Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-20

BEGINNING AT the BOrrON.

Henry Ward Beecher, in recent "Lec.
ture Room Talk" on 1.-The Religious Duty
OF Thanksgiving, gave the following &C.
count OF his early experience as minis
ter:
81 do not believe that, to-day, feel a.
thankful for the comforts of my house az
l did when first began to preach, and had
two rooms, and felt that they were mine,
and went around among the people of the
neighborhood with the thoughtl ~ se
Well, may as we'll tell you--when
began to preach l never expected to do
much. But l meant to do as well as /
could. never expected to 60 anywhere.
l was asked to cross the river from Gin.
cinnati and preach in Covington; and
went over and began to preach there.
did not know but was going to stay there.
But was soon called by woman 10 Law.
| renceburg. She was the factotum Of the
whole church. And went there and
was settled over town with two distill-
cries and twenty devils in it. was very
poor. There was no patrimony coming to
me, as you know. The moment was
out OF the seminary l was without my
fathers support, and was obliged to take
care of myself had salary but it was
a salary of only S4OO And took half of
that to get married with. And as the par
ish paid only half of it, and the other half
was to come from the Missionary Society.
| found myself very short of funds. had
Just Is cents in my pocket when came
back. was taken up by good Metho-
dist brother for about week, and then
| got those two rooms to which have al
luded. They were up stairs. One was
the kitchen, cellar and sitting-roonA The
other was the library, bedroom and par
lor. So that we had six rooms, calling
| each three. The cellar was made by put
ting the things under the bed and the
other rooms were added by sundry devices.
You who 60 into flush houses, furnished
by your grandpapas and grandmammas,
do not know anything about the joys Of
housekeeping. Persons ought to begin at
the bottom to know what these joys are.
And l began down there.
| had no idea that could preach. l
never expected that l could accomplish
much. l merely went to work with the
| feeling II will do as we'll as can, and I
will stick to it, if the Lord pleases, and
fight this battle the best way know how"
And was as thankful as / could be. No.
body ever sent me spare-rib, that did
not thank God for the kindness which was
shown me. l recollect that when Judge
- gave me his cast Off clothing, felt
that l was sumptuouslv clothed | wore
old coats and second hand shirts two or
three years; and l was not abeve it either
although sometimes, as was physically
a somewhat well-developed man, and the
Judge was thin, and his legs were slim,
they were rather tight fit
There was humorous side to this, but
l could easily have put dolorous side to
it; could have said, ''Humph pretty
business; son of Lyman Beecher. Presi-
dent OF a theological seminary, in this
miserable hole, where there is no church,
and where there are no elders, and no
men to make them out of. This is not
according to my deserts. could do bet
ter. ought not to waste my talents in
such place" But was delivered from
such feeling. felt that it was an un-
speakable privilege to be anywhere and
speak of Christ. had very little theolo-
gy-that is to say. it slipped away from
me. knew it but it did not do me any
good. it was like an armor which had lost
its buckles. and would not stick on. But
had one vivid point--the realization Of
| the love of God in Christ Jesus. And
tried to work that up in every possible
shape for my people, And il was the Sc.
cret of all the little success had in the
early part of my ministry. remember
that used to ride out in the neighbor-
hood, and preach to the destitute, and
that my predominant feeling was thanks
giving that God had permitted me to
preach the unsearehable riches of his
grace. l think l can say that during the
| first ten years of my ministerial life was
in that spirit.
| Now. in later years, have worked
great deal harder, and in some respects
have gained. while in some have lost.
do not believe that have the same
grateful. tender. thanksgiving spirit which
had then. think that increasing pros
perity and the multiplication of mercies
have rather withered it. 1t would seem
as though mercies were like some vines
that have noticed On the western side
of my place, there is vine that has
twined about tree until it has girded it
so that the tree has died. And have seen
Gods mercies twine about men so abun-
dainty that they choked out the manhood
that was in them.
Therefore, while those who are In
trouble ought to give thanks and find oc-
casion for thanksgiving. those who are
prosperous, those who have comfortable
houses. those who have amenities and lux
| uries OF life, ought to be careful, and see to
| it that they are thankful. and ask them
selves, 'Does the thanksgiving spirit in
| crease in me in proportion as am pros
pered and Gods mercies are showered
upon me p