The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-04-13
AL THE ENDS THOU AlMsT At, BE THY GODS
WAYNE COUNTY. md. april IS. ls72.
Henry Ward gBeecher,s Experiene.
Z ia4 sa5 in Preac hing. s

kafs 500 IN Pfc0C hing gasa s II
Ra ! ksza ,st ases "5 asssfs--3sss ta1
remember the first sermon
ever preached / had preached
good many sermons before, to
But 1remember the first real on A
I had preached q good while as
mad used my gun. ] used tovt
out hunting BY myself, and I b. s.
great success in firing off nv gut
and che game enjoyed it as mu. u
as I did, for I never hit them
hnrt them. fired off my gun as
see hundreds of men firing of the
sermons. / loaded II, and bang!-
there was a smoke, q report, b
nothing fell; and so it was aeai I,
and again. Irecollect one day j
the fields my father pointed out
little red squirrel and said to-. m.
Henry. would you like to sho,
aim2 ! trembled all over, but
said Yes He got down on hi
knee; put the gun across rail,an
said, Henry, keep perfectly coo
keep perfectly cool; take aim
And I did, and I fred, and ov. -
went the squirrel, and be didp
come back again either. That W, p
the first thing l ever hit; and life
an inch taller, as boy that ha -
killed a squirrel and knew how,
aim gun. had preached tw
years and a half at Lawrencebure
in Indiana and some sporadi
sermons before that } when I wen
to / adianapolis. While there
was very much discontented. :
had been disconnected for tw,
years, l had expected that ther
would be a general public interest.
and especially in the week be:or
the communion season. In I'll,
West we b i protracted NEE inge
and the people would come up t.
a high point of feeling; but l never
could get theh beyond that. They
would come down again, and there
would be no conversions. / sent
for DR.. Stowe to come down and
help me, but he would not come,
for he thought it better for me to
bear the yoke myself. When 1
had lived at indianapolis the first
year, I said: "There was rea-.
son why, when the apostles preach
ed, they succeeded. and I will find
it out il it is to be found out" L
took every singls instance in the
Record, where l could find one of
their sermons, and analysed it and
asked myself: What were the
circumstances, who were the peo-
PIE, what cid he do 2" and / stud-
led the sermons until got this
idea That the apostles were ac-
customed first to feel for ground
on which the people and they stood
together common ground where
Il they could meet. Then they heap
ed up large number Of the par
, ticulars of knowlege that belonged
to everybody; and when they had
got that knowledge, which every
body would admit, placed it in q
proper form before their minds,
then they brought it to bear upon
their excited heart and feeling
That was the first definite idea OF
. taking aim that I had in my mind
"Now," said I, Il will make scr
mon So" l remember it just q:
well as if it were yesterday. First
l sketched out the things we al
|. know. You all know you are
! living in a world perishing under
your feet You all know that tim,
is extremely uncertain; that yor
e don't know whether you will liv,
/ another month or week. You al
know that your destiny, in the lif'
e that is to come, depends upon th,
. character you are forming in thi'
r life," until I had shout forty o
them. When I had got through
= that, I turned round aud brough
4 it to bear upon them with all IN!
: might: and there were seventeen
> men awakened under that sermon
never felt so triumphant in m,
o life. I cried I'll the way home
g said to myself: Nov l kno'
Il how to preach But could no
make another sermon for q montl
d that was good for anything
!: had used all my powder and she
e on that one. But, for the frs
! time in my life l had got the ide
= OF taking aim. I soon added 70
the i.lea of analyzing the people
"a was preaching 10, and taking all
" at -epecialitirs. OF course, tbs
le came gradually and later, Wit
Is growing knowledge and expert
ct ence. Young man, when you get
! parish; don't be discouraged fe
,e the first ten years, no II after ho
}. poor your work. There is n
re t-ade that requires SO long apprer
l. ticeship as preaching; and "
e. there is no trade in which they a,
r init q man 80 coon, or in which
,e learns GO fast. II is easier to stud
of law and become successful prat
Id titioner, it is easier to study med
a. cine and become successful pra,
If titioDer, than it is 10 s.ndy the Ii,
no man soul all through-to know i
Va living forms, and to know the ws
wv Of talking to it, and coming in
- sympathy with it. TO make II
no truths OF God and the Divine il
N fluences part OF your daily, 81
n thusiastic experience, and to brir
IN 10 bear out Of our treasury Nh
ba is needed here or what 10 needt
ee there-that requires a great de
an of experience, and great deal
q study.