The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-11
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Whnt IL to BIZ Our Future Condition S-ShaIi
We Know Each Other In the Spirit
Worlds
Mr.. Beecher preached yesterday morning from
/. Corinthians xiii, 13-"Now abideth faith, hope
and charity, but the greatest OF these Is charity
Paul stood second to none In point OF knowledge
OF all the inspired writer's; yet it is astonishing to
see how little he thought he knew. You Will be
surprised II you GO through the New Testa-
ment to find how little information Is
given about the hereafter. The instruction
OF this book 10 generic rather than specific.
In this chapter love Is up above all gifts and
Developments. 1t Is as ii Paul said there are many
things that good, but are local and temporary;
but love faileh; that Is to say 1t Inheres In
the everlasting nature OF G0d and In all His works.
Paul looked beyond not only his own age. but
beyond this life, to an ideal perfection. All these
limited, partial things must drop away as the ma
ture fruit develops. Now, we look through a win
dow dimly-a window that gives an indstinct view
of the landscape But In That great future to which
which we are coming, In which humanity comes to
It's fulness, we shan know as We are known
that is, perfectly, distinctly. Now, at orr
best, we may say, without any special
modesty, that we only know something
in general but very little in particular Yet there is
something tnat we do know positively. What is
thats Now ab,ueth faith, hope, love-these three.
Here Is
ALUMINoUs PATH,
along which the soul Will travel In the other life
what Is faths the evidence Of things not seen. IL
Is that by which we discern supersensuous things.
faith IS that action OF the mind that takes In all
that the senses 40 not take in-the state OF mind
that feels truth that has no physical exponent.
Now faitn abIdes. Much Will 60 down. But the
soul is to be developed IN the line OF the hgner
qualities of the SOUL Next comes hope. This,
think, Is not to be limited to our small
idea of hope; Courage cheer aspiration,
the heart, the root ,,,o OF tine the ,, aspiring
which Is the source OF Joy, OF music. OF harmony,
for ourselves and others. These three point the
direction OF future manhood, and the greatest OF
eyes as poet or painter but as far as an authorita
tive revelation Is concerned we only know that we
are TO grow In our highest nature, anu that this de-
WILL BRING JOY.
When that which Is perfect Is come then we shall
understand that Whcf we shall Know In higher
state OF development. Shall we know each
otner in the future lifeS There is no proof
think Of this HOW much Of all that is personal will
drop away In the other lileY We know our friends
by their characteristics shall we know them when
they drop these cnaracterstlcsY How much Will
be left 10 know OF some men when their faults are
all correctedp Shall find my children I'm neavenf
VIII they know mc-do they know me n0w-are
they miner or are they like the drops OF stream.
are they lost In the great whole? believe we shall
know our children; but only know tnat iaitn'
hope, love, are not relative. am at liberty 10 pc
lleve, but my belief Is not Gods revelation.
But II you go into the spccaltes you nave no
answer. 1t Is certain that we shall 90 sasned, anu
that Is all we know In all our longn ~ ior sne
Is only In the part that Is relative TO lower life.
What eagle ever went Borrowing after It's shelf so
our wings n we sss % p sow
the brown seed or the black, and we see tho spike
OIL aaiow with blossom, We know nothing pre,