Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-08
MORNING LEADER.
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.

|
Every body knows that he is pastor of the
Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, and 10 get TO his
place of meeting you have to Cross over the East
River. You go to Fulton st. Ferry, cross over,
pass up Fulton st in Brooklyn, to Hicks ST., up
Hicks st. 10 Orange st. and after turning on to
Orange st. Plymouth Church is before you; a
plain, brick ediiee, without pilaster, spire, or
any of,the adornments which art, stimulated by
wealth, is enabled to throw around the temples
of worship in our cities.
The hour for services to commence in this
Church is lOR o'clock, and promptly at the
minute Mr.. Beecher steps upon the platform
for there is no pulpit in this church-and COM
meneed the services.
Mr. Beecher is man of slight form, about
five feet two inches in height, with small head,
measuring not over 81 inches; his forehead is
thar sharp, his temperament quick and active,
his brain though small of the finest quality, his
language is large, his causality, memory, COM
parison and individuality fair, while in the re-
gion of ideaIity and humor his development
is very full. He appears like a man of industry,
application, reading and thought. He looks
more the boy than man whose power of elo-
quence is such as to enable him to sway an
audience at will. AS you look at him when be
first appears he does not then appear to be pos
sessed of that magnatism which moves the peo-
pie under speech But tafterhe has commenced,
and his brain has commenced its work, and the
electric current has got under full play, then it
is that he appears to you great, commanding
a very lion, whose soitest notes will make you
thrill in every nerve.
He first prayed, then read hymn which the
choir, lead by an organ, sung all the congrega-
ton joining therein, and for the purpose of hay-
ing congregational singing books are provided
for every seat, or pew, with the stsnzas all set
to music. He then read several notices, among
others was a notice of an appointment for the
Rev Dr. Furniss, of Philadelphia, at some place
of worship, in the city that evening. After
reading this notice he stopped for moment, and
then said "You may think it strange that such
a notice should be sent to me- and stranger still,
that l should read it. am an orthodox clergy
man and DR.. Furnss is Unitarian. | read the
notice among other reasons because l want you
to go and hear him. He is good preacher an
will give you a better sermon than 1 can. 1t is
true he differs very widely from me IN all theo-
logical matters, but differ as widely from him.
mans theological life is one thing and his
ethical life another, and all the practical duties
of life he will teach as truly and as forcibly as
can, and it will be safe for you all to 60 and
hear him. But this is not the only reason why
read this notice. 1t is because in the Cotton
city of Philadelphia, where Cotton is God, that
Mr. Furniss dared TO stand up against his own
interests, the interests of his church, the remon-
and the truth-ddred TO say tiag - a
law higher than statutes and more binding upon
the conscience. He was true to the highest in
terests of humanity, and is one of the truest and
noblest of men-.he manifest of men,. This i:
the reason why read this notice" r..
| In this strain he spoke for about'five minutes
and as he came to The last paragraph he threw
into his words such force and energy as to thrill
every nerve. 1t was an enforcement which any
man would be proud of and have no NO doub
Mr. Furniss had an audience and hearing.
After disposing of the notices Mr.. Beeche
commenced his sermon. His subject was ''Sel
gori6cation." l never heard such sermon
2 It was preaching to be remembered, to b.
thought of, to be weighed, and if IT made th'
D impression upon all that it made upon me, j
could not fail to be beneficial. 1t was all abou
\ the common affairs of Gfe-his arguments, il
Illustrations, figures, all were drawn from ever,
day scenes of life-from the business, mora
and social affairs and the duties of the hearer
2 In this l think is his strength He talks abou
= what appear; as the most simple, gathers to
. gether his facts in q mastery manner group
| them to the best advantage, and presents then
| r., Won with euch nauv asnacf and unda- fh
brilliant colors and the most impressive, happy
e and apt figures so that the dullest hearer can
T MT fail to see his duties in q new light; ant
chus the thought of Beecher is daguerreotype'
upon the brain of every one, and never can b
g efaced. He has undoubtedly genius of tn
. highest order, ald inspiration beyond mos
i men. There is such thing as inspiration il
g men, intuition, or whatever else you ma
s please to call it, that gives the possessor pow
e er over others. Some have this to great de
h gree; others have very little of it. When yo
come within the moral atmosphere of such pei
:, sons you feel to take on new supply of inspi
. ration-you feel that you have received bene
y ft-that your moral nature has been elevated
The sermon was replete with beautifr
Is thoughts, happy illustrations, figures of tn
/ most gorgeous and magnificent character. Fl
a went over the different kinds Of selfglori6ca
< Some gloried in one thing, some in another
b some in virtue, some in vice and degradation
!, and the man who was generous, virtuous, ope
IS hearted, noble and good, which qualities chal
re acterise the true gentleman, would be laughe
II at by those who glory in vice and degradation
!. by Aldermen and other thieves.
:, By way of sample give one or two of hi
= Illustrations. When speaking of the man VIII
II gloried in intellectual endowments, and the tr
N umphs of intellect but without any of the vii
m tues of the moral man, he said he was like
: cathedral with side walls, and here and there
re pilaster, but without transcript or arch, whic
= gives beauty and finish to the whole edifee-
there would be great skeleton-nothing more
So of the man Of splendid endowment of intel
lect and a dwarfed moral naturc-he was unfn
ished and lacked that beauty and completion
', which proper development Of soul gives hin
a In another part of his discourse in speakin
y of God and his attributes, he said be some
" times thought God himself might glorify. II
le could glory in Justice, Righteousness and Mel
l. cy; and why should he not glorify!
His works are grand and magnificent 81
Peters is rat hole compared with III
! Worlds he is constantly throwing off as fast a
s the sparks ST r-e-d M from the anvil of the black
smith in the evening. Such were two of tn
, illustrations lie used. Figures sparkled in ev
J. cry paragraph of his discourse. and imPresser
Q, the idea upon the mind of every hearer a
strongly, as wildly, and as suddenly as tn
ightning's fash daguerreOtypes images upOl
= matter Towards the conclusion he was talk
= ing abont the good impressions and resolutions
{ which all men had at times. They were gen
II orally Sunday impressions-when the feeling
+ were elevated and the aspirations noble anC
e good. Such feelings are in the ascendant wher
II
/. and when play to you-for we both play t.
| Won every seventh daY. This is all well enough