The New York herald., 1874-12-24
BEECHER ON CHRISTMAS.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH PRAYER MEETING LAST
NIGHT.

PLYMOUTH CHURCH PRAYER MEETING LAsi
NIGHT.
Plymouth lecture room was not more than hair
nlled last evening, owing 10 the change IN the
night rot being generally understood. After the
usual exercises Mr.. Beecner said THE most mo-
mentous events are not those which come win
observances or acclamatlon. there Is any
thing in this world that is lnconceivable II Is the
Kingdom OF God. the great realm that springs
out or consecrared thought and affection. the
kingdom OF righteous holiness. The greatest
kingdom that ever existed is the Kingdom OF The
soul When you look at giant OAK you are apt
10 say, What q beginning II must have had But
perhaps a squirrel dropped by chance an acorn on
the ground, md 1t found creylce ana TOOK root
and grew I'LL II became magnificent monarch.
When we look back TO the birth OF the Saviour and
consider what has been accomplished In all rela-
tions OF life, what a different value is placed on
man, and consider how these nave been gradually
worked out since the birth OF the Saviour
and 60 back TO the lnsignfcance OF that birth,
you can scarcely think OF a lower. The celebra-
ton OF the beginning or Christend0m Is matter OF
history. From q simple celebration 1t has passed
into matter OF dispute and division. There Is
nothing In the realm OF Christendom that has not
had blood shed about IT, and aoout the date OF
the birth OF Christ the whole Christian world
was split In two, but finally they came to-
gether and agreed on day. although II is
not likely that they nit It BY rod. 1t
is not probable that we celebrate on the 25t h day
OF December the real anniversary OF the birth OF
Christ; and 1t makes no difference. l have piece
planted. j know it is the same tree, because no
body can prove IL Is not; and 1t IS enough for me-
think q good deal Of u In sneaklng KIND OF a
way. The thing itself is OF no value. The whole
value consists in association. Let given day be
appointed and followed out and that establishes It,
So IL is OF no consequence about the birth OF
Christ; we have agreed that IT was on the 25th
day OF December. In every household there Is
domestic almanac all filed up with births and
membranes OF them, and it Is good; II Is on tnat
ground that Sunday is celebrated, we agree to
is is true Of ali ali other holidays. Strangely.
in the :, hands Of the superstitiods
day il the year Now in the early periods Of
national life such celebrations have o value and
signiiicance they gradually lose ~ The same thing
In my boyhood Thanksgiving Day stood out with
exuoerance Of stomach; on that day We had three
thing on other days; now We live ordinarily
% as, Ts a sa nas ssawn lean IS
mas has grown liner and hner and now even in
old England they have no such Cnristmases as
with holly evergreens; by the by, that was bor-
rowed from the Druids as we borrow good
day Of JOY that right; it is day for the inter-
change OF presents In memory OF the greatest
g1ft man ever had.
To me Christmas is o foreign day, and shall
die so. When was q boy wondered what Christ
mas was. l knew there was such q time, because
we had an Episcopal church in our town, and
saw them dressing 1t with evergreens and won
dered what they were taking the woods in church
for; but l get no satisfactory explanation. A
little later understood il was
ROMISH INSTITUTION
kept up by the Romish Church Brought up in
the strlctest State Of New England, brought MP to
the most literal style OF worship, brought up
where they would not read the Bible in church
because the Episcopaiians read it so mucn l
passed all my youth without any knowledge
OF Christmas, and SO l nave no associations
with the day. Where the Christmas revel
Day, that Is all Yet it is custom by me heartily
approved think 1t day that should be memor-
able-a day that we ought 10 consider the ami
versary OF the birth OF our Lord.
After Mr.. Beecher had finished Mr.. Halliday
read some lie tiers rom absent members.