The New York herald., 1874-09-28
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Preparations for the Friday Evening
PRAYER Mesting-A Sermon on ln~.
mortality by Western Preacher
The Positive and Negative Advan.
taGes or Heaven.
There were some vacant seats yesterday morn.
ing In plymouth church. Despite OF that fact, the
congregation was large. The sunny day had in.
duced many to be present from the neghboring
city, VINO were evidently strangers to the country,
and who appeared by their eager curiosity to re-
gard Plymouth church as OF the sights Of
America. Previous to the sermon Assistant Pastor
Halliday. among other announcements, stated
that the prayer meeting on Friday next would,
"or obvious reasons" be held IN the
church and not In the lecture room.
The "obvious reasons' were that Mr..
Beecher would preside over the meeting, though
this was not stated. Mr. Halliday said that the
meeting would commence at ha!i-past seven
O'Clock, and as 1t was not unlikely that there
would be a crowded audience 1t would be desir-
able for owners Of pews TO be present ten minutes
before that time. The preacher oil the day was MI.
Edison, western divine, pastor or the church
over which Mr.. Beecher formerly presided, at In
dianapolis. Mr.. Edison Is young man OF earnest
manner and OF pronounced delivery Of speech. He
read all the hymns through, verse by verse, IN an
attractive style OF elocution. In addition TO the
preachers earnest declamatory manner there
was an undertone VI The western brogue that
tionary powers. All this awoke natural expect&.
ton OF
AN oRAroRIcAL DISPLAY
when 1t came TO the sermon. THIS, however, was
not realized. The sermon was read from manus
script, and very closely read, which provoked an
evident feeling OF restraint to those VINO listened.
| The subject OF the sermon was "lmmortanty"
and the text selected was che last clause OF the
second verse or the fourteenth chapter OF the Cos
pei OF st. John-"l go to prepare place for your
| The Introductory part OF tie sermon had refer
ence to the generally accepted truths as 10 imm0r.
talIty. The promise OF the text was that heaven
was place for Jesus and His friends Tue laws OF
growth IN childhood and man were so many proofs
by analogy OF our Immortality, as shown IN the boys
longing desire to De q man, ana the limitations OF
our powers to reduce the real rom our ideal
1t must be remembered. too so as to get
some antcipatiOns OF our heavenly home that i5
Is love that has prompted It's preparation. What,
then, wOuld be the effects OF this divine combina-
tion Of wisdom and lover The preacher then
ties OF earth, naming for Illustration on this Con-
tlnent
THE FALLS OF NIAGARA
and the Yosemite Valley. II this earth. then were
Ing place Of these chosen Oness There would De
no pain IN heaven. There would be also IN entire
exclusion Of ein and no death there. It's
sources Of positive happiness. the employ
noDllng character. True enjoyment springs
from activity. lazy man IN heaven Is not wanted
there and Il sucn man desires to get to heaven
be had better get rid OF his aziness mere, Tor MS
laziness would prevent him being happy If he got
there. II Was impossible to Imagine what lar
reaching works VI charity and enterprise may pc
In store for those who reach that home which
Jesus had gone to prepare. The society, too, Of
heaven. now dehgh 1t was to contemplate that
How many Christians would press close to Paul
as he told the story OF his trials, su1erlnGs and
joys in this lower world
The sermon was closed with few practical ad-
mOnit1Ona.