The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-03-20
A Sunday In New York Oity.
New YORK, March 16, 1874.

New YORK, March 16, 1874.
MR. EDITOR: Yesterday was q privi.
legged day with me. At9 A. NJ, I took
the Fulton street oars, and on arrival at
the ferry, Immediately crossed over to
Brooklyn. The stream OF pedestrians
through the streets of that city pre-
vented the necessity of my inquiring the
way to Plymouth Church, for thither
were We NIL aiming, to hear the renowned
preacher, Henry Ward Beecher. His
church is plain, massive cdi6ce of
brick, built in the olden time, and ex-
tending through narrow block from
entrance, We found several hundred ut
until the holders had entered.
Pfesonsly tho rush was general, and as
If life and death depended upon our un-
that one this way, till tho church was q
perfect jam. The pews are arranged to
lap over the aisles, 80 that the floor il IL
series of semi. mi.circular seats from side 10
side of the church, twenty in lumber,
and each seating fifty persons, for l
counted. The gallery extends along
two sides and one end Of the church,
and has eight tiers, each seating I25
persons comfortably. Tho second gal.
ery covers the end of the church, and
seats about 100. The short corner
seats, the various jambs aud lobhics, will
accommodate 500 moro persons All
these holes and corners. yesterday, were
sandwiched with men and women NV
st at was in q most remote corner of the
gallery, and could see nothing but the
man who stood IN trout Of me; and yet
the acoustics of the building arc SO
perfect, l heard ovcry whisper made by
the preacher. This friend and agreed
to exchange places every fifteen minutes,
40 that, standing, saw the venerable
divine, sitting rs sluctimOniuusly as
possible upon the small stage, with au
immense bouquet of flowers on either
side of him, and looking tho express
image Of Benz j,min Franklin, rs he used
to appear in Poor Richards almanac
His long. iron-grcy hair, and full tailed
black frock coat, made him look pecu.
liurly Puritanical. His text was from
Proverbs, K, CT. but more particularly
the 7th verse: "The memory of the Just
is blessed, but the name of the wicked
shall rot" After promising that these
proverbs were to-day as applicable as
they were 8, 900 years ago. and that the
Christian might find himself refreshed
by reading them daily, and practioing
them in tho street, the field, the ware
house. the Office, and among his house
hold, he Immediately entered upon his
subject, which was this: As the memory
of Tho just shall be blessed. so does
good action tend to perpetnate itself;
and as the name Of the wicked shall rot.
30 does wickeduess tend to destroy itself.
1t this be true to-day, as it was in Solo.
mons time. is it not right that men
should desire to be remembered for the
good they do? In other words, does
disinterestedneas require man to deny
himself the right to feel pride in doing
an act to benefit others, because thereby
he knows he benefits himself? Should
not all men desire to have thoir memory
perpetnatcd? And, in turn. should not
every generation remember its benefac-
tors? He was n hanefnctor who bailt
this church. and another b.ncfactor
painted it, nul 80 on oil through tho
list Of artisans engaged; and people say,
said Inc praacher,) that it ia IL pialn
church; and perhaps it's builders don't
deserve remembering, &c. So it is
plain, said he, but it looks right we'll
when you are all here. lLAushter:
Speaking of tho phrase comm On
lovel," " he said there were men aud things
in life very much alike; they a!l looked
alike, md wero like so many batter
cakes on grdLlc; MI of tho same SIZE
and shnpe-nll round and level. Re-
newed laughter. And OF mans ambi-
tion-whateve las been done, eau bs
done. When men took to training fast
trotting horses. minutes was thought
to be good time; but good training
-Iectcd the same result in {, minutes !;
aud finally. persistent efforts got it down
to 2 20. Yes and some man viii sag,
my nag shall beat that, and Le'li do ii, 4,
too. )" Trno observation-disclosures can b."
shown in no more lanlatie way than by
defending ones conntry. Aud this va
we'll shown in cur ii.to terrible couilct
Yes, said he. "they met ~ the battle
lield-hoth the slayer and the Niain--
each really TO die for his country. And
it was their country. nay brethren. The
Southern soldier sacrificed himself upon
the altar Of his country; he believed 1t
WAS his country, and should bs remrm
bered for his devotion II principle"
This sermon, Of just QUO hour MAS u
most remarkable prodaction. It's lam
gnagn WAS chastr, even when nliud.rg to
topics irrelevant to the pulpit: It's logic
t,,t 49,.