The New York herald., 1870-01-03
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.


The "Esenezer Stonc''-The Mercics Of
G.od-Mr. Beechcr's European JoarnaI-Few
DIen Can Keep "a Trathfui Journal Of Their
Lives.
MI Beecher seecIed for his text the twelfth verse
OF the seventh chapter OF the First Samuel-"Then
Samuel took stone and set 1t between Mlzpeh and
Shen, and called the name OF 1t Ebenezer saying,
Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.'n After rapid
but graphic review Of SamueI's lie the Of
the Israetes and the Philistnes, the time OF the
history detailed the text, lie said that the setting
up OF The stone was a kind OF rude monument that
served a memorial or the goodness OF God IN
having thus lar delivered the children OF Israel.
The erection OF these monumental memorials con-
tinued unto today-more artistic, perhaps, but not
grander in moral effect Men pointed out these TO
their children, ana they were shown very frequently
these memorials as manifestations OF the provi-
dence Of God, and thus they were reminded OF
the old deliverances the old troubles ana the
old Joys On all sloes. from the east the west the
norm and the south, were MANIFESTATIONS of the
goodness OF Goa towards men. and evidences thai
watched and tnat we were guided TO our
promised lands. In proportion to our warfare as
Chrisuans, Just as we brought out the really OF
CHRISTIAN life, just as cur spiritual conflicts
were severe IN the hghting, should we feel dis
posed " memorialize our victories. There were
accidents IN our outward lUe the birth of a child
our business successes failures, ana number OF
Otner lncIoents out Of which God mad brought us
out OF darkness into sunlight, which deserved
significant marking the calendar OF our days
There were iacldenH also In the history O the soul
that deserved an equally significant cnroniclng,
maleriai blessings as when the habitudes q the
soul had been broken up mo a newer and higher
nsa e II IL wDen wo soe sSns pass a OF csS sns s1a
aud gwen It hencefortn new life for
us; when an easily Desetting Eli had been
conquered, when sin Of more inyldous charac-
Ter hau turned out Of our moral nature, and 1t
had so lar been swept and gaInisned. Inc empire
OF mans lie ile6 within hin and not without him.
ana, therefore MEMORIALS o. the Inner lie were more
precious than those thap we're only commemorative
ri 9a g se Gssssss aas vel Sss 'e %
journal with this object In view Ae would nave
book that would De lnll OF EDensIers Nv. .ners was
lie lMr. Beecaerl tried II once but was obliged 20
give 1t up. There was nseparape from the writing
read II, and therefore, some wlckedness chroni-
cled would be toned down to suit the eye
up with the same unworthy motive. There
were a few men who seemed born 10 keep
ne and ney ad IL sn sna 50 ETaS
he found life SO excited there, 30 occupied and all
that was 10 be seen and heard so absorbing that he
had no time Tor journal, and 80 he kept y memoir
andum BOOK, In winch he elkered the GATE, the
oil the city, mountain or picture, church, or
that OF friend, and 30 he could go through that
journal and NIL up the feeble outline thus sketched
ny the calling oil The mental associations tnat that
or as this. In the Bible, the copy that we liked
best to read ont Of more than any other-and every
Dony should have slch . cog. copy-mignt be entered
who kept such spiritual Journal what his European
journal had done Tor him. His mr. Beecners) wlfe's
ninety years, mad those little books called "Daly
Food aud LGere she marked against an appropriate
text the date anu entry OF any important
personal event, and these DooxS became very pre-
10 her. lie had no douot tnat his own we'd
ding was entered on one or those books. Men ac-
knowedged In public lie. The Church ST. Ann,
In Brooklyn had beautiful memorial windows in 1t,
placed there by the nand ol affection ana reverence.
Al some length, ana with considerable parhO5,
winch II was made very manifest had It's effect upon
the emotions or many OF the congregation, the
preacher sketched the common incidents OF common
lie at leave their mark In the life Of the family
uoIn IN multiplying It's Sorrows ts joys and Its
cares. Then let us raise stone to bereavement 80
Inat it snal be a OF victory, and we shall see
by and by that our life would lot nave been vir
tuous without this trla ana we shall be LED to ex-
he,ped u.s." hir. Beecher concluded IN an eloquent
reference to the close OF life, aud said that such
experience would enable the CHRISTIAN shadow
forth, perhaps leeoy, Wnen nearing the side of the
river OF death, "Hitherto harh the Lord helped me-"
and TO JOIN III that song Wnen ne gains tue heavenly
InfonG on the other slue
IH.. Bcecher's "Cal;s',-Iuman Society and
Its Components.
In The evening this church crowded TO ex-
cess notwithstanding the Inauspicious weather.
for the storm began to be somewhat lively Just
as religious people were proceeding to take part
an devotional exercises. Mr.. Beecher was pleasant
looking and although he did not give expression to
The humor that seemed 70 sparkle in his eye lie IN
mstakably showed that he wished MS congregation
the compliments Of the season. Prior to the usual
discourse the reverend gentleman announced the
tact that, in accordance with mis- previous lntima-
tl0n he had made some 'cals'' on New Years day.
At an early hour he left hs residence, but his per.
AInbulations were extended only as far as Fulton
and Pierreponl streets He succeeded, however, In
seeing over sixty friends, and he quite liked 1t.
This information seemed TO light up the OF
human faces and Plymouth church was one uni
yersai sruile while the Intelligence was consIdera-
0y enhanced by the intimation that the reverend
gentleman, unable " complete his friendly pere-
CARNATIONS, wouid resume nus .'cails' on Wednesday
O'Clock, he would traverse that portion oi the city to
the west OF Plcrrepont and Court streets. large
part OF the congregation VINO did not live IN the
direction referred 10 appeared to be somewhat dis
appointed, but those residing, or who appeared to
reside in that locality were evidently pleased.
Alter the usual preliminary exercises the reverend
gentleman proceeded 10 deliver his DISCOURSE which
was mainly directed to an analyzatlon OF human
society He pictured Ife IN lts various phases and
apart from the bumor winch characterized many OF
his obsef vatons Quantity pointed out with much
fruthfulness lie foies ana iobles that marked the
existence Of nany men. He showed up the fat,
Gaboy, douDle-cnnned lazy individual; tue snarp-
nosed pennrlous, nlatter.of-iact, steady grasper;
the pale-aced, insiped heir to property VINO could
not tell why he came INTO the world; the glutton,
tne drunkard. the seif-conceited ambitious
posed OF most satisfactorily He adverted then at
some length 10 tnat nobility OF manhood " which
all 5h0uu 80 earnestly aspire mere were not, ne
SAID, twenty thousand out OF every hundred thou
sand men who really understood what true manhood
meant or realized their position. A great many
men went through the world like Jelly fish, merely
open and shut lie dwelt At some length upon
what is known as the .lower class" showing that
those who composed 1t were made up frsm the frag-
nients Of society; tnat many OF them were by no
means the children OF ignorance, but tnat, IN not
few cases, evil influences had worked q most per-
nlclOus effect in their regard lie contended That
youth was the plastic time 10 form good habs, and
dIlated on the AbSurdity Oi squAnuering 1t.
RIM IN na aUllAu and yrNn n
OF many men and the complete bankruptcy OF tneir
eutlre lives he concluded by hoping tnat the
year wouo be marked Dy q radical cnange in the
paths Of SIN.
CHURCH CF THE MESSIAH.