Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-02

| away something from these morning meet
lhgs, and at times during the day when he
felt n strange kind of music in his heart
something that made him happy-and he did
not know where the feeling came from. he
would recall the origin of it, and say " Oh I!
it was that hymn we sung this morning ~
" Now 60 on said Mr.. Beccher; and the
hymn was finished. On another occasion,
when t!.ey were closing an evening with sing
fivorte hymn, Mr.. Beccher made some re-
marks at the close to the eff ct that the man
who could sing that from the heart was hap
py. Let's sing that hymn again, F" said one
of the audience, warmly. - No, we won't t
sing the whole OF it," rcptied Mr.. Bcechcr,
the best one" So the third verse was sung
by the great happy family party with will.
Mr. Beecher has some noble fellows in the
congregation, and among them a captain
named Duncan. This man, and whole
souled fellow he is, looks after sea- captains,
and brings them to meeting I" How many
sea captains this morning." inquired Mr..
Beecher, from the stand. "Not one" replied
the captain, "but I've got threein tow. The
other day, the captain got up'and said he had
been down to his native place. While there
he went to Methodist PRAYER meeting and
heard them talk. Tho minister talked and
cxhorted in a peculiar drawing tone,
and the members all followed suit in the
slme way. 1t was a slow monotonous and
spirtless thing Then he said he got up and
told them how they lid things where he came
from; and commended the course to that
congregation. Capt. Duncan said that at
the close of his remarks, a butcher rose and
said If that's the way you do, I've got
something to say myself" And then Capt.
Duncan told what the butcher did say. This
we will try to reproduce, and leave the reader
to imagine the mingled smiles and tears with
which the Brooklyn audience received the
story.
81 got to feeling" said the butcher, every
bad, somehow. I didn't know what was the
matter with me but my wife, who was a
good, prayin' woman. said she guessed l
wanted religion. Well, I told her didn't
meetn. Well, on the way to meet'n met
to know where l was goin'. told him
was goin' to get religion "Thats right"
said he; ego ahead. You and have always
gone together. you know, and if you get re-
ligion, and you say it's worth havin', you
tell me, and I'll get it too Well | went
to meet'n, but didn't feel any better when
got home. felt awful bad ; and then
took offmy coat, but didn't feel any better
and then | took Of my waistcoat, aud then
didn't feel any better. Well, my wife she
followed me up stairs. | didn't think she
would, but she di /. Husband" +" said she.
81 guess you want to pray" ''Perhaps |
do" said |, and so knelt down and pray
ed. don't know anything that said, but
wife says she never heard such prayer as
that in all her born days, and don't believe
she ever did. Well, when got up didn'
feel a bit better; SO | thought | would 60
and see the minister. l told him all my
troubles, and while he was talkin' to Inc, it
seemed us if there was big weight lifted off
my shoulders-flty tons weight. | went
home happy as could be. | went into the
garret and prayed in the garret, and then |
went into the cellar and prayed in the cellar;
and then | went into the woodhous. and
prayed in the woodhousc. Just then man
came in and said my hogs was out. What
did care about hogs? But pritty soon he
-n;"G IN ornin. and said my hogs were IN
neighbor Duncan luilc uaptai"'s G.t'.er, ,vo
suppose) yard. Ofcourse | must get 'em
out of neghbor Duncan's yard; so | went
out, and had an awful time getting them
hogs back and them hogs got out and | put
'em back four times, and / began to think
the devil had gone out OF me into them hogs.
! Well, my hogs have got out Il greet many
times before, but never did get 'em back
| Jctore, in my life, without swcarin'.' .
The butcher closed with an honest cxprcs.
sion of his determination to lead christian
life, in words which we could not quote il
we would.
We have thus touched upon a few
incidents of these meetings, to show
their informaity, their thorough socia
character. the perfect brotherly understand
ing W ich exists between the pastor and his
people, and the charm which invests them
These gatherings seem like the gathering,
of large loving Christian family, and thei
effect is seen in the ingatherng, from time t.
time, of all whom the pastor and his churct
committee have time to examine. Every
Friday evening, from the clos Of the mectin,
to the latest practicable hour, is occupied b.,
examinations preparatory to admission to tn
church. II the long-iaccs are disposed Il
doubt the reality and soundness of the religion
produced by such means and among sucl
scenes as these, let them show a congregation
of more earnest, open-hearted, open handed
self-sacrlicing, Woodworking men and wo
men, than that which has gathered aroun
Mr.. Beechea. Mr. Beecher's people all seer
to have one characteristic in common wit
their pastor: They are men and women
into who's, humanity the Christian elemen
is incorporated. This element becomes the ez
alting, harmonizing, joy-giving power
every faculty. They are not religious ma
chines-the things of creeds. unsym patheti
and angular and hard They work becaus
, they love it, The cross they take up is twine
with flowers. like the pulpit from whic
, their Word is preached. There is lcsso
in all this that deserves careful study.