The New York herald., 1870-05-30
BR0QKLYM CHURCHES.
rLYM UTH ClyaCu.

n ScOc AiitiS ana "a NCrry Atmc NJ Fly mOuth
Church--ldr. Beecher the Use of Flow.
crs-Sermcn on How To Keep Sunday, With
illustrations from His BOyhood.
A cloudy sky with threatening storm at the hour
the church goers usually wend their way to the
churches was Sufficient to- prevent the overcrowd-
Ing OF Plymouth church yesterday morning. Those
who rskcd these meteorological threatenngs aud
went to church were rewarded for their fidelity TO
the honoring OF the Sabbath. The service had all
its usual attract.yeness, and Mr. Beecher was in
very happy mood. joy tnat d1used itself into
hilarity pervaded greater part Of the service.
The floral stands WERE laden with spring flowers in
an abundance and variety that can only be achieved
by the floral committee In the springtime when
nature spreads the lap OF earth with her abundant
blossoms. Among the varied announcements that
precede the sermon was one having reference TO
thls weekly floral display that will have interest in
the eyes OF those OF our readers who are lovers OF
flowers. On the 9th OF June there is to bea
FLORAL CONCERT
in Plymouth church. On that occasion not the plat
form only, but The entire church Is decorated with
iowers, and the concert which in former years has
always been considered excellent, is on this occa-
sion to surpass all efforts. The admission Is
twenty-five cents. The pronts OF this concert will
go towards defraying the expenses Of the weekly
floral decorations OF the platform OF the church.
Mr. Beeoher TOOK occasion, In urging the claims of
church noral decoration. lie said that
OUR LORD PREACHED OUT OF DOORS,
where the ground WAS ctrpeted with flowers and
where he was surrounded by natural beauty, that
not only gave TO Him exquisite Illustrations OF the
lessons lie taught, but surrounded Ills congregations
with beauty so Inspiring that IL gave significance
to the teaching that could be forgotten. Ine
Church in The inedevai ages had sought 10 perpetu-
ate TINS influence an the Church was right IN the
| idea 1t had sought 10 cnbody, however wrong 1t
| may have got IL the following out OF the practice.
| rne Mowers thar had been exhibited az Piymouth
al yfrpu i'm All itlirItf
and expensive to obtain, had been OF such surpass
| ing beauty that they would have been considered
beautiful at Boston horticultural show, and any
further praise tnan that wOuid be unnecessary.
Laushter.) BE was 80 certain OF The good lnnuence
OF this display Of flowers hat il C were not for the
expense he would nave not ony The platform, but
the entire church SO decorated
Wnen MI Beecner rose to announce his text the
gloom winch Tie rain clouds cast over the church
prevented hls seeing dstinc ~ The verses IN The
b9le a eIe4xsed tn9re,Ge ore, some On one n ,e g4l
which Gocthc asked Tor 80 besee eningiy when
dying-"LiehT, more light Two genuancn rose
from tney'seats, aAd throwing back the att ces let
ia so great iood OF light the moor was III up with
KIND of moonlight glory that was FAR too dazzling.
This was requested to be- modified AMI wnlie tiey
dong tlls gentleman near the rlatforul fanl-
larry known ID the chutch as
CHARLEY pBSHIs,
got up and, addressing TIE pastor said that he had
made a suggestion by wnlch the ligh coming
through those windows could be 20 toned down
That ~ would not painfully dazzle the eye. Ol the
preacher ana me Congregation, ana yet gve SUM
cIeut hght for all tne purposes required. lie
not only Wl3liCl IL 10 DC done, Dut had Ofegau
10 pay for II, aad jet 1t was not attended to. Mr..
BE cher who had listened 10 the explanation with
very solemn couHtepGnce, replied, ~ viii see that 1t
ID attended to, sf and taat me bi! Is sent TO you
aso.' This seat good old.mshioned ring Of laugh
Ter right through The church, IL the midst OF which
Ml. Dennis TOOK Dl9 seat
Mr.. Beecher'- subject was 'Iiow to spend sun
day. and the teXt selected was tie thirteenth and
fourteenth verses OF t ny-eighth chapter OF Isaiah:
al thou turn away thy foot from Che Sabbath, from
doing thy pleasure Oh my holy day, ana call The Sab
bath delight the holy OF The Lord, honorable; and
gl.ntt Him slAia tn
finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine oan
words--then SHAFT tllon delight thyselr In the Lord;
aud viii cause thee TO ride upon the high places OF
the earth and feed thee with thc'herltase 0f Jacob,
thy father for the mouth Of the Lord hath spoken ~
IN the course OF this sermon the Sab1aarians
were snubbed In quiet, inierential sort OF w.Ls,
that must have beea very distressing to those Of Nh
Becchers hearers who have puritanIcal or phaii-
salcal notions AZ TO rigid SapbdtA Keeping.
lie claimed for The SaDbaih greaI liberty: 1t wasa
day in which man could develop his manhood and
all tnat was best In him. Many persons misiooS its
object and they brought up their children with such
gloomy associations surrounding that brightest Of
all the days OF the week that }, made the children
wish that
SUNDAY ONLY CAME ONCE 1osru,
and that II 1t were 70 SKIP that they woud nave no
o5eetons daugh,er) ile was one Of eleven ci,
was dressed in this puritancal fashion.
There were one or two books he might
read sunday there was the Bfble and
the Caecnsm and books equally interesting but
n he got his itobinson Crusoe he was told 10 put
that away for it was not q Sunday book. There was
one pleasant remembrance In those dull Sundays.
negro servant of the family would take him in her
lap, and she had lap large enough for a sitting
room c0uch-(laugnter)-and this gir would tell him
tales. All fathers and mothers should make Sunday
q bright cheerful day for their children, and If they
did not do that IL was the fathers and mothers who
were Sabbath breakers and not The children.
He then turned TO the question Of woik on sun.
days ana caimeu that oil necessary work Was law.
full TO be done on that day. tie reused and would
always refuse to sign any petition for stopping the
running OF cars sunday He did not wish to make
q poor mans Sunday any less comfortable than
a rich mans sunday. some people seemed to think
IL was terrible tning 10 desecrate the sunday by
allowing q car driver 10 lose his half Sunday who
was perhaps instrumental In getting two hundved
people to Plymouth chagcn but they thought II a
very proper thing sor cbachinan TO lose his half
Sunday IN driving Lve people In carriage 10 the
same church. Uaughtcr.)
Eilnnav Will nnlu a.