The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-30
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

PLYMOUTH OHURCH
Mr.. Beechcr ON the Bible-The Material
and Worldly Characteristics OF the
Old Tcsta Snub OF Cajs
vinism-Thc Angel Gabriel Reading
Edwards ON the Anections-Iio~ MR.
Beecher Tried to Initiate the Snfnted
Dead, and His Success Therein.
Mr.. Beecher preached yesterday morning to q
large congregation but dispensed with the evening
service in consequence OF the warmth OF the day.
The sermon was about the Bible. His text was
selected from the 10th Psalm and siXty-fourth
verse-''The EARTH 0 Lord, is full OF Thy merciess
teach me Thy statutes.n In some sense, Mr.
Beecher said, the Old Testament may be regarded
as book OF intense naturaism, using that term in
its philosophic sense. The Bible has
eye to the book OF nature, its economy,
Its moral uses; and it goes out ia
observe the relationship OF man to nature. 1t Ia
significantly called q lamp. Now no man lights
lamp for the sake OF seeing the lamp. The value OF
the lamp is that it gives true interpretion, and
thus the word is described clamp unto my
feetn What that light is may be judged when we
see how IT deals with the government OF man, tha
providence OF God, the relation OF the seasons, the
progress OF nature and Its sympathy with the
great world OF mankind. In those Old times they
did not shut out God so closely as we do. His
providence extended over all creation. His
work was the Interpretation OF science. In the
particular passage have selected, have done So
for the sake OF the one word ENERGY" stl con.
tinue to hear the Bible spoken OF and regarded by
some In the light OF its comparative sweetness
and its beauty But the number OF those who thus
regard the Bible is, think. diminishing. l thlnA
there is great deal more
FIGHTING FOR THE BIBLE
than there used to be- There are great many
more anxious about the inspiration OF the Bible
than they are about acquiring the spirit OF 1t.
There are a great many more persons Jealous
about the Book than there are those who habitu-
ally obtain q comfortable use OF the Bible. Now
and then meet with man who makes the Bible
q companion, but as go in and out among culti-
waited people the Bible seems to have It's only use
in setting men thinking ana specializing; but
think among the poor and the lowly the Bible la
more and more used-I mean the people who have
cares who have troubles, who have perpe xiues--
to these there comes the experience OF the old
Psalmist and they say, Had 1t not been Tor the
comfort obtained rom the Bible don't know
how ! should have have, got through, Thus
culncss. The Bible has been constructed
in such way that IT Is an armory Of Kindness, q
ness OF its manifest secuIarity lends to the
manifestation Of It's spirituality The structure!
from that OF modern ana secular Biographies In
BIBLE BIOGRAPHIES
the mans relation to this world is great fact; its
inevitable struggle Is recognized and the happy
condition Of man mere is exalted. In this respect
the Bible Is book OF political economy and which
lully sanctions and endorses worldly prosperity.
Naturally there springs IRON this a line OF conduct
recommended tnat snail ultimate in worldly adj
vantage. In modern times men are to be cons
stralne to 40 thing from high motives and not
for Its relationship to this world. The Bible does
upon po I'll" the solid ground Of well-dong here,
A man could not do better than carry In his vest
pocket, for daily study, the Proverbs OF solomon.
He
the business of lie. Tor regulating his everyday
concerns, than he would dnd In any other treatise
that comes from the mind OF man. Nor when you
go to the New Testament, with It's higher sane
tions and its commands somewhat ON higher
They cover the life that now IS, as well as that
watch is to come. Now this is because organized
Lie Is Gods grand method OF education. Out Of
such secular condition this you will lind tnat
men have sprung up who have the intensest re-
have gone deepest and risen the highest.
THE OLD JEWISH MIND
has always been acknowledged to be to moral
ideas what the Greek was 10 intellectual ideas.
This is an indication OF great mercilulness, for
man could not have developed to higher life in
any other way The merciftilness of the Scriptures
is shown in the use OF the highest ideal OF life In q
manner that shall not Cypress the great mass OF
mankind There is no despotism 80 cruel and SO
little suspected by man as the despotism OF the
ideal. The glory and the benefit OF man consist in
ideal. The father content with the hut. but tho
son has the ideal OF q mansion, and he strives
ID ae te sta ed IS one " tRose
things for which we ought to be thankful; and yet
there are few things that nave brought more tor
ment into the world. There Is, for example, Cal
vanism. admire 1t just the same as | admire the
Sphinx in Egypt-as n system of philosophy. As q
system OF remedial mercy 1t Is simply monstrous.
Yet Calvansm has produced men OF high zeal and
of wOndrOus devotion. Calvansm takes the tdeol.
Ogists and fashions them into the way that 1t looks
at life But how does 1T leave the mass OF mcnr
1t sacrifices a million OF men to make one. Look
at the men 1t has produced-at the Lie and writings
JONATHAN EDWARDS.
Take Edwards on the Affections" for instance;
1t is oae OF the most searching VI spiritual books.
Ii Gabriel were to come TO earth and were to read
Edwards on the Affections" think he would say,
have not any right to hope. Then there are the
lives OF good men, as given to us--men Ike Payne,
Martyr and Payson. Why, think ten years OF re-
ppnnnnh for me tn punish me for nv folv for trviny
to be like some OF these men. tried to be Brain
erd, but God had 80 fixed it that couldn't be. l
tried to be Pays0n, but Payson was scep-
tic, and was not. ! tried to be Henry Martyr
and be a missionary. but it was no use. had
to sit TO other mems portraits for our own. You
might as well send your neigabor to have your
photograph taken, because 1t was not convenient
for you TO 60 your sell. You might as well send
another man to the tailor TO be measured for your
clothes the ideal Q, the New Testament - high;
heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul and
with all thy strength. and thy neighbor as myself"
Does any man say he does this,
HE is LIAR.
Never till he gets under the neGabe glories OF the
Eternal can he do 1t. Does man love his neigh
Dor as hlmsefY Yes he may when he Is sick, and
his head is on the pillow. But man may be q
saint on his back and devil when put
on his feet. Men are selfish. The barn door
fowl when it finds bread or gram, cackles, cackes,
so that all the other fowls In the Darn may come
and share it. dog nnds bone; 1t growls and
runs as fast as It can away to enjoy 1t by itself.
Men take after the dog and not alter the fowls.
Men are beginning to see that the Bible is more
than ever the book Tor the lowly for the common
people; that II carries In 1t the leaven of Gods
own soul. DO you think this Bible going to be
lost Yes, when Beethoven's symphonies are gone,
and then music Will be lost. This world Will be-
gone when the Bible has gone away from IL, and
the world will have gone because there are men
In It. Let us then, take IL as O lamp unto our feet
and o light unto our path.
THE BEATING OF FRANK HAVERSTRAW.