The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-11
pLyMgulH CHURCH.
Sermon by the Rev. Henry Ward Bcecher--
Crcss Bearing.

Sermon by the Rev. Henry Ward Bcccher--
Crcss Bearing.
This place OF worship was crowded 10 Its full
capacity yesterday morning tor the first time since
since the opening OF the fail and winter campaign.
The number OF persons who crowded the alsles anu
remained standing during the proracted service
was something very significant as indicating
how willing ordinary sinners are 10 have
the devf knocked out OF them If the
exorcist only have the skill to do II in manner
that viii not send the afflicted ones tumbllng pel
NEIL into the lake after the swine After the nyoca
tion and hymn the ordinance OF baptism was adj.
mlnstered to dozen children more or less. Mr..
Beecher descending from his pulpit with his face
agl0w like that OF Moses when he came down with
the tables Of stone. This rite performed and
the children borne out IN the arms of their
mothers over the first thorny steps OF the
Tegenerate lfe the preacher returned from the altar
10 his pulpit and poured out his soul IN prayer
shat could not have tailed to kindle the feeling OF
devotion In every heart capable OF II. The text for
the sermon was part OF the seventeenth verse VI
ing his cross, went forth into place called the place
OF skull" The preacher began with series OF
observations on the pictorial treatment OF the
various in the life OF Christ by the older and
the later schools OF modern painters There was no
part OF the life OF Christ which mad much engaged
the attention OF the artists as that which gave an
opportunity to represent his sufierlngs. In illus
trating the words Of the text the earlier artists rep
resented Christ as bearing his cross trlumphanty.
Later artists, less spiritual, more sensuous, mad
shown Christ bending under ms cross, and some.
times falling upon the knee or upon the knee and
hand wMatthew, Marx and even Luke did not men,
ton that Christ bore his own cross. Only John men
tons the TACT, and he only mucn as the text con-
tains Early art represented Christ with his cross
upon his shoulder, as II he had almost triumphed.
1t Is the cross borne by one sustained by divine
energy. The outward life OF CHRIST from first To
last was one OF calm triumph; not a triumph on the
cross alOne-iJ was o triumph all the way through.
the sign or symbol OF moral struggle 1t ls the sym
Dol Of seif-denial sefnegation. II any man sup.
posed that TINS world was made perfect. and that
there was nothing 10 be done, he has mistaken both
nature and Scripture. God did not create man
perfect at first, but SO created HIM that he would be
ages In coming to himself. We begin low down ii
nret. The life OF man. n 1t is what 1t was designed
10 be, is continual struggle TO subordinate
lower TO a higher faculty or feeling. When
lower feelings give up TO higher ones
II IS taking up the cross. "lf any man will come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his
daily and follow me.i Men DO not follow CHRIST
when they run after him; they follow Christ when
they follow his nature. No man can fonow the true
spiritual Christ except by that process which puts
down the lower nature and subordDates II to the
higher There wide differences OF experience in
the matter OF cross bearing. Crosses are not the
same TO all. Men had wondered at the origin OF evil
God designed II Tor mans Development. 1t Is all in
vain 70 shape our paths as 10 avoid trouble.
There is but one tree that bears true mannOod-the
cross. Is It not enough to accept the cross The
manner OF bearing 1t IS almost as important as the
bearing Of IL at all.