The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-10
BROOKLYN CHURCEEv.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

Nature OF Spirituality and Morality
We are Made OF God and Every
Man Creates God-MOral Selhshness-
What Mankind Is Cannot BE Learned
by Law-The Religion OF tho Flu
ture-Sermon by the Rev. H. w.
Beecher.
Yesterday the pastor OF Plymouth church was
welcomed back from his Western tour by an I'm.
mense congregation. The holy sacrament-de.
ferred on account Of the PASTORS absence-was ad.
ministered yesterday morning. Mr.. Beecner's
text was Matthew XIII, 37-39, inclusive-'Jesus
said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with
all thy mind. This is the first and great command
ment. and the second is like unto 1t. Thou shalt
love thy neighbOr as thyselE" This sentiment was
uttered not once or twice, but was made the root
and fountain OF all the apostles teaching.
The antiquity OF this view Is to be considered 1t
is fact that the Divine character was delneated,
not gradually, but perfectly three or four thousand
years ago. Time has added nothing to it. nor has
it taken anything away. Although principles have
been opened up and the knowledge Of the Divine
method OF creation has Increased, yet no knowl-
edge has been thrown on the Divine nature 1t
shone out as bright 5000 years ago as 1t does
to-day.
There are two natures in mana physical nat ure
and q soul nature-and in regard to both there is
the development OF the grand principle Of this
'Tbou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart and thy neighhor as thysef" This opens
religion Of sentiment. 2. Morality, or reli-
gion Of conduct The one relates to the vast in.
visible realm Of thought.future The other to the
realm Of visible thought-present and practical
We have both morality and religion combined. They
cannot be separated; they have the root; they
but are reciprocal and philosophcally needful to
each other 1t is the disposition OF some to make
religion the whole OF life and quite undervalue the
WITHOUT CONSCIENCE.
They are AFRAID that. because they have seen that
they will De demoralzed, and so 60 to the other
extreme they stand apart and NEEDLE as little
with practical life as possible. And on the other
religion There can be no no. spirituality Without
morality They are indispensable to each other.
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy SOUL and
thy neighbor as thyself" and the two together.
The practical side Of spirituality tends toward
ness, and all these elements VI spirituality tend to
run into inanity. II men were as much alive
Be- It has Been said Sa while we are
made Of God, every man creates God; not in
reality, not in personality but in their own realiza
timents we would not know the meaning, when
applied to higher things, Of mercy II we did not
we appreciate Gods mercyp
There is seldshness in every faculty. There Is
selnshness in Kindness, In worship and In piety
There are many who separate themselves from the
world and become
SELF-CULTURISTS
tn NIX they are made of finer qualities, have per-
feet sense of self-an intr0verson, and say, what
wilt thou have, o self, SoulY'
The only school against which Christ spoke was
the school Of the selfculturists-the Pharisees.
without ethical development morality becomes
narrow, secular. 1t needs 2 larger horizon. Men
manhood Is cannot be learned by law; what one
owes to his neighbor cannot be found out by law.
says st thou shalt The positive parts Of law are
few. Law Is defence. No man can md out what
are his duties by asking the law. We need the
FOR ETERNITY.
III faith be so preached as to leave an impression
on the minds Of q congregation, that unless man
be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom or
grapes and should say to the gardner, let the
give me the mutt only Can grapes grow in the air
do say that unless man be born again he cannot
enter the Kingdom OF heaven, but say also that
on your way up, IL Is better to have lower grade
than nothing. Men are educated so that by antag-
onism these elements drive each other apart. Why
not at the lear but 60 on to the fruit Just at this
time we need 10 bring this matter forward, because
there springs out recrimination In
TIME OF RBvIvALs.
proved deficient In ethics. Then il is that the poor
But by and by some Of the spirituaists lie little
or steal little then the m0ralists have their time
then they pelt each 0ther. Sptrituallsts say tuat
morality Is not good for much, and some OF II Is
not. How much better II they worked together.
The world has never yet seen either sioe de-
veloped in the full
INSPIRATION OF LOVE.
What whole bodies have ever made an exhibition
OF spirituality underlaid by morality know all
Industries are benevolent elements. No In
dustry can sustain itself unless - has q
bene VIOLENT object. Every man WHO works,
Is working in channels which God meant
to be true benevolence. A rsAn putting
shingles on q house, will he not think OF all the
fovn ,itaut will in of mo- a
the children who TIin grow up under that roof
Will not the fragral ~ The thought pervade his
work. II men would out connect these things. and
not think, chow much shall get for this days
work." This Is my morality. While mon are talk
ing as to what shall be the coming religion, ash
| guide of my youth He says 1t Is God. What Il
| GOdS God Is love. The region'of the future 4
| surely this-love thy God with all thy heart an,
/ with ali thy soul and with all thy mind