“There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away.”

American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker

Henry Ward Beecher was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and public speaker. He became known for his support of abolition, his emphasis on God's love, and the notoriety of his 1875 adultery trial. Beecher's preaching focused strongly on the love of Christ, and that emphasis helped shape mainstream Christianity well beyond his own time. His work combined religious teaching with reform-minded public speech, and his influence has continued into the 21st century.