New-York tribune., 1875-03-06
MR.. BEECHERS FRIDAY TALK.

PLYMOUTH CHURCH CROwDED-TIiE PASTOR SPEAKS
OF ST. PAULs IMPRISONMENT AND MIRACULOUS
RELEAsE-sELF-DENIALA AND SWEETNESS OF Dis
POSITION THE VICTORIES or LIFE.
The Plymouth Church people came ont
through the storm OF last evening end filed the house.
erowdng The ases and veStiDues, and gathering
the starways to look in through the open win
dows. Mr. Beecher appeared at $780, with face deeply
flushed from facing the storm without.
The opening song, "Wth Thee / seek protecting
power" was sung with spirit and the Rev. Mr. Halliday
followed with prayer He feclngly alluded to tho
tors trial. invoking blessings and guidance through all
the visatiOns yet to come Charles Morton also offered
prayer in the sympathetic and aiEectiona,e spirit
After the hearty singing Of "Colne thou fount
OF every blessing" In which the pastor joined
the rewarks OF the evening we're listened
to- In of the missionary tours that Paul made said
the speaker. he to Phillip, and while there
preaching and teaching he met certain damsel
filed with the spirit Of dvinaton. She was pur-
sulBg some kind OF o fortune-teng business.
While she may have been sincere. she was
the victim OF designing mcn-was made to tell
folks lies and nonsense. We have m:Dy such
today but no Pduls to meet them. Paul
commanded in the name OF Chrst that this
spirit should come out of her The speaker then
related the OF Pauls imprisonment Prisons are
bad enough said he In civilized countries In the most
savage customs of Roman jurisdiction they were lnva-
rably worse Paul undergoing a species OF torture
for having delivered poor woman by the exorcism OK
the Holy Spirit The first thought OF In prison is,
"How long shall stay here Z" Bat would
have never thought Of Pauls way Of " break
ing jail" some would have tried avenee them
selves by a rage OF pride some would say: "Why was
not some other than imprisoned Z" Another would
stOca air and try to deaden his feeling calling
II fate Paul instead Of breaking the bags thought no
would try hymn two. Suddenly great earthquake
fho .ndh ha Ha knaw
was there not for crime. but for virtue
would give i good deal II l only knew
what lie sang. IL Is probable that lie
chanted a psalm OF David. Nobody knows how deep
with an Implicit trust what iron could not DO prayers
could BY firing hymn at the door he was freed The
OF singing under some circumstances, IL more
than beverage The prison sentinel waAn: aud seeing
the door open-knowng that Ills own lie must answer
the rigUr OF the Roman law-was abont 10 say him
self. when Paul cried our. " DO thyself no wrong!
The elements OF mans higher nature his sefdenial
hardshps Of disposition, the things ia
the long run that win the victories OF Men do not
at first believe these manifestations OF higher me-
IL is only gradually that you brlng the conviction 10
their minds that they are true. Tue weak things OF this
world c0uIound the mighty. There are some Things
sensibility you can avoid pam. have thought that
the only suffering 10 which man vas liable was OF tho
body. Like house OF ity rooms, you can change and
IN imagination, 90 into fath aud trust A hymn Ia
wing; with two wings "A man cah fy fnIther than a
bird. The hymn, Flee bird to the mountain" was
sung to my mother whe dying. When hear
another land. song IFS above hunger and
cold. sickness and sorrow. More than half our
hymns are prayers. We sing ourselves up path
that we cannot climb even to fathers presence.
There are prisons but what song will free US from.
Tue thngs that We suffer Will work exceeding
weight OF glory. We have gold n pockets, but We
do It. We do not Use our truths sing at your
troubles aud sing them away sing at your misortunes
and pray them down You VIII then make crystal
window for the light Of Gods countenance 70 shine
through IL you Sing enough and pray enough.
After the singing OF hymn Mr. Beecher paid glow
tng tribute OF aecuon to two retiring members Mr.. and
Mrs. Leech, who Ii to remove TO New Jersey.