The New York herald., 1873-11-24
and the crowns OF rejoicing be provided ID1 q
nation great in goodness and good Ia greatness
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
The Death OF Deacon Fanning-A ses.-
mon by Mr.. Beecher ON Suffering ~ an
Educator-Fidelity to Duty.

The Death OF Deacon Fanning-A Ser
mon by Mr.. Beecher Suffering ~ an
Educator-FidcIity to Duty.
The death OF Deacon Fanning one OF the Oldest
deacons OF Plymouth church, and who had occupied
his accustomed place on the previous Sunday,
caused indications OF sense OF loss to be more
less manifest yesterday morning throughout the
service not the least conspicuous OF which was
the singing by the choir OF Beyond the weeping
and the waing." Mr.. Beecher's subject was suL
fering as the interpreter OF moral truth, and az
great moral force acting through the imagination.
He selected for his text the sixth, seventh and
eighth verses OF the fifth chapter Of Romans
"For when we were yet without strength, In due
time Christ died for the ungody. For scarcely for
o righteous man viii die; yet peradventure for
good man some would even dare TO die. Bnt
God commendeth Bis love toward US In that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died Tor us.n
The representative verses OF this chapter said
Mr.. Beecher, are those in which Sc. Pan says he
rejoices in hope and gories in God. Not only so,
but ne glores rribulation also, bringing together
the TWO great elements which move humanity in
Joy and sorrow. These twin verses have been
from the first primary moral agencies
IN morality and in educating aud es-
taolishing the human race on spiritual
plane. The Old Testament appealed more to JOY,
as positive and formative motive, than to any
thing else 1t employed sorrow as q threat, and
gave mysterious element to suffering and added
to 1t new Interpretation. The New Testamens
develops this suffering and gives 1t a new hfe
Mr. Beecher, at some length, explained the frst
step OF human love as manifested through the
senses ana illustrated in childhood II a child
sees parent returning good for evil-not doing
IL dramatically, as scene but doing II by habit
1t win affect its Imagination and teach It sgnif-
can't lessons. Su1ering IS the midwife which
brings us into higher life. MIR. Beecher directed
the attention Of his hearers to the beginning a
the effect OF suffering upon the imagination, wnen
young men and young women first enter upon the
battle OF liie or course 1t was comparatively
easy to manifest fidelity in small things but think
OF the effect OF fidelity to duty, as mani
tested Dy the captain in being burned at
the wheel on board his boat at Lake Erie in order
that he might fulfil his duty in landing hts passen-
gers The engineer too on the Shore line Of rail-
road, who stood at his post to save the train; OF
pressed between the rocks gave calmly and un-
dauntingy directions to the last for the disposition
used Mr.. Beecher also referred to the acts Of
Grace Darling, to Florence Nightingale to the army
Of American women workers during the recent
charity throughout the worlds" to Joan Of Arc, Of
whom he SAID he didn't care whether she saved OF
lost France, she saved the world; also to John
Brown, whose name goes travelling on, as In.
stances OF what q man can do who is willing TO
suffer for great sentiments. The practical result,
then OF these truths s found in ths-that IL gives
rest TO those who are embarrassed and tried In re-
gard to the intensity Of suffering which fell npon
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ They may
rest in the simple exposition OF the New Tes-
lament that il was necessary that He should
suffer. That was onfy an historical argument, and
was only thus applicable to us. 'He was to bear our
SINS" But the great and the living truth was
that the life OF God was brought down under ma
tural law. and was the manifestation OF tue
world did not know. IL was then that 1t was seen
that the forces and the laws OF the Pentateuch did
not represents the highest range OF being There
was another and higher disclosure, and it was
this, "God reconcing the world to HIMSELF" not
the world reconcilng itself to God Then this truth
comes home to us. Are we showing the heroic and
divine side OF our nature and are we cultivating
it2 Mr.. Beecher closed with strong practical en-
iorcements OF this aspect OF the truth.