OCR Text |
Show LATEST DISPATCHES, j GENERAL. KKKCHEK AT HUME. And All ihe" Lesser Beecber's There Also. "PBA1SE GOD FRON WHOtf ALL BLESSINGS FLOW." II rreuchex as Though He Were Sot CJulliy. Hi Trouble Were Only a ;riiiJMiuue to Miurpeu Uia Ueupuus oi" Spiritual War- New York, 2, Plymouth Church was packed with people ibis evening to hear beecher on his return from his summer vacation. At 7 o'clock ' there was no standing room, either in the church or piusages, nnd Indies were frequently borne out during tbe services in a fainting condition. Among those present were Mrs. Beecher, Charles Beecher, Dr. Edw. Beecher, Colonel Beecher, Mrs. Harriet Har-riet Beecher Slowe, assistant pastor Halltday, all the members of the late investigation committee, Protessor Rotoitor W. Raymond and the trustees trus-tees ot the church. Promptly at 7.30 Mr. Beecher came on the platform and was received with a storm of applause. ap-plause. He gave out the hymn "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," which waa Bung by the congregation congre-gation with great spirit. Ho tnen ottered a brief prayer, in which he thaukei God for this meeting on the twenty-seventh anniversary of his pastorate of tho church; prayed that much good might accrue lrom his labors during the coming season, and returned thanks to God fur all Ins past blessing-?. Another hymn was suite-a: id prayer was (illered by PruUssor Raymond. He besought "the I ord to bless the man on his riyht hand, and gave thanks for tho trials of discipline brought upon their pastor, which was for the glory of Zion After the congregation con-gregation had sung another hymn, Mr. Beecher, rising to hi feet, said ha would much rather have met his friends as usual at the end ol his vacation, vaca-tion, but he was anxious that the good old customary Friday night prayer meetings should not he departed de-parted from. They were met together toge-ther as in so m&ny years before ttt the commencement of what might be a new year to consecrate themselves to the spread of Christ's kingdom on earth; when troubles carried us away under burdens that we had not strength to bear, and under waves oi sorrow, when our strength, failed, God's strength began; when sorrows were no longer to be tolerated and mon came to the end of their endurance, endur-ance, then in its plentitude and abundance came the everlasting presence and power of the Almighty. Then men looked back with amazement amaze-ment to think that their courage ever ; failed. When allliction or trouble wns ! on man he should not hold down his head as a prisoner in the chains. It was for ub to lift up ourselves from the visible to the invisible, and though there might be troubles lowdown.God was above the clouds. He made an appeal to the young men of the congregation to grow in righteousness and the spirit of truth, and say to ihcmselves: "I shall not crumble in dust, but shall ri-je, irresistible irre-sistible in the power of the heart o Christ." "I ask not your confidence or sympathy, but the unity of a blessed hope that you feel a sympathy for the weak to lift them up and gave 'them for Christ." He alluded ven remotely to the discipline the churct had gone through, which he though! was only a kind of grind Btone tc sharpen their weapons of spiritua' war:aro for the remainder of tht year, and he thought they should b( all animated by the spirit of love, joj and peace in God. This had beer their animating purpose for twenty-seven twenty-seven years, and they would comeoul of this tribulation for noother purpose than the glory of Gcd. At the close of the meeting friendi of the pastor crowded around him, the scene of handshaking and congratulations congra-tulations that ensued lasting aom time. |