New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-07-06

soon az men began to know this truth the
Old Testament met them, showing by lts
teachings that God found man low and be-
gan his education accordingly. When he
was simply sensual, God dealt with him as
such; when he had reached the social plane,
God dealt with him socially. and even when
he worshiped he ate. drank, danced,
lau ghed. sang
So as men grew light broke in, showing
that man was spiritual being though rid
ing in a human body. By and by the tull
light broke forth in Jesus Christ, and lie
and iAmo1t tally were revealed. instead OF
the views OF Agassiz. contrave1lng the
Bible. they would corroborate IT. The mer-
cifulness Of Scripture was also seen IN It's
using the highest ideal OF lie SO as not 10
Cypress mankind. Take the sloe OF the
forest Select q young. susculent specimen.
You were going 20 educate it. and you had
before your mind the plum-the Bolivar or
Washin gton into which you hoped to
transform it By culture. That was your
IDEAL. and YOU would trim. ard plant, and
transplant. and foster. until your ideal was
reached
Take the dogrose of the woods. You had
in your mind the picture OF rose to bring
it UP to, and you trained and nurtured 1t
until it multiplied its leaves, and huddled
them together, and gathered sweet per-
tume. and become as beautiful as Hebe s
cup The ideal was the perfect IN man 8
Imagination. Nearly all the world was
looking for the ideal. Yet the ideal had
brought almost as much oppression into
the world as the inq uisition. When the
sun rose in Switzerland. 1t was the highest
mountain that got the first glow. SO when
a new thoughtlcame up it was the highest
nature took it first. Ii it was then reflected
on those below. it would work benetcially.
But the tOpmost crust of society kept to-
oether and left the lower in ignorance.
It was not the harlot and publican
whom Christ condemned-there were
plenty to do that. 1t was those who
in the selhshness of culture put bur
dens upon others which they were un-
able to bear. 1t was the way to frame a
virtue into rule so rigorous that not one
in thousand could reach it. When boy
was dull and the class was far before him,
he hung hopelessly behind-gOaded, Op-
pressed. outraged. Two hounds coupled
together might run all day without suffer-
ing much. But couple goat and a hound
together. and the thing is very different.
Whoever drove pair of horses without
finding out that one went faster than the
other! A rule facile to men of genius would
be fatal to others. The ideal in the Bible
was the same to all, but it was elastic. In
the Augustine system God was the ruler
and the earth was His lawful prey. That
system overwhelmed mankind. From
that system came CaIyinism-a system
which the preacher admired just as he
would a sphinx. But when you came to
hold it up as aSview Of that God to whom
men were to pray, it was too mOnstrOus,
and as false as anything could be. No
doubt it was adapted to men OF high moral
powers. 1t took the men Of higher natures
and fashioned them. but, at the same time,
- IN ,,oly
that the spirit of God! Was that the
spirit of Him who came down and gave up
everything to save sinners Was that the
God of Christianity-a God who has de-
creed that millions should perish everlast-
ingly! Calvanism had made some great,
but it had crushed myriads. 1t had been
nourshed on the bloed OF millions whom it
had sacrificed.
To Jonathan Edwards, Mr.. Beecher said,
the world was greatly indebted. But take
his book on the affectiOns-the most scOrch.
ing book ever published If Gabriel him.
self was TO come down and read it, he would
say. There is no hope for me- I'm repro.
bate. Laughter. 1t was almost fatal to
read it, Not one man in million was capa
BILE OF reading it a pausel- not even
he could ever reach it. Laughter; 1t was
the same too. with the life of great men.
They gave the world nothing but the cream
OF their lives. Then that was SKINNED:
then that again was churned into butter,
and tiually the butter was turned out in
nice little rolls. with the stamp of the church
upon them. [Great laughter And that was
| what men were expected to be- If Mr.
Beecher was to be punished for not be.
ing the man these books had taught
| him to be, il would take at least ten years
to punish him. He had tried to be whole
| lot of them. He had tried to be Edward
Payson. but PaysOn was dyspeptic, and the
| preacher wasn't, and he couldn't come it.
| He had tired to be Henry Martyr, and to
| sit under tree in Persia, but there was no
| and he lost heart. Laughter.l No doubt
| it was a great benefit to have these lives.
| But because there were pepper and vine.
gar and mustard on the table, who would
| think of pouring out all the mustard, and
making a dinner Off it! Which of you
would think OF sending another man to sit
| for your portrait, or to be measured for
your clothes! Yet this was as sensible as
trying to shape yourselves by those men.
Look at mems ideal of conversion. Mr..
BeecherS experience as minister taught
him something of that. He would ask men
whether they had felt conviction. No. But
they had been troubled and annoyed at the
close of the day because they had not lived
up to what they had laid down. Yes. The
idea was that they must have conviction
pretty much as thunder storm. The
clouds gathered. and the lightnings played.
and the storm burst right overhead, and the
earth shook, and their souls were horror.
stricken and their hearts faint. Then the
clouds broke and the soft wind blew, and
the storm swept past and the rain drops
spanked in the sunshine. and the oxen
looked angelic and the birds seraphic, and
they were converted EGreat laughter
This sort of conversion might do very well
for poets. There were men in that con-
gregatiOn Just as good Christians as ever
Payson was who kept out of the church
because they had got hold OF wrong
ideal.
Nowhere else, said Mr. Beecher, was
there enjoined such friendship such benev.
Olence. such kindness, such absolute strict
ness of walk and conversation. and such
fidelity to God as in the Bible. Thor shal,
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
and with all thy soul and with all thy
strength and tiny neighbor as thyselt. Did
any man on the earth do that! If he said
he did. he was liar.
No man ever could do it until he had
passed into the life beyond. A man might
say he loved his neighbor as himself when
he Law upon a sick bed. Many man was
a saint on his back who is a devil on his
feet. Had they ever tried 1T in bankruptcy
Or did they 60 round simply and recon-
mend the rule to others!
Mr.. Beccber referred to the Epistle to the
ThessaloEans. where Paul said that he was
willing to give lis own life for his flock
Was Paul better than Christ! 1t was no
the comely. tractable child that drew fortl
the mothers love. 1t was the Door little
cripple. feeble and complaining. on whom
all her heart was lavished. That was thu
ideal of God, and this taught all through TIT
Bible was what made it the most wonderful
book ever produced. In one hand Coz
held up the picture to be copied. TIT
other arm was around the sinful. The law
as schoolmaster helped them to Christ
and Christ helped them to God. The Bibl'