Litchfield enquirer., 1869-11-25
MIR, MURRAY IN MUSIC HALL.

The first of series of twelve Sunday evening sermons by Rev. w. H. H. Mur- ray of Park Street Church was delivered in Music Hall last evening. By the arrange ments as made and published the public were to be admitted at half.past six o'clock by the Winter street entrance, the large choir coming before that time by the Ire. mont street door and getting into their places. The multitude began to gather in Winter street very early, and the numbers and the pressure increased so fast that it was deemed advisable to open the doors before the time designated. The crowd went in with rush; and by twenty min- utes past six there was hardly seat to be " y"a comer 9 rec receiVed q printed slip with the order of services and the words and music of two hymns; and members of the Park street society, who distributed these pro grammes, also aided in seating the congrH- gation. In seats arranged in tiers upon the platform, and in the ends of the gal1es ", sat the singers, five or six hundred in number, arranged as usual at oratorios. Still the host of people poured in and the solemnitY of the day did not prevent good deal of hnstling and elbowing for seats. When these were all filled, in every corner and remote part of the hall, people began to stand in the aisles and at last every foot of space in these was taken by lines of standing listeners, as many women as men who seriously obstructed the view if not the hearing of those who shad come early and obtained seats. Then groups wedged themselves into hearing distance, at all the open doors, up stairs and down; and, in the corridors beyond, people moved to and fro attracted by the magnetism of crowd. The hall thus densely packed, as it rarely is allowed to be, presented an imposing spectacle, especially when all the members of the multitude stood erect to join in song. r u-l
 The services opened with voluntary. by organ and choir. MT. George E. Whit ing played the organ further accompani. ment was given by several brass instru- ments; and MT. Eben Tourjee directed the chorus. MT: Murray read chapter of the New Testament, and offered prayer; cho. ces and the choir; and the whole three ol four thousand voices gave with indescriba bly grand effect, to the tune of Old Hun. dred, the hymn beginning: frr. | From all that dwell below the skies
 Let the Creators praise arise;
 Lot the Redeemer's name be sung v. l Through every land, by every tongue"
 Mir. Murray took his text from Matthew xiii, 20, "A bruised reed shall he no
 break" and preached sermon on the tenderness and patience of God toward hu man weakness and human sin. He spoke of the loving kindness of God, especially al shown at certain periods and seasons O our lives, times of great moral desponden cy. In every human heart is a generous impulse; weakness is ever near to God, ,an( no sinner need ever despair of His mercy The speaker referred especially to the bro ken resolutions with which every life il strewn. God is never nearer to mar than when, dissatisfied with the life he ha
 been leading, he determins to seek bet
 ter. He is always ready to give man on' more chance.
 Mir. Murray pointed with marked em lphasis to the fact that Christ will not em lploy any force or fear to establish His king dom anywhere. The horror of hell vii never give any soul an impulse toward I Heaven. The preacher who appeals t,
 cowardice in the huma4 nature is utterl,
 unfit for his office. He might as well un dertake to frighten a flower into looking ul Ito the sky. God never offers violence t iany ones manliness, never uses compul sion; but every human creature IS just a Ifree as God himself to choose the road tt salvation or reject it. The last part of thu
 sermon was devoted to an eloquent picture
 of the amount of misery and suffering il the world, and an assurance of Gods sym lpathy with it all in the great abundance O His love. r r1.--.-.,.ss Inn e-. y..e-..s r. MT. Murray's sermon occupied abou thirty minutes At its close all once more lioined in singing to the tune of " Ham lburg"; and benediction dismissed the as Isembly. s1sa., :, l This series of Music Hall meetings vii be continued next Sunday night and th' Iweek following, will be suspended during December, and will take place on three Sundays in January, three in February .I and three in March, Boston Journal.