New-York tribune., 1875-02-06
EARLY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES.


MR. BEEcmER ON TILE STAGES OF CoNvERsIoN-HE
PREFERS STEADY, QUIET WORK TO IMPULsIyE
REVIVAL EFFORT.
There was the usual large attendance last
night the Friday night prayer meeting OF Plymouth
Church Mr.. Beecher's weekly talk was delivered in
low voice and quiet manner. The following Is III out
line OF his remarks:
was brought up in an era OF reviyas MY boyhood
spent the times OF Middleton, PbiDDey, Porter,
and Lyman Beecher father. At that time the great
question Of conversion Interested the Christian world
Ihe euect on my inihu was haII hecndnca ulu M M
artificial My fathers method, he used TO say, was Ike
this. First he sought 70 produce interest hen 10 Im
press seriousness, next 10 produce cOnyctlOn when
afterward he sought to deepen and strengthen, anu
hnay came conversion as the result OF an lne gIeaV
point of TINS TO lne was that became mpresstd with
the Idea that there certain Order Oi progression
wnlch must go tnrGngh IA ,i orneI te, 20 asY a9agY
conversion got through me carrier FtiSes edsiS
enough, for WIS as boy, though tIollauJ and viva
cious very susceptible to moral appeals AZ soon as
lhore was any exeltement Was sure 70 DO one Oh 'hS
iii It to feel 1t and 10 fan under conviction IL was AN
imaginary conviction. 1 was in great furry. l pic
tnred myself as being In FEARFUL position fancied
myself sort OF HghtaingiJd Whlcd every C0t. O the
storm would be- to nit. The grel. thug was to
come to Christ, and this could not 'h'c had only
vague idea OF Hun. tried " reconcile myself with
III IN very hard.
A5 70 laying down the weapons OF my rebellion
could not exactly understand that | had any sucl
way, IT will be all right. As Win the puzzle, If can
Only turn the ring rg1it viii come OUT gJt into tins
ana inrO that stato Of mind and tried every way t0 get
to Jesus. Dut couldn't get the knaek or the art
aud nothing would do T1en questioned wny COD
But now [ SEQ that to do 81 w0i,i be Ike
teaching child the higher mathematics before 10 under
stVYQ Tue simple branches Of arithmetic and algebra
had not taken well tho earlier steps. No Curst was
presented to in my youth. ] never had the idea
taught me thai tutI5t IL Just Ike in0ncf To enid
didn't have the idea that perOn IN need could come
to Christ and find him because or ms need Thaf one
could to nun distress, one may 20 20 lawyer IN
troubles OF rms word lhe VI Hji va: never
taught 10 me. / hal nOt any OF the trcnngs toward
Him tnat hauc toward perfect gentleman, one who
Is uquIs!tlyc, who never takes unid advantage
of me, WLo never pr"icnds even III any way 10 dom-
noer Toe, but vino makes me happy, encourages
in what good, and dlsCOufdge5 ne III what Is bad
No, never got tho idea then that Goa was gentle
man. gentleman In that sense which nave described,
one hclpiu! ana cHcOu4dsihs'
remember when the true idea OF Christ came to me,
aud shall remember IL beyond the grave, IN immortal
nv. Ine GJd preach Is OIc hO helps the he pess,
concerned Tor those who are not OF tho way, and mer
cItu to those VINO have gone asray. GOd'S love sur
rounds the air does tho EARTH reaching and touch
ing every hing and everywhere GD To God In any case
lovingly and rustfully knowing that IL Is iathef WuO
VIII treat you as His cAild
After finishing his ta.k ifr. Beecher asked II ahy ono
desired to ask any questions. Dr. White said: g
shonld like to ask. since you have mentioned Lyman
Beecher and other revlvaists, If don't need
dover, we ought not to have man like
Moody come among Us to inclte US TO
work." Mr. B ccher replied that oil sorts OF
mel have their sphere OF usefJness and that Moody
aud other pusYe preachers good In their places,
but he preferred slow steady quiet work going
Oh, which would In tho end accomplish more. Tue
great pumps RidgewJod impress Us with sense Of
enormous power but they accomplish nothing com
pared villa silent pumping going on day and night
10y tdc Of the grass and the trees around them