The New York herald., 1871-03-27
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
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Shady Love i'm the Plymouth
Pulpit.
-
CataractS Of Cold Water from the
Rock Of Truth.
The Immortal Treasure
of the Soul.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Mr.. Beecher on the Shady Side of LOve-The
Aspects Of Hyacinth Love, Adulterated
Friendship and Abdominal Good-Natured
People-Brothers, Sisters and Lady Friends.
A dull, gray morning ana an easterly wind did
not prevent the usual crowd from throngng the
gates Of Plymouth church yesterday. 1t had its
eject however, upon the apparel OF the congrega.
tion. Spring fashions did not make much Of q show,
ana there were more furs and less silk than were
visible last Sunday, when everything was lovely in
the heavens above and the earth beneath Exter
mails have their effect upon the preacher. Bright,
clear weather. either sunny or frosty agrees better
with Mr.. Beecher's mind. On cloudy, drab ana
col0rless day like yesterday he Is apt to pitch the
elOQuence OF his speech to pathetic minor and to
defer the fortssimo and the crescendo passages to
more auspicious season.
After the choir. including the familiar solosts-the
new ones not having been installed yet-had sung
fhs KwtS, Yfoii Mozart,s Twerih Mass, MIR.
Beecher led in prayer, which was distinguished by
the emphasis with which the burdens and sorrow OF
life were laid before the Throne Of Grace, and the
earnest intercesslons divine sustenance to tread
With manly 1rmness the rugged road Of lne's hill Of
S Mr. Rsecher's subject was the shady side Of love,
teenth verses OF the h chapter Of st. Paus Episte
to the Galatians /" For BRETHREN We have been
sion to the nesh but BY love serve one another For
oil the law is fulfilled in one word, even in thiss..
Thou shalt love thy neghbor as tnyse,s ll~:as'4
IN ey ey yosophIo definition Of love, reducing what
Matthew Arnold says is .Ihe sweetest vintage of the
vine OF Ale to It's primeval Clements True love,
said Mr.. Beecher always carries with 1t the power
of sef-negation Let see If this IS SO In llle anu
look at IL In that form OF alecton which takes the
shape OF friendship. You Will see there Is element
OF dlsinterestedness In friendship. The glory very
often Of the gift is that there is =. ..,s~.%.
NO COMMERCIAL ELEMENT i. s~
In 1t. Hence there are very few friendships, but
there are many acquaintances gllded with friend
snip; very few with the root Of the matter In them
namely, the power to will, to do and to suffer for
friend. Ordinary friendships are mere commercial
relationships. There are friendships between women
and women where this principle is probed deep
as possible, and where the doing and the suffering
developed to the deepest depths OF the soul. We
world. We do not have many, however, for these
friendships are too costly for poor human nature,
ana it has not learned the lesson Of life with SUM-
cicnt facility, In this kind Of friendship however,
there is no passion no deep, true Affection Most OF
what call love has stolen the name and covered
1t with surface OF passion. When men do love
there Is carelessness about themselves and an In
tensy OF desire for the growth and development OF
Others. we have glimpse OF this in that love that
terminates with welded love. Young men and
maidens know OF such hours when sell has merged
one INTO the other and the thought OF life has been
Borned by actual experience. But then such love Is
LIKE THE HYACINTH's,
WnlCn mas bloSsomed royalty In the spring, but De-
lore May has half past the blossom has withered;
lew green leaves lie wlthered on the ground; all
the rest OF the summer there Is nothing but the
pub lying withereu In the dirt. The love OF parents
for their children was here strikngly Illustrated by
Mr. Beecner by the sketch OF mother and father
whose poverty and hard life had been liz up with
holy purpose to labor and toll that their son might
60 " college; who rose so early that they were at
Work before the birds were up. and whose sons