WON BY A PSALM.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1172, 19 August 1885, Page 2

WON BY A PSALM.

j BEJECIIEB's' EMOTIONAL POWER ' OVER ' l '.' ;t ihs * c'd^GiaEGATION.' ','■,' HorV" is, 1 a 'perfectly true 1 anecdote^ ;nbt hWe'tofore' 'published ; and' it, "was tpld to the correspondent of an Ainerii' cafa, paper by a leader of Plymouth' ChuJrch.' after' a 'recent' evqhifion 'ser- ! mo'ri B'eecb'e'f. He ' had asked' 'whether/ the 'congregation, would, stay J with' the 'p'astpr ''if he, made'any 'further' de ! pariur6s' from" ,orlhpd'ox'£/'ari,H 'the reply was that Beech'er's ern'otional' jpoweT'over'them was equal 'to ,ahy reiq'nir'em'eht: : .'' l"" .', '•• ' • «' '•" ] '"'"ln'the height of ' w.b'^' ; has gane 1 !inl6;'BisWry> t s-Jtihe' ) Beeehe; t r scaklal," iHe'con'tinudd, 1 '* it'wa's at one!, runctuf e 1 |th'e:;tpss; #p M d£' a' 'cept 'wh^te :! ye; stru'ekhim* Qrh I 6t / 7',Tne i^¥PdsdiM him' at tha^u^u^lieVn^lOs'olute'ly' conclusive,^ an'dthe most. intimate and steadfast f fieiiM eoufd-'makb* no argument, but^ssert theif~blind .faith. At I a certain .^r^day evening prayer;-meet-ing tbe. atmosphere ,was- fairly chilled, by dpubts andoutsight , condemnation. JJeecher took his usual seation the low, platform— 'he remained seated during the' servide-^and as he looked round 1 the 'assemblage he' appiearedtd'me 1 for the m'bme'nt to becjpushejdbv'the'situa : tion. 'Dejection , and sorrow^pre^x-i pressed in< eyiery! lin,e o,£ his strqng face^., Het slowly, turned , the Reaves of, his Bible, to select, a passage pf scripture to read. Hiss choice wasithat favorite psalm 1 of consolation and ifaith ibeginning,'*lhe Lord is' my shepherd, I I shall not want.' ' His "feyes were not oil the page; and throughout'itwap! a recitatiqn from memory, not a reading, There w;as £in almost piteous, tone, of appeal in the utterance of the sentence, as though it was his prayer for-the fulfilment of a divine promise ; rather. 4han a declaration of confidence. Then

he went on',' quietly, ferventlyj J 'as ibpugh 'somewhat' reminiscent' pf 'pafet religipus sweetness ' in ; his experience. ! He ; mak,etfi me to lie down, in green pastures. 1, Hdileadeth me beside* the s.till">w&tersji; He restoretb my souL| Into the succeeding sentence be injected, as" though he had interpolated an explicit assertion of ' Ma own rectitude,', a spirit of bold self-vindica-tion:, ',He guifletb me in- the paths of righteousness for . , His . name's sake. ' The accused preacher's head was now held high, his 1 voice was- declamatory and something pf defiance 'was ' in hiis mien.' 1 .But after a silent moment his aspqet^cbanged utterly, indicating that j;he w£ign't of his bad lifted^ for an jrisljai}.t, only , to return, crusbiijgly. Tears, came into his . eyes ,and'his voice was tremulous- as he /proceeded :..' Xea, though' l' walk through' the- valley' > of the. shadow of death, ' l i Will fear' tto evil, for 1 Thou' aft w'ith'me.' Again' 1 a pause, with ensuing exultation : ' ' Thou preparest a table .before n^e ( ,in,^he p,re^ence ; , of inine, enemies,; Thoii 'ba^'j; anointed. my ( hea4 with oil; my cup runneth over.' - By 'this timfe; jtears we're dropping from 1 half the eyes 'in the ;hoiise, and : the' sobs of deeply aiffected wo.men.Wefe h^ard. ' The final lines, ,'were delivered in a climAx t qi ■quivering agitation. , f Surely goQo'tiess and mercy shall follow me ! all the days of imy i life, and I -will dwell an. , the house of the Lord 'for ever.' -That "Psalm won the case for Beecher so far as iis own people were concerned:' ' It was' the/grandest' elocution ever heard !on, earth." ' ,/,,„',