, 1870-10-20
NORTH GP CtIT LlAlIS.
Nrstnu st- a1l It = Of Lincoln M, $ I, sox
II
BEECHER's HETEH0D0XY.
imagination Pictnr1nU the Future
N1nIc-Thc Fht1nropksy 0f StehytHE
From, tho Path OF Virtue.

smuginatton Pfctnr1nE the Esifurc |
>1ntc-Thc rht1o"oplsy of StshytHE
From, tho Path OF Virtue.
From the Neec FORK Hnrii. Oet- Il.
In Plymouth Church. yesterday, Ar. Beecher |
preached sermon, taking ~ his text tho |
;wcptv-flfth chapter Of Matthew. the forty |
sixth verss: ''And these rhall 80 away into
everlasting punishment; hut the righteous
spoke to you Of Heaven. showing the method
ot the Sacred Scripture in regard to the spirit
world Fat lces agreeable, get scarcely less
important. is the teaching on tho en1isct Of
future punishment, and the same meth1d OF
representation is employed in depicting the
ing the Joy Of the righteous. Scientitic
accuracy is impossible; cur present Life
has not terms TO interpret truths which arc
ruperreusuoue, and OF which this state has
ro actual experience: All Representatives.
therefore, are approximate, and employ tho
imagination in their interpretation. and the
imagination il not merely decorative quality,
| il is that faculty by which tho soul is able to
! dikcern the invisible t-utll. NJ book OF in
st1uction in the world ever made larger nae
| Of tho imagination than tbs bible, aud iutesli-
| gent commentators and preachers recognize
the majestic beauty OF the pictures OF heaven,
Int hlye taught that thtso were not to be
taken literally. aud in the deltueAtiou OF pun
istment the slme imaginative state OF things
exists. AL things arc massha1led to create in
| tie eoul powerful conception OF u rcnalty.
aud the penalty Is the thing, and not fire and
sritnstone, lurid light, se11ied SCORPIONS, Gnnw-
ing ~prn,s, storms, thunder aEd lightning. DC.
These figures ara not designed to he taken -
literal, hut tlsev point 10 the invisible trnths
vbi.h will be to 1r1r soul hereafter what these
pictures are now to the inaSinstlon- There
iii not 10 fi,c, but there will be that
sense Of suffering to which fire is
fair suggestion: there will pot be s:or-
rions or living ~ornis; yet all men kEoT
hat there arc fer:ings Of reno So which gnaw
tho soul moro thin ever worus could the body.
Bat theec teachings arc spiritual, and not car
pai OF sensual. Il is ose thing to rad PAS
~agc whisl. have read this morning.. out It y
another TO read It in the face nf d:aa child.
The tlco!oglan mas re Ad it ristng IN hts cnair
in his studS hut let him be called to follow
| 20 tho grave sn:l who has gone 1ztfay and II
vii possess different Significance Ths edu'
Gated MUD OF Christian neu Tor she last hpn-
, | dted years has been changing, theories have
,. have bscn changing fran, gross matc11al rcp-
I resentntion moro aud moro in the direction OF
) moral rerresenta atinn. Tho subject is not np-
nrcaclc4 Us it used to l'e in uly chilJhoo1- Il
: Is is tine that mul,itudoe Of men have been
. lion, AID there has been profound change in
the opiuion Of Chtistcndo1n On the subject OF
lut1re punishment as 1t WAS handed down t.
them from metinvM representations. Repro
: zexts ago. and which are still made in the
Catholic churches. arc tuch that no man cat
)elsrr and retaip lis relf-respect or his reason
I This tponkisl descriptions of bell might hk
bea, learned by a.t. Take 1licisel Angelo
reorganization Of tho Last Judgment aud yor
/. Vii have better idea Of whkt the feeling va,
! ~ regard to he'll. Or take tho picture OF th'
I.At Judgment by Corutlius. It il oaly mecca
= nary to say that, having Nycd In more N
: l teIiivent Age. he has ru1de picture NOR
hiasens thin that Of Michael Angelo: Tht
q renresentatious.in DAnte's books and Alshae
: AnreIo'a pictures are as outrageous As II
! nossih]e for an ,nt1amed Imagination 10 pro
anre. do not wonder that men lave ~
d acted fromis; honor them for dong 20
r ID suppoeo that s0.o0c, ,0oo Of people wef.
u pouring yearly over tho pIeeiplco into eve. .a
y, fastiDg punishment, and then 70 teaen m1
IN IN God was loving father, VAS such Al Auna.l
that pcople could not believe It. s1noictts ,
er Justice wns once thought to be r,gh1, IN.
i. cannot lc Jcfeplcd in tho court Of love, N
e; e; tho la,hc1hood OF God is taking the nlaco
<. the Oriental monarch. 1t WAS once tnouHt
er that God could do what he pleased, hecaas ~
mt he pleased. Now We arc taught IN
IN God Will do what love tsathes-tust Eh!
@ @,es father ehould do for lis c1ipE CHILD.
M Vas once thought that men had no nights oa
ed Ace OF tho throne, and through this feeltn
by cane t9is false construction Of the teaching
ed OF the Able- But the democratic element b:
yer 90 grown thAt every individual nan in h,msc
~ nas f1snts the very act OF creation endus
s ~ n1m WIN them. and the old mode of repreeer
IL ipg man y absolutely nothing, vii mover hA1
irs the came force again a It had bsforo Chris
OF anity lnsPtrod suoh high state of denocrac
aid An eternity Of punirhnsnt when It seiz
IA L. :::sa= :. rasssEz: i: S:.a SSss..-,s