The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-03

lis Widow Describes the Great Preachers
First brooklyn Sermon.

lis Widow Describes tho Great Preachers
First nroolSiyn Sermon.
Mrs. Henry Ward Becchcr gives IN
interesting account OF the first sermon
preached by Mr.. Becchcr in Plymouth
church, Brooklyn, in her fifth paper on
"Mr. Bcecher as l Knew Him." in the
March Ladies' Home Journal. 4 perfect
flood Of warnings and criticisms came
to him before his first sermon. Doubt
less all these warnings determined, Mr..
Beecher moro than aught else that the
people OF his new church should fully
understand before he was installed
what course he vas likely 10 pursue.
He told me that ii Plymouth church
decided to install him, it would do so
with its eyes wide open. IT was upon
the evening oil Sunday, October 10, 1877.
He sat quietly on the pulpit while the
choir was singing. IFS eyes scanned
the concourse OF people before him,
but it was the look OF confidence
that saw. Knowing as | did some
thing OF what he intended to. sav |
could not but think, "Nill these people
accept the bold course he has marked
out for his work from one SO young
looking% For his ten years OF labor at
the West had not rubbed the youth
from his face. | noticed the almost
contcmptuous looks OF the strangers
present asst they watched his face. As
he rose to road the. Scriptures I!dcath.
like silence pcrvaded the great church.
But not q tremor was visible in the
voice thai spoke. With tina. mellow
voice which the Brooklyn public learned
SO well TO know, he read the lesson Of
the evening as ii he were before hiG
LawrencebEre audience. Then as he
uttered the first low sentence of his
prayer, rs his heart rose ~hcavenward,
the effect OF the preacher became visi
bic on his congregation, and he brought
his hearers close to the m%crcy-seat. All
was changed. An almost breathlcss
solemnlty p%ervaded the church, and
tears were on many faces. .
The youthful look vanished and did
not return, rs, i'll his sermon, he plain
~, and with great soiGmnity, showed
his hearers the course duty called him
to pursue. As no said OF these remarks
years after: II lifted up the banner
and blew the trumpet in the applica-
ton OF Christianity to lntempcrance, to
slavery, and all other great national
sing. / said to those present, If l re-
main here and you come to tlis church,
it must at the commencement DO dis
tlnctly understood that | wear no iet-
ters, that l will be bound by no precc-
dent, and that | will preach tho Gospel
as l apprchend it, whether men will
hear or whether they will forbear, and
| vii! apply it sharply and strongly to
the overthrow OF every evil, and to the
upbuilding OF all that is good"
After the close OF the crmo many
camo to counsel Mr.. Bccchcr. They
were nctuatcd by kindness to him and
anxiety for the church. Such bold,
plain speaking they did not under
stand. They had never been used to it.
1t would overthrow this young church.
"Don't ally yourself to unpopular
mcn or unpopular causes" they told
him. ,"There is no cause for it. You
will only injure yourself and break up
this church."
After preaching 4 month in Plymouth
church, he was installed rs pastor OH
November II; 1877.