edward VII 's recovery from appendicitis in July 1902 . 
