Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-06-06
H'Y WARD BEECHER.

H'Y WARD BEECHER.
u 4 citizen of Lewisburg who was present
at the delivery of the discourse ske,ched in the
annexed from the Ne,D York Sun of Goth ul,.,
states that there we're three or four thousand
person present, and hundreds were unable to
obtain admission. We notice other evidences
that the pulpit is awaking-as it has in other
days and places--to giant Sin in a practical
form. Were every preacher to oppose with
the energy of Martin Luther and The zeal Of
John Knox, what John Wesley denounced as
the vilest oppression that ever saw the sun
American Slavery-its extension would be
checked, and the system itself "ameliorated to
Observation-Disclosures. CHRoS.
A Sumner and Kansas Sermon.
TPLYMoUTH CHURCH, Brooklyn, was
filled to its utmost capacity, last evening,
with eager listeners to masterly sermon
by its pastor, Henry Ward Becchcr, on the
signs of the times, with particular reference
to the late outrage at Washington and the
embodiment in Kansas. The subject was
"Human Suffering" the texts cited being
John Ii. 49-5l, and Luke xiv 46
Throughout the time of delivery-nearly
an hour and half-the utmost attention
was paid to the speaker The impression
produced was profound-not to be mis-
taken. We give an outline of his remarks
not having space to publish them in er-
tense
John 11-495l. Luke 24-46.
Suffering is part of the original design
of God. 1t is not, therefore, an evil, but
an enemy of evil. To be good, aud to do
good, must be earned by suffering. The
sufferings of Christ took hold on man, ,and
something more than that. 1t took hold
of God, and the throne Of God, but how
or why We can not tell. No man can ever
really love another, except he be willing
to suffer for him. The parent must suffer
for the child, and no child is so unfortu-
nate as that one who has no one to suffer
for it. 1t was necessary that Christ should
lend something of his life to the world, in
order to raise it, So those who are his
disciples, must be willing to give their
lives for his cause. Good will only be
born out of evil in this world by suffering
and birth throes. The law of life reveals
it: "By stripes are we healed" The
privilege Of being useful is bound up in
tbis-that you are willing to drink Of the
cup that Christ drank, and be baptised
with his baptism.
The measure of mans love for his
fellow creature, is to be tested by the suf-
fering he is willing to bear for him. In
turn, every part of mans nature asks to
be delivered from sacrifice until love pre-.
walls over them As the tide of the ocean
flows and covers over rock after rock in
its course, so love rises and covers passions
and vices.
How much a man loves cause or
principle, must be measured in the same
way. We can not measure it by reasoning.
Logic never measures principle. The
eminsnce We give truth over all other
things, fxes the value put upon it. Can
man give up business and wealth, honor
and happiness, more than principle ? Then
does he love that principle. But how
many men run away from principle when
its enemies come after him with torch !
The world has made every step of its
way, up from barbarism, through processes
of suffering. Its leaders and guides have
been purified as Moses was. Thousands
have thus suffered, and the end is not yet
Cbrist's suffering was Of higher type and
a purer than mertals can realize. 1t is
mistake to suppose that the world has out
grown this necessity of suffering-to look
upon such things as historical. There will
yet be as much suffering as there ever has
been. Men are just as little willing to
give up their rights, to passions, now, as
ever. The form, of suffering has changed
and will change from age to age, but the
fact remains.
There are three periods of suffering for
truth-lst, The anuuuciation of the truth;
2d, The struggle to establish it; and Sd,
Its application. The principle of Liberty
i. now but an inch deep, it is only the top
of society that it is applied to. When it
is carried down through strata after strata,
until it touches black, then there is indig-
nation and opposition. The world grows
in rings-in layers. Great truths can not
come to perfection until We have suffered
and even died for them.
When great causes have been made sue
cessful, then all men are ready to praise
God and glory in them but when there
come rumblings and troubles, then they
ire not to be found. That which Liberty
md the cause of humanity needs, in our
lay, is, Martyr-men to suffer for it. We
,avs had enough men who love it in songs
md sentimentslity, but few who love it in