The New York herald., 1872-10-28
PLYMOUTH BAPTIST CHURCH

sermon by Professor Hutchings, the
Lightning Calculator, Under the Aus
pices OF Rev. DIR. Patterson.
The pretty Gothic edifce in Ffty-hrst street,
known as the Plymouth Baptist church, was filed
to overnowing yesterday morning and evening to
listen to sermon by Professor Hutchings, Of
North Norwalk, Conn., The Professor was formerly
well known to the people Of New York and stran-
gers passing through the city as the "Lghtning
Calculator" OF the old Museum. In a conversation
with representative OF the HERALD the learned
gentleman stated that he s'meted his audience"-
his sermon was, indeed, a very moving one-by the
same animal magnetism he was wont to use In the
show business. Talking he said had been his hold"
for the last twelve years, before audiences large and
small, and upon all sorts OF subjects. That the
Professor "hed' his audience yesterday is beyond
all ooubt. The text was from the five concluding
verses OF the tenth chapter OF Luke.
The first point was Christs
MISSION TO THE VILLAGE.
He said that Christ was drawn there by an unseen
power-the magnetism OF Mary and Martha
operating upon Ills own strong personal sensibili.
received Him as the prince OF kingdom more
glorious than the earth had yet seen,
the bosom OF His Father, but as
the ideal incarnation OF purity and virtue in the
born. She had sister called Mary who sat hum
bly, at the ieet OF Jesus, and, with the prophetic
Instinct OF woman, ad0fcd Him without question
and without doubt OF His divine mission. Others
might jar against Him in the market place. or sur
vey Him coldly In
THE COURTS OF THE TEMPLE,
but this woman, with the lntuitiye perception OF
her sex, had finer conception OF His character.
She needed not miracles TO convince nor persua-
sive nor subtle parallels to convert her, and she
''heard His word" The Professor then
spoke Of the beauty of dicton ana
the indescrbable tenderness and purity
or thought fowing through all that Jesus said
With His words he compared those OF the greatest
masters the world has ever known-the poets
and philosophers-and found that they were in
comparison only estate, hat and unprohtable.n
.'But Martha was numbered about much serv-
ing." The speaker here, with impassOned voice
and gesture, drew vivid pictures from real lie as
he had seen 1t. He reCited the difficulties the
toiers among men have to contend with, whether
they are artists, authors, mechanics or merchants
Then he showed how Martha had much to contend
with even In her distant day and In her pastoral
country, and, like the mOdernS, she was drawn by
too great an absorption in the details OF her every
day life from contemplation OF the power and
beneficence OF the good God
"BUT ONE THING is NEEDFUL,
and Mary hath chosen that good part that shall not
be taken away from her." All else is, indeed, vanity.
Nature ever Is singing requiem over ner works.
and writes upon all her grandest monuments, as
she gives them the finishing touch "passing away"
river to the ocean; and so the child OF man comes
forth to mingle with his generation and go down
in the depths OF forgotten ages. Only God remains,
and In His bosom we all find rest, and shall having
iaith, find place at the feet Of Jesus.
The Professor became converted through the
death OF his child, and, having entered the minis
try, Is looking about for place 10 preach. Judg-
ing from the tears in the eyes OF his listeners yes
terday he Is in his new vocation decided O sue
cess as he was In the Old one.