The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-27
Praying and Preaching with tho Thermo'
meter Ninety.six Degrees In the shade.

Praying and Prcachins with tho Thermc.
meter Ninety.six Degrees In the shade.
1t is related of Mr.. Beecher that on one ex-
ceedingly hot Sabbath morning be remarked, on
ascending the pulpit Of Plymouth church, that
1t was I'D hot' This story has been de-
MED by the reverend gentleman; nevertheless
we feel assured that had he yesterday used the
energetic language ascribed to him the per-
spiraton from the brow Of the Recording Angel
would have fallen upon the record and olotted
it out forever For yesterday was such DAY
as tried mems tempers. 1t Is not unlikely
that the congregation at the Church OF Our
Saviour looked upon the choir as guilty. Oh
piece Of irreverent sarcasm when it sang the
following verse -
The darxened sky, how thick It lowers
Troubled with storms and big with showers
NO cheerful CLEAN OF light appears,
But nature p0drs forth all her tears
| 1t was somewhat ludicrous to describe az
something to be deplored, state OF things
which every member Of the congregation must
have heartily wished actually existed at the
moment Psalms aud hymns ought always to
be chosen with regard to their appropriateness
| to the weather. When the Christian mission
aries first entered the Morse countries they
depicted in graphic and eloquent language the
| fire and flames Of hell. To their establishment
the people refused to embrace Christianity,
declaring that hell was just the place they
wanted to go to. Nor did the missionaries
effect any good until they had rejected their
old ideas OF Satan's domnions and painted the
world of the lost as an icebonnd desert ten
thousand times colder than the climate OF the
Morse countries.
The simple truth is that it was frightfnlly
hot yesterday. No argument or figures Of
speech could have made single mortal cool.
| Preachers perspred and famed, sinners famed
and perspired The only thing in the shape Of
tears that nature poured forth was perspira-
ton, and we suggest that the CLEAN of light
was almost too cheerful. OF course the
churches were nearly empty. Mr.. Hepworth,
at the Church Of the Messiah described lucidly
the dangers which beset the path Of man.
Rev. Mr.. rockingham discoursed on the
adaptability Of watering places for summer
worship. The reverend gentleman closed the
season at Lyric Hall yesterday. He opens
again in September, however in, we trust, an
entirely new run of characters. The excel
! lence of his orchestra and choir can scarcely
be improved; but during his sojourn in the
country we would suggest an examination into
the glory and power of Natures God and the
letting alone of Natures self which he 80 poeti-
cally extolled yesterday But whether he does
or not it is consoling to learn from that inspired
spiritualist, Mrs. Brigham, that we are sap
preaching time when the voice of conscience
will be listened to and when truth and justice
| will prevail"
| One of the most interesting sermons deliv-
cred yesterday was that at the Canal street
Presbyterian church by Rev. David Mitchell.
1t eulogized Charles Dickens and rebuked
those who questioned his Christianity. The
Pharisees of the churches were severely han
! died by Rev. John Quincy Adams at the East
! Baptist church. His subject was ''Cheap Re-
| ligion.' We would suggest to the reverend
gentleman that the Pharisees he censured find
their religion anything but cheap A mad dog
| in front OF Grace church caused much excite
ment and somewhat disturbed the pious medi-
tations Of the magnificent Brown and the rem
nant Of his highly aristocratic congregation,
whose husbands and fathers are not yet pre-
pared for the summer tour. Why a
dog should have selected 80 sanctified
spot as Grace church to get mad on we do
not know. We pray, however, that it will not
result in his giving the congregation religious
hydrophobia. Mr.. Potter's sermon was good,
as was also that of Rev. Alexander Thomp-
at ST. Paul's Reformed church. DR.. CuyIer, at
Lafayette avenue; Rev. Abbott Brown at the
Church of the Reformation, and Rev. Thomas
| IL. Burch, at the Seventh street Methodist
Episcopal church, also discoursed learnedly
and piously.
| In Brooklyn Brother Bcecher and his con-
| gregation were so languid as hardly to be
| themselves The service and the sermon were
short, the subject Of the first being Righteous
ness AT all the other churches in Brooklyn,
at all in Washington, Jersey City and else
where outside Of this metropolis, devout and
earnest preachers served the cause Of Chris
tianity about as well as the heat would permit
| them.
| EXCITEMENT IN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN Glib
RALTAR.-A special cable despatch which
we print this morning informs us Of the dis
covery of plot to blow up a powder maya
zine at Gibraltar. The ubiquitous Fenians are
said to be at the bottom of it. 1t is gratifying
to know that the plot was discovered in time
and that the ringleader has been arrested.
Great excitement was, in consequence Of this
discovery, prevailing at Madrid Spain, we
know, is very anxious to recover Gibraltar,
| hit the Standards had better take care mt tn