Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-12-18
Henry Ward Beecher's Sermon.

In point Of popularity as Preacher
Henry Ward Beecher, stands ut tn,
head Of the American Pulpit. II,
commands statedly larger congreya-
tions than any other man IN America
Lii" full personal appearances, bis yer
sa'iIity Of tulent, his powor to p!ar
as well as instruct. his wonderful
knowledge of human nature, and va
nous other qualities, give him grea
power as an orator, as fectarer, as .
preacher. How sad to think that hi.
preaching is not the preaching tha
The Saviour bids-that he does no,
preach the pure, simple gospc!-thn,
his sermons arc Gospel sermons with
the Gospel left out. They lack lalt
they want seasoning.
For years he has preached to i'm
meuse audiences, and then bis sermon,
have been published in tho newspa
pels regularly. Recently a house in
New 4"'k has begun tho publication
OF his Sabbath Discourses in pamphle,
form. Sill more recently two larr,
volumes of hIs sermons. published and
unpublished, have been issued. These
we have not seen, but they are nc
doubt characteristic.
The editor of the Instructor. whom
no one of our readers would suspcc,
OF being ,prcjudiced against Mr. Bce-
cher, says Of his scrmons:
They run over a range of several
Yeas, embrace great variety of ton.
ics aud VIC presume give a very fair
exhibition Of tho pecuiarilies of Mr..
bcccher's preuching. In reading tn en-
ono cannot but be struck with the
amazing fertility of his mind, in the
variety, artness and fullness of his IL
lustrat'ons, in the richness of his i'm.
agination, tho naluralness of his style,
the adaptation Of his discourse and
it's figures and points TO the cuse he
has in hand, and tho circumstances in
which he is placed and The wonderful
tact with which he keeps himself up
to the foi cfront Of tho times. His
disconrses arc always interesting, and
even read we'll, still we cannot bu,
mention, as we have often done, and
we do it. with pain, and regret that it
is 80, MIR. Beecher has seri Jus detects.
in our estimation. His gospel is not
the simple, sweet, full gospel of the
Saviour, and, unless We arc seriously e
mistaken, we cannot think the preach.
ing which these volumes give US would
ever produce powerful rovivals or lead
mon 10 feel and act MS if they ,olt tha,
Christ was the oil in uIl. His dec
urines abound in subtle dis,incti ms
and philosophical speculatious, bot
they have not the clear, strong ring
of tho Apostolic teachinga nor the
marrow Of the usually received cvan.
gelicul faith. This is ths lack IF the. g
m"'kcd and in many respects mos,
valuable volumes.
Tho editor of the Episcopal N in
noticing tho Sermons Of NJ. ,Becchc1
says:
We must repeat what VIC have said
bsfore, that there are many things in
the writings Of Mr. Bsechcr that We
admire, and have felt inspired and
bencfi;.ed by. Ye. we do not see
things as he does, and do not under
stand tho Scriptures as he interprett
them. We would not choose him as
" spiritual teacher, nor con mmood ,hi.
teachings 10 others. We believe tha,
his popularity is the prism through
which he sees many ,fanoies. The
pure white light of Gospel truth, the
covenant Of tho FatLor, the Redeem
ing love Of tho Son, and the Glorify.
ing love Of the Spirit, ali certain, def.
nite and co.extensive, wo do not find
in 10Y Of his sermons. T. may be
psesnmptuous in Us to criticize Mr..
Beccher's ministerial character and
works; yet while there aro things in
both which we do sincerely admire,
there are also things which We would
pray to have remedisd. Among the
latter are the defective views of The
nature and attributes of God, of Sin,
of tho Atonement, and Of Regenera-
tion, which arc. contained In his wri-
'i"gs.-A. r. Presby'erian,' -
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