New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-14


lhat are incident to the exercise of the most sublime
functions Mr. Beecher enters into the subject with
the transparent naivet6 of a child, makes himself
young man while discOursing TO the young men who
exhibit the promise of future dvnes and illustrious
preachers and does not hesitate to point his moran
with piquant anecdote comic illustration 0ei-
dom does a public man of so great eminenoo
present frank n revelation Of his personal history
and private tastes. He never stands upon Ms ",s
nifty, and the fragments of clerical c0th "n'on 10
displays are without starch. Hence MS Noiu'nc "
amusing for the general reader, rs IL Is lus'i
50 the divinity student. The only drawback is 'uo
series of questonings 10 which the speaker was SUI
iected at the close of each lecture Nothlne oouiu
be more striking than the contrast they PcSenV III
their STIFF mechanical formaity 10 the freedom and
vivaoity of the preacher The force Oh s'uiuS van
no further 90 than IN many of the inquiries pro-
nopnded nv these callow neophytes Mr. Beecher,
boSovcr takes il all with good grace apparently
never proyoked TO impotence, though he sees the
ludicrous side of the matter, and no doubt often
ser1urely laughs in his sleeve at the oDtuSeneSs Oh
his meek inquiring hearers.
MANY of Mr. Beecher's suggestions are derived
from his early experience Of the Western pulpit OF
which he now and then presents forcible picture.
He was a great deal among the Methodists, and
obtained many valuable hints from the Boanerges
of that vehement persuasion. He attributes thelr
success TO the simple fact that they put the Bible
into a mans hand, and send him out among the
people. Ii is the grinding of a man upon other men,
he tells us that makes him sharp. 81 knew good
odd Sorrek'n says he. as used to call him, OF
Indiana; now a sound, well-educated, cultivated
man, Of great influence and power. But when
he first went on the circuit in the Whitewater val
ley, he did MT know enough to tell the number of
Gro Tho
beginning. zone, two, three four,' in order to
announce the fourth chapter and the sixteenth
verse They take just such men, in the West, and
put them into field and set them at work; and
they Oror all the time. They are reading as they
ride; their library is in their saddle-bags; they
are reading in their cabins. They unfold slowly,
but the beauty of il is that they are all the time
bringing what knowledge they have, to bear upon
other men. This working of men on men is the way
TO make men, and workers."
The prayer-meetng, it wOuld seem, is not so
simple an affair as would naturally be supposed.
Nine out ten of the church look upon duty but
not as pleasure. They feel about it as the lecturer
did when he was boy about being washed IN the
morning and having his hair eombed. 1t was de-
cent thing to do but not means Of grace to be en-
loved and he was heartily glad when it was over.
But slillfully conducted, the prayer-meeting is an
engine of wonderful power. 1t calls forth the gifts
that are in the church and develops the brother
hood But it must be a meeting for prayer, not for
exhorting Elaboration is the bane of prayer-meet-
ings the devil that must be cast out to begin with
The prayer-meeting should not know that there is
anybody there but the brethren. Sinners should
not be exposed to the teeth of hounds. As to the
question How the exhorters are to be stopped, Mr..
Beecher replies;
hova rOff IA
drive prayermeetngs Just as you do horses. You can
not keep flies from biting them, nor them from whlsk
make the best of your annoyances. The absurd saius
that have had the ridiculous creatures that have come
brought a blessed point-ike COW that has given
good bucket of milk only TO put her foot 10 ito be en-
shat run around 10 prayer-neetngs.
One Of these "bummers" is pathetcally described
rs follows
reeoIlect once a meeting seemed almost spoiled-if
nything could spoil it good meeting yon never can
Ep0 when il has real heart and stamina to II. Bu
recoeet one OF my sons OF yexatiOn when meeting
had turned the love Of Christ aud especially the sym
afv nj Christ with those that are feeble and striving
To come to higher life under manifold difficulties, and
upou the consolation and encouragement there is
porseverng IN the knowledge that the whole atnos
phere above Won sympathetic Christ Jesus just at
the end. after had taken my hynnbOOk 70 give OUT l
closing hymn, thinking had got that meeting safe out
Of the reach everybody this man gets up and says,
'Why brethren. he had very red hair.-i sometimes
feel that could put even my red head IN Jesus BOSOM
Well what could you do? Nobody after that could take
up thread Of discourse and you could not go Dsc6
and mold the meeting over again,-what could yon 40
BY the Of God, nothing; very patent, very
meek nothing
Here is a second portrature Of a similar character
had another Of these men 10 whom is committed the
cultivation Of the OF the saints he would
would get and exhort young men IN most painfully
and yon can Imagine the precious tlme OF
the meeting going. Then had another man who used
most oratorical position, and introducing
little narrative have everybody on the tptoe of expec-
taton But IL all went out In puff there was nothing OF
IT, no nub TO it, anything He would do that at al
every meeting, aud SIT down win au ar ana wipe
mr. mouth, IA II he had been Demosthenes.
Now. what are you going 10 do with such meni You
must do exactly boys used 10 do when We were
fishing on Craecs Bridge in Boston. We could Mt help
u-in spite Of thing could DO. the little perch
sGanee al the hook We ashed through thick and Thin;
We renewed the bait and kept fishing, and caught what
ing ones We could and let the little perch bite. You
must do the 10 the main. You must bear it, but
you must Jour meeting tempered to survive such
things.
Mr. Beecher as not pTeat stickler for the custom
of grace before meat which point bis opinion was
drawn ont by one Of the gentle seekers of useful
knowledge al Yale. although he fluids something
sayory and edifying in the practice.
lean say thai there is no obligation In the custom and
its formaty depends entirely on WHO does II and how
he docs IL. 0urd with an Eugsh clergyman ia Lon
don and We had got about through the main dinner and
were coming to the frutDr Rayibund and were SIT
ting or opposite sides Of The table We were in the full
Tide OF conversation. aud there was no Olher COMPANY
except the clergy and his VIE After the clOtn had
been remOyed--I was III the midst Of story, tmuk-
they both rose. and heard. " BblbIb-l6! aud they
raj down again. what. sirl" said l. l found ont,
afterwards that he had sd Lord, make Us thankful
for these blessings" Well. now consider any such
thing as that absurd than useless But 10 see
inc children gathered at the table the old father,
,rahe ANA siucee aud the mother, reverend ana ma
tTOuly sweet hearted as saint the children l IN ther
n.aco. hungry nut vet waiting; ana the Old man
low ms head and recognize the hand Of Goa IN AL those
bOunucs, 10 "a short aud appropriate thauhsslNlHg,-
oou'i know that others, hut IL IN axes mn bread
sweet nike IL II anybody DON'T he Is perfectly at
liberty 10 ret 10 alone
The Sunday ->ohOol holds a high place among Mr..
Beec hers religious Observation-Disclosures. But il should
be conducted az 10 create pleasant associations
with the church The lecturer feels intense desire
that religion shall be presented 10 men in all its in