The New York herald., 1871-12-25
BROOKLYN CHURCH IS.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

God with Us-A Better Bra DnWning-Ser.
mon by Rev. Henry Ward Beecaer.
Mr.. Beecner preached his Christmas sermon
yesterday from Matthew, 23-"And they shall call
His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted Is,
God with us.n He showed that the Christ principle
Is the only thing Of value in individuals or nations,
and that this principle, implanted as germ by our
Saviour, is steadily growing, though appearances
may often lead TO believe the contrary. The ten
dency, as shown by the undercurrent OF afairs, Is
upward; art and literature emb0dy more and more
the spirit OF humanity. Society and government
are being permeated with the Christ spirit and
there is reason TO nope that the era OF peace and
good VIII Is coming nearer and nearer.
The mystery Of the incarnation, said Mr.. Beecher,
will never be solved-at least In this world. The
elements composing 1t lie beyond the reach or hu
man Intellect We DO not understand pure spiritual
existence It il evident that In tne time or our So
viour there was no dinculty about this, because
men accepted the fact without philosophy. In our
childhood we believed Jesus Christ was manifest IN
the 1esn, and IN oar youthful days our thoughts
gathered around that sacred centre, and recurring
cnV when We % besn IL 70 read % te srticies Of faits
that have been propounded We have trouble We
mans and one divine each complete In itself. and
we ponder how that should be. We turn to the
aa % Us
WAS sS%ssS @ sn1sSs4 the Of
this was . sscriacc indeed. There were mere and
there among the Jews men who understood THIS
sasd
we have IN entirely dt0orent way Of approh6ndlng
@ Became STs s
object Of the most intense love, not among the
ana ne :Ss f ,s .sy
sSs sSs p'.iSI xSsiS Ven. @ Ia Ss.a x!s those sSss Sss
10 Christ, such as We DO not md shown towards
God. Let MS believe that nearly two thousand
Himself ransom fof sinners; tnas for them he sui.
fered, that for them He lived, that in himself He
MISSION He went up again ana stands prince and
saviour at the right hand Of God. God II In the
world as much as ever, but there Is such thing as
N9e GROWTH or THE DIVINE sfb a8
spirit in rs. We may wtthonr any stretch say that
Christ comes In every generation. Christ Is steadily
less there IS spin. 81 God gradually snserina IN
@ and spiritual As yss Inc higher feelings S o. Ha men
lower forces, but gradually tney viii go up.
Churches will be more radiant centres, less given
msnsy M prevaevsn pocs may 90 uuraea
There will come time when men will love no
longer IN their lower natures, ana when that day
times will disappear The time viii come when
even governments Will be conducted according to
nursing s fathers and mothers q truth. s Tne win
be the second coming or Ohrst-not In form, but IN
spirit Then there wall be one church. one nation ana
one family. Civilization mas advanced, but the
spirit OF love, as shown by Christ has not
the true basis. Here and there CLEANS OF hight :
one from Socrates, one from Plato. Tne moral
standard Is rising. The world ID growing. though
men live far below their ideals. This must DO so
for long time to come, for the ideal constantly
rccedes. Art has perhaps lost Ill form, but 1t has
modern art transcends immeasurably ancient art,
and tis Is due to the influences OF Christianity.
am glad that there was day OF cathedrais, but 1
am glad that there is no longer any need of them.
! We build men that are like cathedrals.. The
CHRISTIAN SPIRIT
was no heart for any man except no wore crown,
but now good will TO man IS the motto or much or
our literature. Dickens and Thackeray, the masters
or hction were full Of humanity. Ifyou look atthe
conduct OF affatrs among men lE Will at first seem
as II the spirit or God was never more distant, but
developed even here. The treaty just made be.
tween England and America is an Illustration. TO.
day 1t Is for MS TO pray '1hy Kingdom GOMEZ In all
these directions, until the name OF Christ
shall be point OF union and not OF re-
pulslon Let US pray that the work
we see going on may be consummated. May we
nave more charity; may we unite about Jesus and
make more OF duty and less OF doctrine, until men
shall come together with their hearts, May we
have God with u.s. dwelling among us, wrought Into
our experience, until the day shall come when
Christ shall give His spirit to the mother and the
chiid-to all forms Of art until art shall be gospel;
until States snail give their influence to the highest
good. Look NOT back 1900 years for the incarna-
tlon but remember that Christ is seeking to incar-
nate Himself pcrpctually; and let rejoice that In
our day lis sway seems TO be extending. 'Even
So Lord Jesus, come quickly.n sM1 ~ y