The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-17


sArURDAY... pesosi s. - :
sREECHER ON PREACHING.
ma FIRST RErIvAL-HIsE ENTRY INTO to ,fiis,
arNIsTRY-nowr TO MANAGE A Me-" COS.
MISUNDERSTANDING AS Ct'NslDEf!Ephs Do
MINISTERS, &C.. &C.
f,ne &c the most readable books OF to-day
for those who are ministers ana those Mn'
!, are NOT Il the publication entitled aie
I ec.,,ps ON Preaching" by Rev. Henry
yv.,a ncecher. There Is something 50 very
fred, about it-sslch complete unco'esi"e
If the heart Of the writer-snch way COM
p,eteiy his own about it-that it is charming
we give some interesting extracts IRON IT,
THE FIRST REAL SERMON.
aI remember the first sermon ! ever
preached, had preached a good many SCI.
mons before, too. But remember tne W.,
,aaI one / had preached good whiie ~ l
had ,,sea INV gun. used to go out hunting
hv u.ysele. and had great success in hrlng
Of INV gun /; and the game enjoyed It rs much
nv i did. for never hit them or nurt theih.
fred off my gun rs see hundreds OF men
firing OF their sermons. / loaded II, ana
hang there was smoke, report, b'it
nothing fell and so 1t was again and again.
Irecollect one day In the fields my father
pointed. out q little red squirrel, ana sald 10
nue., Henry, would you like to shoot MN :
trembled all over, but said, Yes. ne
got down on his knee, put the gun across
said vyonry EQpn nprfeptif cOOt.
perfectly cool; take aim.' And did, ana
fired. and over went the squirrel, and ne
didn't run away either. Thnt- was the frst
thing ever hit; and felt al inch taller,
as q boy that had killed n squirrel ana kne"
how TO aim gun"
THE FIRST REVIVAL.
Here is his description of bis first revival {:
recollect when returned from the first
revival in which ever worked. had been
at indianapolis between one and two years,
and there had been no revival (and had
never been in one since was boy. went
ont on Brother Jewett's call, from lndianapo-
lis to Terre Haute; and worked there three
weeks in revival until my heart was on fire;
and It rained stream of prayer all the way
home from Terre Haute to Indianapolis. 1t
was like an aurora horealis, fhaye no doubt,
raw upon ray, for that whole distance, it an
gels could have seen it. 1t was in that feel
ing all the way, "Lord, STAY me If thou wilt;
but I will be slain, or will have life and sal
walton among my people," On Sunday
gave notice that would preach every night
that week. We had u dingy lect.ire-rooin in
INV church that would hold about two
hundred people. 1 preached Monday
night, and we had storm; Tuesday
night it rained again, and when called upon
any who were awakened to remain, no one
stayed; and I said, sit makes no difference;
If the Lord wishes it to be so, do! On
Wednesday night I preached again with
more power, and called for inquirers at the
close; one poor little thin servant girl
stopped! She smelt of the kitchen and
looked kitchen all over. When 1 dismissed
the congregation my first feeling, know, as
/ went toward her, was one OF disal-
pointment. said TO myself that after so
much work it was too bad. 1t was just Il
glance, an arrow which the devil shot at me,
but which went past. The next minute !
had an overwhelming revusion in my soul;
and said to myself, "If God pleases. will
work for the poorest of his creatures. | will
work for the heart Of vagabond, if | am
permitted to do it, and bring him to Christ
Jesus" i felt it; and / thanked God that
night for that girls staying. Hc paid me the
next night, for two OF my sweetest chill.
dren-not my own, but they were like mine
own to me-stopped on the next night, and
after that the work went on.
THE ASSOCIATES MINISTER SHOULD HAVE.
Mr.. Beecher's want of personal reserve
naturally prevents him from beng very
select in the choice Of his company. He is il
wide liker in the realm of humanity. No
f3iuohlf him from faEin
pleasure in the society Of the hard-fisted
workinglnan as well as in that Of the cult
vated scholar or the refined intellectual
woman. He is right in this, for nature de-
mands no less variety in the character of our
associates than in the quality Of our food.
81 take great delight" ne tells us, I" if ever l
can get chance, in riding OH the top Of an
omnibus with the driver, and talking
with him. What do gain by that? Why,
my sympathy goes out for these men,
and / recognize in them an element OF
brotherhood-tha great human element
which lies underneath all culture, which is
more universal and more important than all
special attributes, which is the great generic
bond Of humanity between man and man.
Ii ever saw one of those men in my church
l could preach to him and hit him under the
fifth rib with an illustration much better
than If had not been acquainted with him.
have driven the truth under many plain
jacket. But, what is more, never found a
plain man in this world who could not tell
me many things that I did not know before.
There Is not gate-keeper at the Fulton
ferry or an engineer or deck.hand on the
boats that am not acquainted with, and they
help me In more ways than they know OF.
If you are going to be a minister keep very
close to plain folks; don't get above the com
mon people,"
AMUSING ACCOUNT OF HIS FIRST CHARGE-A
MODEL SEXTON.
Mr.. Beecher's early breaking in for the
ministry, in an obscure parish in the West, is
related with delicious egotism,
1t was my lot ut first to be placed in vii
lage with mere handful of inhabitants in
one of the Western States. ] conceive it to
be one OF the kindnesses Of Providence that
] was sent to so small a place. had but
one male member in the church, and
wished him out all the time I was there.
pncticed public speaking from the time
of my sophomore year in college. was adj
dicted to going out and making temperance
speeches and holding conference meetings,
SO that / acquired considerable confidence,
to the seminary / still kept up that habit,
practicing whenever / had the opportunity.
At the end of my three years seminary
course--siX months of which, however, were
diverted to editorial work, loss of time to
my studies. which was afterward made up-I
went to small town in Indiana, the last one
In the State toward Cincinnati, on the Ohio
river. 1t had perhaps FIVE or six hundred