Sermon briefs

Preface

These " Sermon Briefs " are transcriptions of Mr. Beecher's own manuscript notes for discourses preached mostly during the years 1864-65. Full stenographic reports of these were made at the time by Mr. Ellinwood in the course of his regular duties at Plymouth Church. Mr. Beecher turned his notes over to Mr. Ellinwood for reference in completing his reports, which, however, were never written out, and have remained unpublished.

So notable a master of pulpit discourse as Phillips Brooks, in speaking of the Plymouth pastor just after his death, characterized him as " the great preacher, the greatest preacher in America, — and the greatest preacher means the greatest power in the land."

It has seemed worth while, in view of the peculiar freshness and aptness of Mr. Beecher's methods of presenting truth, to transcribe and publish some of these frameworks of discourse which he used for his preaching. " Freshness " they will always have, and timeliness, for they deal with the things that abide, — the nature of man, the nature of God as manifested through Jesus Christ, and the mutual relations between the Father and his children. To quote Bishop Brooks again: " Great services did he render to theology. It is not that we are discovering new truths, but that what lay dead and dry in men's souls has awakened. The Spirit of the Lord has been poured into humanity, and no one more than Mr. Beecher has helped to this, pouring his great insight and sympathy and courage out upon the truths which God gave him to deliver. A great leader in the theological world, believing in the Divine Christ and in eternal hope for mankind."

The Briefs here published are selected from a large number in hand. They are fuller than the notes of Mr. Beecher's sermons in later life; more fragmentary than his earlier ones. No set of notes, however, would represent the sermon actually preached, because often the speaker would become interested in elaborating some thought that stimulated him afresh as he unfolded it, and he would have consumed his time without completing his plan. This troubled him little, since he aimed not at sermons, but at men; his peroration or final appeal, ready in his mind, would conclude his discourse as effectively as if his original sketch had been adhered to. Sometimes he wrote quite fully, — usually in introduction ; sometimes he discoursed with lowered eyes as if reading, when little or nothing was written. This was especially the case when themes of deep emotion were dealt with — notably on the occasion of his grand discourse in Plymouth Church on the Sunday after the death of Lincoln. He did not trust himself to look at his audience ; the swollen stream of thought and feeling must flow to its appointed end without breaking its banks ; he seemingly read the whole — from a manuscript of a few sentences.

Mr. Beecher's way of letting his sermon " simmer " in his mind, not daring to commit it to paper until early on Sunday morning, when he rapidly dashed off his preaching notes for almost immediate use in the pulpit, resulted in considerable irregularity of form, many abbreviations, hints, and significant but incomplete phrases. The preparation of these notes for other eyes than his own, therefore, has demanded not only careful transcription, but in many places studious interpretation, and now and then final omission of undecipherable chirography.

Despite such imperfections, however, it is believed by the Editors that these outlines will serve to show how and why such preaching laid hold on men, and will bring inspiration to many.

Brooklyn, N. Y., September, 1905.

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Contents

THE SUMMONS

Calls to men, setting forth the dangers of the worldly life, and

reasons for following Christ.