The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-12-21


1eecher anA ss18tsle 0eSeheft
Henry Ward Bescher stSrsled HE
hearers last Sunday evepshg with 9
sermon on sptritualsI a. which ne
treats the subject JJshientiy to say
the least, and virtudiy endorses the
Pike county sthecxt Ct angels, = cot
forth "a the. cory Of Little OAbe"
being voted spirits from scencs Of
danger 1WherA IL was safe and
warm His text MAS from John ill,
8 .T1e wind bloweth where it
listen, and thou heArest the sound
tL6reof and cAnst not toll whence it
lcometh and whittier it goeth, 30 is
every one that Is born Of the spirit"
Alter speaking OF the conversation
Of Christ with Nicodemus about be-
ing born q the spirit, Mr.. Beecher
ssid : II suppose that from the be-
ginning Of things this world has been
open to the influence Of spifits; that
other influences come into the world.
Sucha truth Az this is to be infinitely
desired. There 10 3 disposition TO
treat it with scorn and neglect. IL
is not impossible to believe that there
iis = spiritual unity or influence
which We can neither understand or
appreciate. This is certainly. the
doctrine Of the New Testament. II
10 taught BY the Saviour and the
apostles that both divine and demo-
Mao influences did roll in upon the
human soul. II is the attitude of
most thinkers to repel everything
that they cannot prove by the
senses, and therefore the doctrine Of
spi~ritualism has boon in bad repute.
There is nothing that we 81 much
need, and should 90 much desire, Ne
that there should be waited into
this sphere the influence Of the di
vine spirit. The doctrine fits and
harmonises with the higher life to-
ward which we are cropping our
way. WI do not know what we are.
We 90 step BY step; we are con-
ecious Of vague longings and aspira-
tons, and don't know how to locate
them. What every thodghtful, "a
tional man should desire is that there
should be 40 influence TO teach NJ
the divine. Fantastic and false no.
tions have arisen during all agas il
~ooAnecttOn with spiritual phsnome-
ma. This does not interfere with the
truth in the mint Of the real seeker
for truth Where does knowl.
edge of the divine come from IL 10
no argument against astronomy that
moi sought it through astrology,
or against chemistry that 1t was
sought through alchemy. Seeking
shows . need that it 10 not q part OF
Gods economy to allow. Our Sa-
viour declares that We cannot under
stand these things. 1T" says he,
Il have told you OF earthly things,
and ye believe not, how cen ye be-
lieve if ! tell We Of heAvenly things7"
It il impossible to interpret 4 higher
sphere to those in the lower. We
are not to suppose the spiritual in
fuence . supervision of our fasnl-
ties.
So far as we q gather from the
Word OF God it would seem as though
this is . process of r~ecreating. It
wakes up onr dormsQt powers; it
revives, beauties, and ffucti6ea.-
The periods Of growth have been
when mon believed most in the in-
visible. This belief has inspired men
70 activity in the best pats of their
nature. We = often Influenced BY
. spirit outside OF ourselves. It
comes unexpectedly, 10 uncalled for,
AID often unwefcome. In one sense
this ID understandable. There il q
way to prepare ourselves for the
presence and action Of the spirit.
Men prepare themselves for friend
ship, but refuse TO put themselves in
2 state of reception for the spirit.
There would be summer if there
wasn't . farmer on the continent.
There would be flowers if there
wasn't . florist in the land. But the
farmer prepares his ground, and we
can cooperate with the divine in1u-
ences that seek 70 guide US. BY this
divine help we cannot only grow, but
al successfully resist demoniao In
fuences. We are not to set up an
tagonism to Che working OF the spir-
it. How many men have been low
ingly won from evil ways by this
divine influence. As the sun wakes
up the flowers, 30 does the divine
mind stir the dormant soul. When
the influences come to you that stir
the better nature and make you hate
evil. believe. lfyou are given noble
conceptions Of what you are capable
of being, believe. 1t is the light that
comes from above. If there comes q
of ew set spirit communion, be-
lieve that Gods great love sends the
ministers of His to guide, comfort
and instruct you. Is there anything
that We desire go much rs that hight
should shine upon the Great Beyond
II HAVE NO ca lance"
Don't say that. You have chances