The New York herald., 1870-04-04
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Tho Weather and Its Innuenro on the Con.
xre2ation-Sermon on tbs Obstacles In the
Christian Life-Holigicus Sel1shness and th 0
Wildness Of the Old Tcstanient.
Tho threatening OF storm was apparently
enough yesterday morning to have an effect upon
the attendance at Plymouth church. Those who
were Kept away by meteorological fears might. as
the noon time showed given to the winds their
fears, gone churchward and been undismayed by
tho rain; for the rain only threatened and did not
descend The result OF this fear, was however
that there was congregation that did not over
crowd the pews the aisies. There the usual
musical and iorai attractions.
MISS THURsBY WAS IN ExCELLENr VOICE
In her loss the choir kept admirable tIme and the
chorus OF sacred music, feeingly and sci Ltilcally
rendered, admirably prepared the mind and spirit
of the vast auditory for the exercises OF the soul
that were about to follow.
MIR. Beecher's subject was the "Obstacies to the
Christian in the Walk Of Life" The text selected
from the fourteenth verse OF the hfty-seventh
chapter OF lsaah"And shall say, Cast ye up, cast
yc up; prepare the way, take up the stumbling
block out Of the way Of my people,"
The pastor OF Plymouth church Is only powerful az
preacher when he Ia practical and eloquent and.
therefore, the Introduction TO this discourse, which
had reference to the custom OF the East for prepa
ring the way for royal progress, was soon dis.
tended notes OF few eloquent passages The prac.
at once undertaken and proceeded witn in mas Ms.
tery manner right through the sermon The un-
consciousness that men had Of the higher Christian
they placed IN the pathway OF their life. The drst
VAGUE AND UNSATISFACTORY IDEAL
generally adopted Dy CHRISTIANS and was the cause
or considerable stumbling 1t was not realized what
that was the Apostles Ideal OF CHRISTIAN; and the
evidence OF u was that you were to have the king
com Of God within you. we were 50 to 1--we that we
man was worthy to be His son.
Another obstacle was found In the attempt to live
peculiar fruits OF the spirit tropical Giants
tney need to grow in Q tropical heat. Some Of the
s Sos.om on IN: nora
stano and held 1t before the audience and said:--
This required only the sunshine ana the air to arow
1t did not need dirt for It's root So 1t Is with the
developments Of the Christian life mOralities need
the earth to root IN, but the
CHRISTIAN GRACR5 ARE LIKE AYR PLANTS;
they need the sunshine OF strong and intense feeling
Many men were AFRAID Of this intense feeling IN
known unto iii men.S Tais moderation was now
never ss ns sNn 10 al
never counseiled moderation to him, bu: said aside
to himself THAT boy has the maklnas OF ine man
In him." He (Mr. Beechef) wished that there was
NOR more rama Ianatlcsm than there is: II was true
tnat we were not very liable to in this age.
There were great dangers not having this inteu.
slty Of feeling. Men who mad begun 70 walk THIS
loyal road had lacked energy ana countenance from
q want OF this intensity. II was not possible for q
man to love intensely without this kind OF fanati-
csm. He would, in such o condition be like the
eagle that could not ny, or the
NIGHTINGALE THAT COULD NOT SING,
and this was the reason that the prayers Of these
men lacked devotion became formal aad merely the
hqsk Of prayer This part OF the subject was closed
With splendid p0rtraiture OF the man who could 10
out on dark night, with the stars dazzln. over.
head, or sit on Dank on summers afternoon and
see nature IN her Iovenessand not be moved there.
0y. For such man l have said the speaker the
Another dil1culty was the failure OF properly bal.
ancing the influences OF the outward and the inward
Christian life TO cultivate the emotional without
putting into outward exercise tho feelings aroused
BY tnlS neglect some people became
RELIGrOUsLY SELFISH;
they had no sympathy with anything that Was
actual and real IN life. mans first duty was TO
develop the principles OF ais Christian life In that
sphere IN which Providence mad placed nm.
Wherever you were there was the place to begin to
gn i Was there We're to begin to sound 1e
that ihe Bible is in two parts and tnas tue
OLD TESTAMENT IS A VERY WILD BOOK.
full OF Wild things, suited to another kind OF life In
the early days OF the world. These men felt an At.
i5 sas Nsw na n
other days they let the old his way. These
were the men VINO did not cultivate the emotional,
into one day what they ought to DO IN three and
by and by they would have bilious fever, and the
affairs OF their lte that 9ppeared 70 them unable TO
get along without them managed 10 creep along,
and they are convinced at last that tho world can
| get along without them. There were some men
| Tor Italy, Bismarck for Germany, Bright for Eng.
land, and Lincoln In our own country. But these
were exceptional men; they were captains in the
army OF humanity. In this strain and In an eloquent
urging OF the unity OF life by conservation OF it tC
the life mat is beyond the pathway of this world
| brought the sermon to q close.