Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-29
BEEOHER'S DEFIANCE.
He Declares that Hell and the
Devil Can't Stop Him.
An Extraordinary Scene at the
Plymouth Church Prayer
Meeting,


/
Mr. Beecher, although lie remained
sitting, had used his arms freely, fire.
quently giving emphasis to his words
/ by slapping his hands or striking the
plymouth Collection" volume violent
| " against the table. When he reached
this point he arose, and clasping his
/ hands behind him, looked upon the
audience for a moment, as il collecting
his thoughts. Everybody saw that
something unusual was coming, and
/ the excitement was painful. Fir.
Beecher took one step forward, and
was greeted again by a round of thun-
dering applause. Several times he
tried to speak, but as often as his lips
moved the cheering began anew, and it
was several minutes before he could
make himself heard. He TUNED almost
livid IN the face, and his left hand kept
up a continual nervous twitching. Men
and women rose IN their seats, hand
kerchiefs were waved, and every neck
was stretched eagerly forward When
perfect quiet was restored, Mr.. Beecher
continued:
DEFYING THE WORLD To CRUSH HIM.
81 look with all courtesy and respect
on the right Of anybody to look upon
me as he chooses. Whatever men may
think, this world is 80 large that It
does not lie with you, nor with any
body on earth, to determine my future.
That's a matter for me and God, and
me and God against the world. I don't
propose to 60 down. Whoever treads
me In the ground, III come up again
under his foot. By patient continu-
ance in well doing, nobody can be put
down. l know what / am, and time
viii disclose it. Work viii never cease /
with me till the coffin lids are screwed |
down. 1t may be here, or it may be |
somewhere else; but under Gods provi- |
dence I'm going to work out my life. |
Let me see the man who viii stop mel''
Mr.. Beecher raised both his arms,
and paused for several seconds.
cit lies with God and me-" he con-
tinued. "As long as there's sympathy |
for the discouraged; patience for the |
impatient; love for the GnloVed; a
tongue for those who cannot speak; so
long as there are men who need God /
and cant see him, so long III do Gods
work among the poor and the needy In
this world. / never sought a high
place. 1 was sent here by Providence
and Providence has kept me here. 1
shall stay here, or 60, by Gods provi.
dence-4ive or die when God calls me.
Living or dying 1 am the Lords. My
question is simply this, Lord what
wilt Thou have me to do?' That I'll
do, though there were ten thousand
devils In the way. He'll and the Devil
can't stop me.
Il wish 1 could have said these few
words to you with closed doors and
windows. But it could not be. One
of the great Affections of this cOngre-
cation is that it lives out Of doors.
Everything 1t says or does is printed.
We can't cry or even wipe our eyes,
but it is reported in all the newspapers.
REST IN HEAVEN.
81 admire yOu, honor you, l love
you for your patient fidelity, and your
trust. 1 am your leader and your
friend. am a manly man, anda Chris
tan. ] live near to God, and IN the
peace of the eternal world. shall see
tDu lucLE. LOU eldll Aot bC PuG " |
shame there. There we viii smile to
think that while on earth we were trou-
bled about anything. Believe, work,
and be at res"
When Mr.. Beecher resumed his seat
there was a storm of applause that
building tremble. The speaker,
who had electrified his audience while
a Jury of his cOuntrymen we're deciding
what should be the future of which he
had said so much, seemed exhausted by
the effort. He sank back In his chair
and wiped his face with a handkerchief.
In few moments he asked the congre-
CATION to JOIN him in singing the l.
235th hymn.
And let this feeble body fail,
And let il faint or die,
Ny soul SHAH quit this mOurnful vale,
And soar TO worlds on high,
Shall join the disembodied saints,
Ard find its lOng-sought rest;
That only bliss for which IL pants
In the Redeemer's breast
After the singing Mr. Beecher read
one or two church notices, and then
the benedlction. He had
hardly said "amen" before his friends
we're swarming around him, all anxious
10 grasp his hand. Pastor Halliday,
however, urged him to get home early,
and after speaking to a few Of the
nearest Of his hearers Mr.. Beecher
pressed his way to the door and disap-
peared.