The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-16
HILLS In BEECHER'S PULPIT
THE CHICAGO DIVTNE APPARENTLY
FULFILS ALL EIPECTA TIoNS.

Ward Beecher filed the old ediilce to overflow
ing. tho Rev. DIR. Newell Dwight Hills. who Is
to succeed DR.. Lyman Abbott IA pastor OF the
church. preached his first sermon there yester'
day morning. His trend OF thought doctrfnally
was not shown in the sermon indeed. the
subject was such that 1t hardly could have been,
He preached on the character and influence OF
Christ and showed himself a wide student. a
graceful and forceful speaker. and the possessor
OF a distinctive literary style. combined with
nc little eloduence.
In anticipation Of the probable crush in tho
church the wise ones who desired to get good
seats presented themselves as early as 10
o'clock. and even then found n number of
very energetic persons before them. From
that hour on the curious old-fashioned build
ing filed up with unexampled rapidity. When
the services began at 1880 o'clock every seat
and every foot OF standing room were occu-
pied, late corners were struggling to find space
at the rear entrance. and scores, finding that
the corridors were crowded. were leaving In
despair Of getting any place where they might
hear the new preacher.
IAN the other churches in Brooklyn must
have small congregations to-day" said an old
member Of Plymouth who had arrived at the
regular hour only to find himself unable to get
within hailing distance of his pew or Of an
usher who might conduct him TO it. II think
all the churchGoers in town must be right
here"
For several minutes before the services be-
gan the ushers had to give up any attempt at
performing their duties. for the aisles about
the doorways were impossible. In the gal
leries the crush was just as great. In the hall
ways and on the stairs, whore 1t was impossi-
Bile to get a glimpse OF the pulpit or OF any part
OF the interior of the church except the ceiling
and a small portion OF tho gallery, the crowd
stood fast In the hope that when the preaching
began they could at least hear the minister's
voice. One of the church officers who left his
seat in the left-hand gallery to go downstairs
was unable to get back until the departureoftwo
women who became faint and had to be handed
out made room for him to get a start. 1t then
took him five minutes OF determined showing
to traverse the five yards which separated the
doorway from his seat. The passing of the
collection plates entailed n most powerful
struggle on the part OF the officials upon whom
that duty devolved. and each of them looked.
when It was over. as If he had been struggling
with a mob. In all there were probably not |
less than 500 persons standing up in the audi |
tory and corridors. and this in n church where
there is but the ~scantiest provision for stand
ing room. the seating capacity of the building |
being stretched to the utmost and the aisles
and side spaces being paroeued out with the
most rigid economy.
Dr. LYMAN Abdul pponSu IHo SoTVlCes.
There were the usual prayer and music. after
which he made the announcements for the en-
suing week. Among these was the notice Of a
church meeting 10 act upon the resignation of
the retiring pastor lhimself). and to decide
upon the acceptance or rejection Of the minis
ter nominated by the committee appointed for
that purpose CDr. Hillisl. DR.. Abbott did not
formally introduce his successor. but merely
said:
After the singing of the next hymn the re-
mainder Of the service will be conducted by
Hills"
When the minister from one of the best
known churches in Chicago. the successor
there of the learned and eloquent DIR. David
Swing. arose and zane forward to his place
In the pulpitthe prevailing sentiment of those
who had not hitherto seen, him was heard in
What IA young-loOking man he is
The congregation saw before them a tai,
in his face, suggestive of deep and long-con-
tinued study might have been taken for little
an mU attractiys ep5e Hst1 i 10. the "" eye there Ell IS no 10
denying. He is a decidedly handsome man.
fsshs. viii His T fass is sI asfI I hair an and 4 r s1 , % Ians,
with d~eep-set.- brilliant dark eyes. Il high fore
head and q firm chin. There is something
tells as Enthusiastically as il does iinrtdedniteiy Of
scholarship and the habit Of studious thought.
Necessarily take Dir. Hills for a minister Of the
gospel; but certainly one would not mistake
Of thought, whether by tongue or
pen. He was dressed yesterday in the conven-
DR.. Hills did not begin his address. as so
order to indreasd the force as the sermon pro-
ceeds. He plunged ut once into the full tide of
and by the time he had reached his
third or fourth sentence he was talking with
he leaned slightly on the pulpit desk. speaking
first to one side. then to the other. and accom-
~ "a 81 Nin hll NyDTIA viii II ga .al hDf nv l
p pr1sd"e gestSr"s' He used no manuscri HA.
and if he had notes he referred TO them 50 sell
any evidence, OF them. Vet there were parts
Of his sermon dealing with definite, historic
must have been committed TO memory with
great care and the richness aud elegance
the entire address may have been mem
ori2ed. His voice, while not notably musical in
i ioGe nd mSs i've wh mIr' a imdP9F' to a G tSPafHI d dts G2irry.
ness in enunciatiOn, rendered him audible to
his entire audience; even to those who stood
they could hardly see the interior of the audi
torium. From the first word he uttered to the
last a flatterinG silence was preserved by the
big crowd, and probably not more than a score
out of all those who were unable to find seats
the church while the sermon was in prog
In Chicago,Dr. Hills, while greatly admired.
regarded as being addicted to undesirable
or originality is bound TO show individual
there was nothing in DIR. Hillis's manner Of
delivery Yesterday that would be called a
mannerism, His method Of emphasis and
gesture is his own. and he shows a decided
tendency toward a lengthening of his vowels.
but there is certainly nothing unpleasant or
grotesaue In his delivery that merits tho name
mannerism. 1t is quite possible. however.
that in, Chicago. his broad as, were found objec-
tlonable as typifying the culture of the effete
Ea st, His pronunciation in this respect does
not differ from that Of half the public speakers
of education heard on the platform or in the
pulpit here. He speaks swiftly and with culmi-
native force.
The text was from the thirteenth chapter Of
Matthew, the ility-lfth and iifty-Sixth verses:
rs not this the carpenters son? Is not his
called Mary? = II : Whence, then. +
hath this man all these things 2" !
Extracts from the sermon would give no fair I
idea of Dr.. Hillis's cloqucnce. Ii was one Of ,
those addresses which 10 Inc appreciated must !
be heard or read unabridged. Its substance !
Was the character and influence of Jesus Christ. !
The character Of Jesus, the preacher said, was +
still an uneNplorcd country around the coasts ;
1f which the historians made their way with .
but perCeiving tho inner beauties of it. From
svery point Of view He was the most luminous
md glorious figure in all histury-in beauty OF !
IN courage, in Nirtuc and purity oflite '
IN His teachings and sayings, and in His infiu- :
ence. Tho lessons of morality and polity which ,
10 nHLA M 4