Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-19

1
Henry Ward Beecher, in late sermon,
observes:
1t is not only how good you are that makes
| you christian, but how good you are, and
| how good you make other people to be. All
great growth, in human life, must be in the
| development of this element of voluntary
service and suffering one for another. All
great growth, ] say, must be in this element
OF suffering one for another. Those then
who seek TO do great good in this world
should understand the road by which they
are to do it. 1t is one thing for you my
| friends, while under the stirring influence of
preaching, when you have laid aside worldly
care, and you are gathered together and your
fancy is dealt WITH and all your feelings are
sensitive-it is one thing for you then to feel
that you would like to be benefactor of
your race. This is an age in which we are
all run mad for philanthropy. Everybody
wants to be a philanthropist and men go
out to be philanthropists. So when man
goes down, his first inquiry is, "What shall
do 2"
A man rises, and is vexed that he was not
called earlier, that he was not called TO a
better breakfast; that his commands are not
obeyed by his servant-who is for ever for
getting-and starts out on philanthropy
lie goes to teach, perhaps, as one of the
readiest things we know Of in our time-he
goes to teach the poor, and supposes there
will be suitable conception of what con-
descension it is in him. He goes, as much as
10 say, "Here, boys, am |; and have come
clear down from that altitude in which live;
take great care of me, and respect and revere
me, for have come to teach you" But
when these boys cuff each other, and pull
each others hair, and kick him, are there
one Sunday and away the next and swear,
and lie, and steal, and pick his pockets while
be is instructing them, the man says, sThis
philanthropy has been greatly cried up, but /
have had enough of it. The human race is
totally depraved,' apd will let them go"
Here was a man who went down to find
worshippers; here was man who went
down to do good, and save himself. II Is as
if miser should go out to distribute charity.
thinking all the while how he could do il
without losing money! And here are men
who go out to do good, all the time counting
how much they get, and what it costs them
There is no bounty of feeling no outpouring
of nature, no regality of thought, saying,
How can give my being to make other
beings richer?" No feeling that it is glo-
rious TO bear, and endure, and suffer; and
when you come to bear, and endure, and
suffer, out of church, that is very different
thing from doing it in church.
These words and phrases, when | sound
them in rolling sentences, stir up your corus-
eating fancies and you say it is all glorious
but when you go out into life, where men are
as they are, and find that suffering means
this-when man cheats you still to love him.
when a man reviles you, still seeing the i'm
morality of that life, spent in degradation,
suffering and sin; when he strikes you, still
holding that mans hand as a brother-that
is quite another thing. When you take a
man up and care for him, and though he lies
to you and cheats you, there is still warm
place in your bosom, and you can still care
for him, though he is your enemy, then you
have conception of that divine example in
the life of Christ Jesus, who gave his life for
us, when we were enemies.