The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-03-17

by benevoence, by energy, by talent, by true
Christian virtue, in that congregation, than
in any had before seen. So many fine
heads; Intellectually, morally and socially, 1
had never before observed together. think
| was not deceived, but that any fair observ-
er would admit that Beecher breaches to one
of the most cultivated audiences of the city.
They all seemed happy. They all bore ex-
pressions of affection for one another. The
audience at large were remarkable for frank
ness, heartiness, true courtesy and cheerful
ness of manner. .. ..a- h.. :. g.
The sermon, upon the Early Trials of a
Christian Life, was founded, as most Of
Beechers sermons are, upon knowledge of
human nature. The first proposition offe. ed
was, that man had tendency to gravitate
as well as to aspire. Both sides of this were
Illustrated by analogies from nature and per-
tinent examples from every day life. One
or two more propositions were stated and il
Illustrated, and then came the application
The sermon was one hour and five minutes
long, but three-fourths of it was occupied by
application. The principles laid down in the
first five minutes, had long arms which
reached forth and forth throughout all the
after part of the discourse. He did not build
battery, as too many careful orators are
wont, and leave the enemy to use it against
themselves, nor did he spend so much time
in erecting fortifications that no time was
left for using them. Having planted few
pieces Of heavy calibre of wide range, he con-
ccntrated them upon single point and sent
the iron on its way. Minds and hearts, liv-
ing sins, and not distractions, were the tar
gets and the gunner was bold and skillful
1t was no parade of powder and noise, but a
battle in hot earnest, waged with grapeshot,
chainshot, shell and bomb. Ore sentence
would shiver some fallacy, one red-hot SAP
casm explode som. magazine. Now terribly
eager, now meekly calm, the artillery y-man
in neither mood took aim at random. Rare
ly one shot of a thousand missed. The SER
mon was remarkably full of humor. Iu this
there was nothing silly, nothing clownish,
nothing unintellectual, but every humorous
remark conveyed some keen insight into hu-
man nature. or fixed, almost beyond the pos
sibility of being forgotten, some important
and striking thought. There was no three
inmates during this whole discourse in which
a large portion of the audienc, did not wear
a smile. Now and then sudden shaft of
wit would start the whole assembly to in
tense attention. Yet, in all this, no one
seemed to find anything irreverent or inap-
propriate to the day of peace. At the next
mo-aent some of tn, audience would be in
tears.
Humorous, original. eloquent full of love
and courage, it is no wonder that Henry
Ward Bcecher is popular. The secret of his
success is not in any one faculty, but in a
rare and most feilcitous combination OF all
the powers ofmind and body He is in per.
feet health. He is born actor. His ges-
lures are often theatrical Obeying the beat
OF irrepressible impulses, disre gar,ling all
formal rules for gesture, com, ,,letely filled
with his subject, he walks to and fro over
the length of his platform, an acts out, pours
out thunders out his thoughts. His voice
is wonderfully fexible-low loud, now gen
tie, now endearng, now t,rrtble. But these
felicities Of delivery would be little were they
not surpassed by hi, felcties of dicton.-
lie speaks the En- ,lish in its raciest, tersest,
most vigorous and linished style. His pre-
dicates are always S lort Now and then he
has a long sentence, with number piled upon
number, until the tension ofexpeetation be-
comes almost too great to bear; but the con-
struction of these period is always simple.
Mainly his sentences are short. Striking
thought are often strikingly condensed He
gives force by driving straight at the point
rather than by antithcses and elaboration.-
He never runs down metaphor. Though
he thinks in pictures and fils every page of
his sermons with illustrations these are ev-
er fresh, varied and original in application, if
not in substance. But the power of his de-
livery or style is not all, nor the greatest
His fund of clear and practical ideas, his
knowledge of human life, his instructive sa-
saeity in interpreting human nature, are
sources of influence far superior to his high
est qualifications in voice and diction. Mat
ter more than manner forms the basis of his
power. TO show man his own character
In new light, or to speak of what pertains
Immediately to his daily experience, always
produces wonderful effect. In those two
points Beecher excels. He excels in knowl-
edge Of human nature, and in acquaintance
with human life in all its forms. The latter
kind of knowledge he has extended, the for
mer he has acquired; in fact, both receive
foundation by his adoption of Phrenoiogy as
a practical system of mental science. He
acknowledges that the teachings of that Phi
losophy have undcrlaid his whole ministry.
To the clearness, directness and power which
they have given to the application Of truth
to different minds, he attributes more than
to any other intellectual agencies, whatever
of usefulness he may have acquired. By