The New York herald., 1870-01-24
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

MIR. Beecher ON the Prodignl Son-Man Conn
Ing unto Himselt-The Good Resolves Of
Men at tho Funerals of Good Men-The
Low and High Purposes Of Life. fet.ta
Mr. Beecher selected for his text the Gospel Of ST.
Luke KY, IL, first clause-"And when he came to
himse.n 4
He had selected from the exquisite parable of the
Prodigal son this fragment, because 1t opened up
some OF the profoundest depths of the human heart
This prodgal appears to have gone through an ex-
perience IN which every passion was maue to scin-
tillate ana work itself out until he came to the
very dregs at last, and those dregs were poverty,
peggary and hunger. These took the place OF wid
intoxication aud lower pleasures, and this prodiga
was as wretched as before he had been happy.
When his true manhood came out, for it seemed
natural to suppose that the bent OF his nature
not towards tins pronigacy, he came unto himself
That history might throw much light upon the
course men are pursuing and especially to a large
class OF men who do not indulge in anJ OF these
excesses. 1t was important to determine first what
mans manhood was. Men were higher than the
animals and the reason he was higher was that man
had reason, aud In two aspects-First, that reason
was IN its governing power. In animals 1t only
acted occasionally, but in man II shone throughout
all circles OF life, determining It's joys Its ana
IL ends. BY the force Of this reason man was able
70 prophec y aud to look before and after.
moral sense OF man, from which the performances
OF our lie are measured by Obligations ana standard
OF rignL and wrong that distinguished HIN from the
animals, whose limitations were confined to the
sense oil pleasure ana PAM Man had also spiritual
nature, which developed the IDEAS OF purify, SELF
DENIAL and supersenuousness. lie sad supersenu-
BUSINESS rather than supernatural, because lie be-
iieved that religion was natural to man as Lie
ltselI All men VINO were contenLed, therefore, 10
remain ia the development only Of tneir lower
facutles might be truly said TO nave forsaken HIM.
sell. Now every man VINO was mechanic, and who
worked the lower faculties OF ms mature only, was
not dong any wrong 10 himself by being mechanic
but tine wrong was that he was only mechanic
IL was the same with the farmer and the Mariner
or any Otner nandlcraft; tine trouble was that men
were only these and not these and something more
Mr.. Beecher, after describing the WHO gave
themselves up TO their lower appetltes. said that
there was great multi ale OF men VINO i've below
their true nature who dld not 1--we so low a lie as
that, but whose lives we're reputable, but VINO do
not live except Tor some one purpose. Now, II the
young man would write down what he really was
gomg 70 be- that which was really. ms
Now If he was to- teach the doctrine OF
total deprayity many who heard hum would go TO
haa been broader, perhaps. would resist 1t. "Yet
say all men SINFUL" Is there one OF you VINO
demneo and you excuse yourselves ny saying,
"My Ieeilngs carried me away" You are
strained 10 admit tbat you have acted rrationaly.
and that you do Things to-day Tor which you VIII be
sorry tomorrow. II were TO ask the man wno
mad not this experience 10 put up ms hand and any
man were TO aO So you would all laugh NJ hln, be-
cause you would know how lalse that pretenAiOn OF
any different experience would oe. The same re-
suit occurred II the lite was measured by the moral
sentiment; and n the lie We're measured Dy the
standard OF the spirit anu Influences OF the
o was snd no uss was thinking ue about q. Gnss
and SO the higher you went the more
dissatisfied with yourself you became. Now, 1t ala
not matter by what theology a man was brought to
himself, so long as he was brought Men go to
funerals, and wnen they get 10 The funeral OF good
say, one 10 the 0taer, Look here, my dear friend,
We've been Living for money, and money amt every
very solemn thing Is DEATH and we can't take any OF
the money with us." lnen as this man goes across
the Fulton Terry TO New York, after this funeral he
resolves TO make fresh siart ne Will tell MS vie
what he thinks. Wen, as he goes up Fulton street
be meets FIRST one lrend and then another and
anoiner, and the whirl oil The world comes and when
he gets nome his vile says, ''Wast good iuneralr
ana he says Yes" "A good many people err
there's the end OF the good impression. A
man goes TO q concert and he hears the sweet
strain Oh Mendessohn's music; and he dreams and
dreams wnile the strains oab around his brain, aud
tears start in his eyes and one trlckles along his
sohn? didn't know. was thinking about some-
thing else.D The music mad woke up the good that
was nlm and the man had come unto himself.
Ir. Beecher pictured very vividly the preacher
who. without notes, now aud tnen preached u
maD, more eloquenty Inan anything eise in the
world, the lie ana the nickerlng death OF loved
child. At that hour what was all the SURF und-
1ngs OF home, wnat wealth, wnaI were
the newly gathered Mowers oy the side OF The pale,
slckiy face tnat was going away Man came TO him.
sell In these moments, anu ali the JOY 0i his lie went
out when tnat little lie went out, and the man
10 sec now Imneasurabe and now vast the love
lhat was within aim. ALI that was 10 tell man ol
the glorious possibilities that were within him
the beginning or glorious reformation WITHIN
MS soul. How were men 70 get thlsS BY the lnflu-
ence Of the spirit OF God upon their hearts, Well,
there was no harm In your thinning you can do
without It; but II you Will develop your own man
hood, the best that is within you, you will soon
how weak you are, and that true humanity OF soul
thai viii cause You to seek for God Tor mis- nelp, and
for His strength and for Ills guidance and TO say
the Shepherd and Bishop oiyour SOULS "Our
Father