The New York herald., 1873-11-28
PLYMOUTH CHURCH tBRooKLYN.

Thanksgiving Day-The Human Soul .
Collection OF Forces-Ihc Sentiment
talism OF the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mr.. Beecher's church was crowded yesterday at
an early hour. The musc-always fne-was
simply exquisite. Mr.. Beecher selected his text
from Matthew XII, 12-"And from the days of
John the Baptist until now the%lingaom OF heaven
sufereth violence and the violent take it by force"
The kingdom OF heaven is the absolute predomi-
nance OF each soul in man, or. as applied to the
world, the absolute reign OF the superior faculties
the intellect, with moral and spiritual elements in
mankind. God governs men by the use Of their
own nature II is through those parts OF the soul
most like and nearest to His own nature that He
governs, and when part OF the soul Is in such
ascendancy as to control his life then the kingdom
ofheaven is begun The human soul is q collection
OF forces, q great many OF them and different sus-
ceptible OF co-ordinaSon, subordination, harmony
| and peace.
| This is the moral meaning Of life and it is in the
largest sense education 1t is the end Of life; it is
that for which were sent into life. Ipropose to
consider this matter in relation to the individual
not to inquire for technical experience, but what
Is the relative distribution OF force among his
ulties, which side OF his nature predominates, and
| to what degree does any one faculty control all
others-to what degree does the higher nature
| control the lower.
propose the same view In regard to the worlds
condition to-day. What is the distribution of
force What has been gainedf How does the
| conflict stand The great battle Is going on
Does it inspire hope or destroy II Violence Is vet
The field is taken and retaken. Sometimes flesh Is
| in tie ascendancy and sometimes spirit. The con-
nict OF the spirit Is geng on everywhere, and there
| Is q
| PERPETUAL BATTLE
that will not end till the shall stand still In the
heavens for 1000 years.
These conflicts are represented in laws institu-
| tions governments and business. The whole out
| ward and inward history OF sOclety-whatever De-
longs to society inward-is the incarnation OF hu-
! man soul. Representing soul forces, developed
into Industries and institutions, society is ali It's
framework; the whole work OF lie represents what
/ man has thought ind worked and done.
1t Is worth our while, even in cursory and su-
perficia manner, to inquire, What Is the state OF
the confiictY Is the Kingdom OF heaven gaining or
lOsingy Are the nooler faculties OF man, on the
whole, gaining the ascendancy or losing ground 2
We shall compare the condition OF the race in all
the world with that in the time OF Christ: First
Has the force OF the race been augmented
There has been vague impression that the early
race or men were stronger wiser and happier
than the present, and it has been supposed that a
| gradual process oil degeneration mas been going
on. lneed NOT say that believe the whole history
There never was time when man was so poten-
tial as he is now. The average power OF the race
has increased. There were individuals then as
large now, but. looking at all Chrlstendom, the
average productiveness Is greatly augmented.
| What was In the time OF Christ developed in a
single man is now difused through all; the COM
munity Is growing broad and strong.
II you look at what all men are doing what in
| credible increase there is, 1t cannot be doubted
that the productveness OF the human brain is
enormously augmented. Second, and more i'm
portant, WHAT n the relative
DISTRIBUTION OF MIND FORCEY
The primary question IL, What Is the worlds con.
dition AS 10 the proportion between physical and
passional forces and the more strictly moral and
intellectually
does It lie At top or bottoms Which side OF the
human mind is most productivef Once physical
ruled es the state ana the whole
ordlnated to mind; now physical power In all its
iorms Is tending TO subordnaton TO mental force,
conversion aud conservation OF force Is going on.
Basiiar impetus Is transmitted into the higher
force OF reason. Force has, happily, not decreased.
That would be q calamity. IL Is applied far more
than ever-drst, to the subuRation OF physical
natures; secona 70 the production OF new exter-
nal elements Of life. All ideas and discover ies
ABSTRACT principles, like the laws OF nature, are
good for nothing TIL put TO work.
There are three grand elements by which we
may ascertain the direction, gauge the depth and
measure the speed OF the evolution OF the human
whole human society was slowly giving to reason
and the moral senses predomnance over pas
slonal ana physical forces
Are governments to DAY better or worse than
before The time OF Christi Better, mmeasurably
better. Men are fighting for ideas rather than
things. IL was the moral influence OF the great
thinking body OF citizens on both sides that pre-
vented the precipitation Of cruel war. In our
colonial times the Earl OF Chatham declared that
the colonies were subjects OF England, and that as
such they had no right to manufacture or to have
there @ was a light not 50 so much IN N the the
interest. OF liberty as commerce Come down
| to 1872 The war then was because the riQh Is
| OF the citizens were violated. Come down again
| still later Aftcr our great civil con1ict, when
every mans heart was in his mouth what did the
| course OF this country sayf "Now we are organ
| ized VIC might vindicate other wrongs; but Judge
| between IA, and we Will abide by your decision"
| (Applause.) Now, need point out, after the first
horror tnat hled us at the barbarfties OF neigh
| boring island, and II came to the question OF war,
| the nation stopped and balanced the question, and
| It said, Let not force rule. 1t was noble stop.
IL may be said that this progression does not
hold true In religion; but say We see the subs-
| dcnce or animal passion In religion as In every
thing else. man striving to be religious presents
the most piteous spectacle Of all time. To cease
being ply seal and become spiritual. The drama
has been going on for 1000 years. we have seen
| how men have been forced Into religion by fear.
| Now, has this internal devil been exorcised7 7
| hold that there has been more and more progress
L IN mt n dynaalic hut "a an.