Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-01-22
TEL. w. BEECHER ON HMANHOOD
AND MONEY!

liz AoNiiiO VI ouO pdoeO1 VI LILY HiOutu
Church called together large audience
| IN Music Hall last evening to hear his
lecture in the Bay State course Gov.
| Washburn occupied seat on the plat
/ form. The introduction of Mr.. Beecher,
after an organ concert, provoked loud APP
plause. Before opening his lecture he
added a word of commentator to Mr..
Roberts notice that band of ten color
ed jubilee singers would sing in Music
Hall next Wednesday evening He then
announced his subject as Manhood and
Money" The whole air, he said, was
full of gold-dust, and men saw everything
through its haze. Non-lucrative profess
sions were reluctantly engaged in. The
love of money had taken very deep root,
which was fortunate or unfortunate, as
the issue differed 1t was an important
question whether or not Christianity
taught the duty of a remuneration of
wealth, or whether it sought to civilize
and improve the world through the prop
er use of money; whether man could
at the same time grow in grace and
wealth and his pocket and heart grow
fat together. The two prevalent ideas
as to the world have been, on the one
hand, that the world is wreck, to be
got off from safely into heaven. Such a
philosophy would set civilization at de-
tiance. On the other hand, men believe
that the best possible preparation for
another life is to make this world better,
more beautiful and filter to be lived in
to diminish its malign tendencies so as
to make it shine with more glorious eff
fulgence. No selfshness was so bad as
religious selishness, that which abounds
in morality-the cultured selfshness of
church going people. Some rejoice in
the assurance that they will leave this
world and shoot Immediately into Heav-
en-. But it is right and often duty
for Christian men to create wealth, for
an honest wealth can be accumulated.
Men can earn wealth and true manhood
at the same time. The time must vet
come when all the beauty and power of
the world will be in the hands of virtue.
Christian awakening, in its earlier sta
ges, must have its humiliation, but it
deserves and will have its exaltation.-
The Lord is preparing the good things
of this world for his true children. The
Christian life is not for sackcloth and
ashes, but for beauty and good things.
The true idea of Christian manhood is
beauty in all radiant art and joy in true
pleasure. Christianity will yet inherit
the world The idea that religion should
be ever disunited from beauty, wealth
and power is only worthy of derision.-
The earlier growth of the Christian feel
ing in a man, which needs humiliation
and not a loading on of pleasures is like
the kindling Of fire among green fuel,
which must be left alone till the sap ex-
cludes then the whole log is aglow and
more fuel may be heaped on with profu-
sion.
Mr.. Beecher continued that the pious
man should create as much of a paradise
about him as possible from his earthly
possessions. The earning of wealth is a
moral education, and the possession of
wealth a religious power. Sluggishness
and stupefactien are moral heresies ac-
tivity and business the true orthodoxy.
Rouse the sleeper; let him not die of
smoke and suffocation. Stimuli must be
applied, such as are suited to the natures
of different men. Men are mistaken in
thinking that activity is encouraged by
going to church and prayer meetings
such entertainments rather promote SOM
nolency. Laughter. Mr.. Beecher said
that foresight was the true essence of
faith, and that prudence in business is
the best school for men to cultivate their
religious faith. The very industries Of
business teach men to be christians
; they cultivate the grace of self-denial,
for this virtue is ever required in every
day of active outdoor life. A man can
not earn whole weeks wages and keer
sporting all the time; but the idle man
can never learn the true grace of self
sacrifice. The best way to bring up all
children is to keep them hard at work
from the time they get up till they work
themselves tired enough to be anxious
to 90 to bed. The man that works il
the world and makes all pleasures fal
before his ultimate object takes up his
cross as literally as does the most self
denying saint. There is cross in the
most mental employments as in the high
t est rhapsodies Of religion. Mr.. Beeche
F claimed that God did not work for tn,
Q regeneration Of man alone by the church
. sermons, hymns and psalms or monasti
cells. Labor is his great instrument o
r grace. All departments of activity ar
missionary enterprises. Though ba'
] element of commerce is selfshmess, still
its votaries, the merchants, are the great
p est benefactors Of true humanity. TIL
/ management and arts of industry ar
d true helps to the regeneration of man
:, kind. Though there are manv sedur