The New York herald., 1875-12-25
PLYMOUTH PRAYER MEETING.
Mr. BEEcHER DISCUSSING THE STORY OF THE
ADvENT-mB LOVE FoR MADoNNAs.

Mr.. BERcHER DISCUSSING THE STORY OF THE
ADvENT-HB LOVE ron MADoNNAs
Considering the fact that last night the or tho
greatest festival Of the Christian year when every
has business 10 attend 70, preparation TO
make for ts celebration, and considering, fur
ther the drenchlng that fell the audi
ence that greeted Mr. Beecher At the regular
Friday night prayer meeting was surprisingly large
Many of the sightseeing non-members usually present
were hast night conspicuous by their absence Every
one who attended an earnest member OF tho
church. and the consequence was that the hymns and
other exercises carried through with greater vim
and enthusiasm than they are sometimes when the
room Il crowded to the doors
The subject Of Mr. Beechers discourse the Ad-
vent Of Christ detailed In the second chapter or
Luke Ii is somewhat remarkable, he said, that the
only Of the Advent TO be found IN Luke and
singular that little notice is taken Of event
which has given TO poetry and oratory more figures
and phrases than any other in the life Of
Christ One Of the latest lives Of the Saviour
is Farrar's Life of Christ = written by distinguished
DIVINE OF the Church Of England, and very admirable
work IL is; but notice that he begins tho 'Ife OF
Christi without noticing az all this whole passage
His history in after the Annuncation, and after
this prelude may be called He perhaps regarded
the story OF the Advent as mythical to
extent and from this motive let Il
out OF his history mother tells her children
of and sprtes dancing the moonlt sward and
the who should come and say, There are no such
things as spritcs it's all lie, has no business in
world where there mothers and children and such
things should not like when was listening TO spen-
did music to nave Mephistopheles at my ear saying
He stole that from Beethoven, and that from
Mozart " don't care where he got u II Is
enjoyable / am there 10 hear the music When see
a face flushed with noble enthusiasm or the blush OF
modesty upon maidens cheek don't want physi-
to say 80 me, 'Dont you know that that nush s
caused by arteria blood which is circulated through
minute vesicles underneath the skin2" don't want
him TO bring II down to
20 tell me that composed Of water distilled and
chloride Of sodium Mr. Beecher read from the second
chapter OF Luke the story Of the mother and child bc
ing found in tho stable at Bethlehem This stable, he
thought Of the many limestone coves Of that
country which We're frequently used by the poorer
classes as ha6itations and the manger was was
rock their babies TO sleep and feed their cattle al
ternatey. The same thing, he added, is stated by
Thompson, in his The Land and the Book, TO be
seen till this day Mr. Beecher went on reading verse
after and commenting upon each at some length
The whole voice Of the Gospel he said, was 10 heavy
laden, suffering men, Pear not" The introduction
into this world Of dispensaton that had for its
object the inspiration and elevation Of the wretchcd
and downtrodden that was IN the estimation OF Christ
more wonderful than raising the dead 70 life even
Speaking of the mother Of Chris, he said 81 have
MY house full of Madonnas have them
from all countries, Spanish and Italian, painted
by various artists and even the old Flemish
school and the English school; and my
that il am not good Catholic ana pretty near it.
And look upon them pictures Of the Divine mother
so do they. But lbey look upon her as moener ao-
cordng the teachings of their Church. and do not
The mother when she holds in her arms httle babe
is, Of all things under the sun, the most
strange wonderful and beautiful II has
that unwasting and unspeakable source Of all the feel
ngs tine noble that cluster round the elements of
love That love is the fit theme with which to close
this very beautiful scene Now II you take all that
story out OF the Bible shall put IL right back again,
and il you put it thousand times will put 1t back
a thousand times. ] will have IT.
Or Edward Beecher arose when his brother ceased
speaking and entered into learned dissertation TO
show that Dr. Farrar did not doubt the truth of the
chapter which had just been discussed
The Examining Committee after the prayer
meeting to examine number OF applicants for church
membership.