The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-02

is the OF growth In knowledge dispos
ton the source OF growth in moral knowledge, ana
| therefore we dnd such an expression as this from
| Paul in the fourth OF Ephesans, .'But speaking the
| truth IN love may grow up unto him IN all things
trace the stages OF the growth IN the knowledge or
the Lord Jesus Christ The earliest notions we enter
| tain OF God those which lrst dawn upon the ten
der mind OF infancy, drawn from the associations
| which surround tne enid from the moral social
and domestic caaractsristcs OF the family.
/ OF God are family rendered to tho infante
mind IN the disposition and moral qualities
/ through accumulated words that attempted the
theoretical deluition OF Co.. found he had learned
nothing. There was no heart in them, no tangible
presentation OF the divine being, nothing TO teach
him nearer and clearer conception; but yet he re-
allied very vivid notion OF the Almighty from the
transfer OF the family affections and associations.
AZ people grow in years they read of the Lord Jesus
OF Nazareth, but ther idea of.Hm traces itself back
| to the Bible and IN the Bible is entombcd. Men who
have been awakened TO grace by the power OF God
have complained that they had never before
| element in most cases comes in and shapes the
ton which the human mind Is prone to form Of the
TO the study OF the divine nature his own peculiar
attributes. Thus one man will regard the Ruler OF
the universe as supreme magislracy governing all
| Him as great social being, taking lively aud
unremltting interest Ia the affairs of humanity,
| helping hand to the lowly and PROSTATE.
Others, with minds shaped to forms OF taste and
| belufy-artSt ana poet naturcS-Wll clOtile
God with ali the brightest rament OF earth and jew
elry OF heaven or watch they have any conception.
Stil more whose natures are OF benevolent turn
viii Ill out the picture with all the soft and tender
TINS OF pure benevOlence. TO them the disposition
OF God Is all summers all genial. kindly sunshine; all
melting charity and love. So do the minds OF men
conceive each after II own lashionns, OF what kind
OF being rules above. Men are not constituted alike
and no church by Its individual members can
claim TO be q pure representative OF its
own creed and theory. Some men are born
Roman Catholics; some are born Epscopaians;
nnr
OF magnets to be found, one OF which Will attract TO
itself nothing but steel; another nothing but cop.
per; third nothing but lead and running one of
these along line OF 1lings made up OF these yari
GUS metals 1t will pick OUT that alone from all the
rest to which s nature is attracted. The Cavnistc
idea Of God Is that OF ruler, who governs by tho
strong arm OF power and law untempered by mercy
The Arminian = tho opposite; It IS an antlthetcal
humanity. But :, tho most palpa6le inra.
knowledge OF God is our own experience
God is the sonls food and bread OF life and as the
physical diet Of man affects him In the Kind and pro-
portion he receives, actual experiences deter
mine whether TO theIsoul its food has been
bitter 10 the mother whose struggle to live for her
little through poverty and the Ill usage Of
tai husband you may tax or the omniscience the
competence and the nfnity Of God, but she under
stands them not Her experience her heart and her
life have been her thcOtogians. In the gloom and
sorrow of her existence she knows from whence the
light laden with gladness came, and sue knows her
prayer was heard az the great throne OF Heaven.
NO man knows better how We'll and Wisely 1t Ia 10
!
way OF bringing to God the werched OF his species.
That man who can take poor, forlorn, despsed,
pass0n-oound creature and Int nim up towards the
likeness Of his God Will one day higher In his
work, will achieve a more enduring fame than the
artist who works IN marble for the brightest hules
Of worldly glory. True knowledge OF the Almighty
comes IN many and divers ways; it in tears,
sickness. sorrow, JOY. ami DEATH 1t comes often
moe as on w the sqr ea more aa than ali
t that :, THEOLOGY ,SS car car teach Any man wao
IN Con will find ha q ms ON Nm dad y fha
heart ana then interpret BY head what you have
found. Speak with MIN, walk with him, read act
and not such as most people 60 TO seek In the CAFE
chism or EvangelistS. Tue great outlines OF the
DroWth TIE knowledge Of linn is ever and viii be
ever growing, increasing In strength and breadth
aud iuness long alter tho cerements OF earth arc
left behind No man can read the wn0le OF Cod
1t takes the voice or all mankind to shadow forth
tho outline. No man can lay his RUE down 70
measure the length and breadth OF Ills inhnlty and
no man can say he has sunk his pluminet deep
, as TO have touched the bottom Of Gods goodness.
They poor indeed who are without God. They
only are truly Tlch who live In and by Him.
Evening Service-On Our Public Men.
For wonder there were spare, or, at least. unoc-
cupled pews In Plymouth church last evening at
divine service q fact, however, not very remarkable
considering the very disagrecabo rain and cold
wind which prevailed at that time it had also
done throughout the day.
After the usual predatory form OF services had been
complied with Mr.. Beecher selected as the
subject Of his discourse the story of the
restoration to life OF Dorcas, the benefactress,
contained in the thirty-sxth and succeeding
verses of the ninth chapter OF the Acts OF the Apos
ties. lie said this incident did not possess much
interest either from the fact that Dorcas had died or
was raised to LIE as that when she was dead her
friends felt that void was made. She was one Of
those who through the fragrance OF her good deeds
and aims though apparently OF humble estate was
proceeded TO illustrate the beauties OF the ca
ieer OF one whose life had been marked
and yearning manifested at her DEATH aud asked how
many OF those lie saw before him. or OF the commu-
nifty generally, would leave such void through the
remembrance of their virtues lie was perfectly
well aware oi the KIND OF regret experienced al the
death OF many men Of wealth and alluence such re-
perhaps very influential friend. Int many such men
died withoutleaving behind them the honor OF having
done generous decd. They died after having
rolled up their treasure for the sake Il treas
ure, making 10 one richer and no one poorer none
wiser and none happier u had never been their
than other mems sunlight Further, he saw scores
OF men In the community each one Of whom would
make very respectable devil, and, unfortunately In
no class were tney more numerous than among our
public men. Tho men who were most talked
OF in their towns In the counties, In the states
| and In the nation were men whose lives had been
inwaroly aud socially such that no one cared any
thing about them Tor their personal worth virtue,
and yet they were spoken or as the men who gave
stone 20 society," NO one knew where they came
from; they came up like whales, blowing aud spout
ing; they were the men that are breaking tne
| face Of the water. he had lived through two or
three generations OF pubic men and had
| into place and be forgotten. And now
when he looked upon tho senate, and the House OF
Representatives. and the executive officers OF the
state and nation he looked with an eye OF sadness
upon them ior the little good influence they WELD,
| though they certainly had immense power to do
good. The worst part Of American society was
found 10 its public men, for In thei was the least
confidence, The least purity the 9, least truth the
yet there some who teach us In public
life that IL 10 not necessary TO be bad IN
order to be great and powerful; but after all
the majority Of men were unable TO bear the stress
which gives them that moral element. They don't
feel that virtue, honor sefsacrnce aud dsinterest
| edness are indispensable, and that those men who
DO not possess these qualities are delequescing ard
passing away. And he might go and speak Of one
class and another, but he only wished to ask mis-
| hearers how II was with them-who would fee