Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-06
Mr.. BEECHER'S RETURN.

Plymouth Church-and Brooklyn as we'll
welcomed Mr.. Beecher home yesterday even
ing. 1t was by no means a single church which
filled the house to overlooking. Mr.. Beecher
began the pastoral work of the year, as he
has in each OF the last twenty years, by TAX
ing charge of the first Friday evening prayer
meeting in October. Desirous to vary in
nothing from the ordinary customs of the
church, he insisted that the meeting should
be held in the lecture-room and that nothing
but the usual platform decorations should or
nament the room His admirers made the
first course impossible, and an hour and a
quarter before the evening meeting was to be-
gin the benches of the lecture-room were
crowded with an audience which had already
filed them. So the great church was thrown
open and in half an hour that, too, was tull.
BY o'clock every seat was occupied, the
ai.les were full with men and women, too
closely packed to make any use of the folding
seats at the end Of every pew. The doors
and lobbies were in pretty much the same
condition, and each window had its little clus-
ter, who chung to sash and shutter for an hour
to catch stray glimpses'of the pastor through
the Stats and hear an occasional word from
his lips. All of Mr.. Beecher's immediate
family were present-his wife and his sons,
his two sisters, Mrs Perkins and Mrs. II b.
Stowe, and his brothers Dr. Edward Beecher
and Charles Beecher. The Examining Com
mittee and their counsel were there, and SO
was Mr.. Beecher's counsel; all in their pews
and each after his own fashion showing the
Joy that was in him, and besides, and beyond
these, the great multitude, with every face
turned towards the sliding door by which the
pastor was to enter. 1t was Mr.. Beecber's
wish, industriouslv spread through the con-
gregation, that his welcome at this meeting,
like all the rest of the exercises, should diff
fer in no respect from that Of any evening
meeting, but when he entered the caution was
all forgotten. Men sprang to their feet and
shouted, women waved their handkerchief;
the great audience for five minutes was one
swaying, tumultuous mass ofenthusiastic par
tlsans. The enthusiasm spread through the
lobbies in ripping waves of applause, and
finding its way out into the street died away
on the sidewalk. Plymouth Church has often
bubbled over into applause and laughter in a
rather secular fashion at her most religions
moments, but the first burst of loyal devotion
over, the church settled last night into too
deep feeling to be broken by any light dem
onstrations. Perhaps the emotion Mr.. Beech
er showed so strongly in the opening exer-
cises of choir and organ had its influence.
Perhaps few remembered the sad foreboding
with which he had spoken at his last prayer
meeting Certainly as the services went on
the solemnity grew deeper, deep enough for
tears among the women 10 almost every pew,
and fer bowed heads among the men. The
exercises lasted an hour almost to minute.
but when Mr.. Beecher's hand, appraised for
the benedction, FELL his hearers waited. The
great crowd in the aises cwaysa tuward tsie
pulpit, with never thought of leaving. Mr..
Halliday, assistant pastor, elbowed his way
la. 81, 81 - 81, IL.
form, and by dint of urgent appeals and Wig
orous pushing to the right and left started
people out of the rear door, one which COM
municates with the lecture room and mar
row alley along the side of the church. Mr..
Beecher came halt way down the steps and
began to shake hands with those nearest him.
Gradually some order was got out of the en-
tllusiastic desire to see him and shake his
hand and long lines were formed down each
aisle converging on the spot where he stood.
For half an hour he bore it all manfully and
had particular pressure for each, but as it
lasted on for three-quarters of an hour longer
the work grew tiresome beyond measure, and
he could only barely touch each hand that
was extended TO his. 1t was all over at last
or rather the lights were put out. 1t might
have lasted till morning if that precauton had
not been taken, and Mr.. Beecher went up to
the Sunday school room, where the Young
Peoples Association was holding its monthly
reception.
MR.. BEECHERs TALK.
The pastor read the following passage:
knowing that he which raised up the Lord
Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and
shall present US with you; for all things are
for your sakes that abundant grace might,
through the thanksgiving of many, rebound
to the glory of God" SC
When he had finished the reading of the
chapter, be said:
Within limited sphere every person of
genuine heart knows how much more precious
the invisible things of life are than the visible.
1t is not the mothers hand of love that moves
you; it is not the words that we speak in the
intimacy of friendship; it is the disposition
that lies behind; it is the inner man that gives
power TO draw together; and here, if we turn
our thought to the home life, do not believe
that gardens, or orchards, or houses, or fur
niture, or the loving voices of men and OF
women are of any value, compared with hope,
with love, with courage, or fidelity or loyal
ty We honor the inward Qualities that 90
to make up heroic manhood, whether in con-
spicuous places or in more humble sphere
We have within our experience specimens OF
this great truth in the way every great soul
mas nveu IN the hour OF persecution AID
wrought great changes in human affairs Ii
is ~ the recognition Of this higher life of the
largest faith that when men fall down to the
ground and there is no peace, and there are
sorrows that wall to sorrows, deep crying un.
to deep, they have yet within a hands reach,
just above overhead, peace, love, and glad
ness. For when human strength fails Gods
strength begins; when sorrows are no longer
tolerable, all sorrows vanish in the peace
which comes from Christ. When men have
come to the end of their endurance and there
is nothing more that human strength can do,
then, in its plenitude inexhaustible, is the ev-
erlasting presence and power of the Almighty
God; and no man that has ever been lifted up
into this presence but looks back with amaze
ment to think that he ever fretted at any of
the troubles of life, or that there was ever
anything on earth over which he grieved
The heart begins to beat with Immortality,
moaning and sorrowing in the presence of God
and all rejoicing spirits Surrounded as we
are, calling back to US by the Imagination aud
faith father mother, brothers, sisters all
sainted names and homes, and realizing that
they live, and that they are witnesses and are
sent to minister to us in this glorious future,
how shall a man bow down his head as if he
was a prisoner and wore the bondage of dis
grace? 1t is for US to lift ourselves above
ha Wis tla and intn bo vis;l "a