Year: 1867

Plymouth Church was crowded yesterday both
at the morning and the evening service. There
was nothing remarkable in Mr.. Beechers morn
ing sermon; but in the evening he preached
from the eighth chapter OF Genesis somewhat
singular discourse on matrlmony and the ill
advised marriages. He would say to all
young men, stand to the custom and the
religion of your fathers. Many men get
wives, and get with them the itch and cursed
religion. Canaan is now everywhere where
MammohIa Is Goa' Tnefe Inp tneSe is S g1aless
man gets good wife he wants nothing more in
life. Marriage is thing not to be rushed into,
but cautiously, religlously, and discreetly per-
formed. The religious idea was conveyed as all
that was rich and good In the family and we
have got to hold on to it by our hearts as well
as by our heads Some people get married out
OF bounding passion, but he never saw one
that was glad. The men who do so have
wretched time of 1t, but what kind of time
must the women have? Men like to spite each
other although they hurt themselves. This
passion of spite also enters into the household,
and even into political parties. It's the
law of human nature, not the law of politics.
Acting imprudently and enviously for the pur-
pose of spiting neighbOr is only another way
men have for spiting themselves The speaker
here made another reference to the life of
Jacob, who, he said, lay upon single stone,
which, according to our ldeas must have been
uncomfortable. But the man who can do this is
better than he who has all the luXuries The
robins spend little of their life in preparing the
couch or their food. He had watched them in





an end TO their labors after breakfast. The
speaker would rather sleep aud dream as
Jacob did on the stone, than sleep
and dream as some men do on beds
of down. Men who dream cannot sleep soundly.
1t is one part sleeping and another part
awake. 1t is proof OF some physical imperfec-
tion of the body. A drunken man once dreamed
he went to hell, and what he supposed he saw
there had such an effect on him that he forsook
his cups and became Christian. This occurred
in Massachusetts,. Dreams, therefore, some
times do some good, but very rarely. Better
have settled mind and no dreams at all. The
speaker agrid read that Jacob walked out of his
sleep and poured oil on the stone and named the
place Bethel, saying that thencetorth it should
he would show them how to draw some
profitable lessons from it. He then re-
turned to the question OF marriage, point.
ing out the great dangers arising out
of lll-chosen marriages. Marriages should be
founded upon qualities that will last, rather
than upon the mere ties of affection. When a
upon moral grounds. He that so selects will
make a household a blessing, though some
tiers; and yet not very well adapted for a good
husband or good wife. When the foundation
is properly laid in the household affection, ad-
mlratlo9 and even interest will follow. If there
be any disposed to take the daughters of Ca
naan, he would tell them to go back to the
household OF their fathers for it is not wise 10 mix
religion. He that marries woman first, and
thinks he can change her religion afterwards,
knows little of human nature. Many who hang
their ambition upon those above them thinking
that they will draw themselves up thereby, often
find themselves mistaken. He would recon-
mend all therefore, to go back to the land of
their fathers, to take partners for life from
among their neighbors and always of the same
denomination.


Mr.. Beecher then proceeded to give little
practical advice to his hearers saying that it
matters little how we spend our early life If at
last we turn to God. Nobody so rich as he who
is OBLIGED to lay his head upon God as pillow.
He that sells his manhood buys a mess of pot
tage. Let all, therefore, lay their heads upon
the stone and beg of God to bear them safely
! through.


The speaker next reminded some of his
hearers of the promises which they had made
! to God, some when they were in foreign cline
| suffering rom fever, and others while they were
! lying on the battlefield. He would ask
| whether the promises thus made had ever been
| fulfilled. If not, he would ask the young people
| in his charge to read when they went home the
| eighth chapter of Genesis, and ponder over it,
| Could any man do better thaa this? The
speaker then gave little of his own expert.
| ence when in England, and closed his most re-
markable discourse with an earnest prayar. The
| church was crowded, and the sermon listened
to with attention, though during the delivery
of that portion OF it which referred to marriage,
there was a suppressed tittering among the
ladies.-N. Y. World.