The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-04-29

BEECHER'S FRIDAY NIGHT TALK.
TIM PREA CHER'S EXPERIENCE As
A REVIVALLST-" F0UNDA-
TTON BUILDING"


the lecture room of Plymouth Church
last night drew together bigger crowd
than usual. Each week the ushers de-
wise some new plan of packing in few
more, and not content with placing seats
outside the doors and having the windows
open last evening the throng surged up
10 the platform, and row OF chairs
along the wall at the rear ofthe preacher
were filed.
Mr.. Beecher said st. Paul had travel
cd and had visited the ely of Athens at
q time when we know she must have
been at the very zenith of her perfection
as repository of all that was beautiful
in painting and sculpture and architec-
ture, yet you cannot find in all his writ
ings a single intimation that there was
aught beautiful in that dazzling city Of
artistic magnifcence. st. Paul looked at
temples with contractors eye, not in q
way to estimate its cost; he looked at the
building, using the word built in its orig
inal significance, He regarded the foun-
dation, the uperstructure, the basis on
which all the show and use were reared.
We may call him great, robust, spiritu
Jew, but on the other hand he had Il
most exquisite sense of beauty; yet it was
the beauty in man as well as in nature in
lhe two combined, as man in a natural
state. Paul was worker, very founda-
ton worker, for he was spiritual foun-
dation layer. Now, did you ever stop to
see what laying foundations means? Far
out of sight, lower than one would care
10 go down, they work. There the stone
mason works on three or five weeks be-
fore we can see what his work is to be
used for, and then when the matter be-
gins to attract attention he goes off, and
others step in and work on from what he
has done. When the snowy part begins
the great brawny fellow is gone. What
has he got for his comfort, for his toil2
There is class of men forever working
out of sight; whatever reward comes
they never hear of it. have thought of
these things as have stopped to look at
the men working far down, twenty feet
below the curb l remember seeing the
men at work on the foundation of the
building corner of Bond street and Broad
way, which, in my judgment, is by far
the finest building on Broadway. | had
become fascinated and wondered to my
self what they said when they returned
home. and what they received as cheer
ing them in their work, as to their wages,
with which they fed and clothed their
little ones, and what was the moving
power. The work on the cellars, on the
wall in the hole, was labor of love. Ii
recalled to the workman recollections Of
his little ones, of his wife and home.
Paul worked on in such a labor of love.
He says, II have chosen to lay founda-
tions-other men build" He took the
unpopularity, he faced the people when
they were hostile and angry. He went
into new places and struck the first tell
ing blows for Christianity. He was a
oundation layer; when all was ready for
he other workers he stepped aside and
hey came in and reaped in too many
eases the praise of the whole work.
MR.. BEECHER's EXPERIENCE.
l have had such an experience as
foundation layer. 1t was in my second
year in the ministry, no, my third-sec
ond or third, which was it (turning to
his brother, DR.. Ed. Beecher)-I have
been under so much catechising recently
that must be careful; well, two or three,
to the best of my recollection, that will
do. [Laughter] There had been revi-
val at Terre Haute and | was anxious to
have one on my own part / was up to
\Terre Haute and came home full Of the
glow, preached stirring sermon on the
morning and another in the evening of
Sunday, and announced that during the
next week there would be preaching
every evening. l remember on Monday
evening the room was about half full, and
l began to feel bit discouraged, but
did my best, and l asked those who
wished q little private talk to remain,
but no one stayed. The next night it
rained and the attendance was less, and
made the same request and two servant
girls stopped behind to talk of Jesus.
Their clothes smelt as if they had been
all the time hanging up in buttery and
had the odor of cookery about them. A
thought crossed my mind to send them
off to call another time, as ! came down
out Of the pulpit, but Immediately rush
of condemnation came over me, and
felt what an unspeakable privilege it was
to bring even ono soul to Jesus. If they |
had been my own sisters could not
have worked harder, and from that foun-
dation revival sprung and two hundred
were onverted--between one hundred
and two hundred, as far as can rccollect
[Smiles.] 1 am now willing to do any,
thing, but l prefer to do that which no.
body else will do.
Mr.. Beecher continued to apply the
lesson of building foundation in love as
the basis of all love, and in conclusion
gave out Hymn sos, "a hymn I;used to
sing very much," beginning, "Jesus,
love thy charming name"