The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-03
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Communion with GOd-Serm0n b
DIR. Edward Beecher.

Communion with GOd-Serm0n by
DIR. Edward Beecher.
There was only small congregation assembled
in Plymouth church yesterday morning compared
with the usual throng DR.. Edward Beecher de-
hvered sermon on communion with God, taking
for his text Genesis xviii, 83-"And the Lord
went His way as soon as He had left communing
with Abraham, ana Abraham returned unto his
place." These words refer to q scene OF communion
between God and Abraham, Of which full account
Is given.
Itisa grand popularity OF the Scriptures that
they give full and worthy views of
COMMUNION WITH GOD
and OF its importance as o moral power. The ef
lcient cause of heavenly joy and perfection is
represented as consisting in fully-developed com
munion with God. Nothing can be more practical
and demanded by the times than to set forth and
vindicate the Scrptural doctrine OF communion with
God, its effects and It's approaching development
as the great organizing and ruling power Of human
society.
The Scriptures exalt the greatness, majesty and
glory Of God, as In proper sense the great first
cause and last end of all things, as infinite and as
absolute and yet they do not define these ideas so
as to include the knowledge OF Cod bat 80 as to in
volve no absurdtty and no contradiction In the
idea OF
and communing with Him, because they do not
measure God, as we do matter, by space, but re-
gard Him as spirit-a person with intellect, emo
lions, WILL and Infinite In these elements Of spr-
itual personality in their purest and noblest forms.
No book presents God so as to difruse reverence
and power as does the Bible yet no book 80 clearly
declares that God may be known and that there IS
and finite and dependent minds, and that 1t Is eter
nal life thus to know Him.
The Bible teaches us that there are faculties and
ideas and capacities that are common to
GOD AND NAN;
that they nave similar moral nature, similar power
these in God are INFINITE yet correlation between
the finite and Infinite exists. making each neces-
sity and complement Of the other THIS Is action s,
Is communion. But as the system Of God is one
Including matter and mind, as the material system
It, and is used for the moral results the thoughts
and feelings Of God must and do pe-vade the whole
system, and communion with Him may have an
Gods range Of communion lie infinite. He can
60 down in sympathy and love to an undeveloped
mind, incapable OF wide range OF thought, or He
can rise to the highest and widest range Of thought
God is large minded and many sided, and can adapt
whom He communes. The grand prerequisite OF
communion Is publication by conviction OF SIN, re-
pententance and pardon
THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST.
To commune with God produces peculiar, divine,
sympatheticJsy. sympathy is powerful principle
sympathetic JOY, above circumstances and change.
1t is not in man or society, but In Cod where you
that is God. God is always happy. The Joy Of the
Lord is your strength there Ia an unfaling fountain
Of joy which communion with God gives.
RECIPROCATED LOVE
is one Of the highest earthly joys; but there is
higher sphere OF love- and we need higher love
than any human being can give rs. Communion
and energy. 1t produces unity OF thought and
plans and sympathy among all who commune with
God. It transforms into the divine image and re.
fleets God ON the world. II this IL q reality at all
1t is not only great power but the greatest Of al
TO control the future.
God then the great problem OF the future Is solved.
How simple and how mighty then is communion
with Godl It develops Thought and eniarses its
are involved IN an infinite and eternal plan. In
he who communes with Him can have and must
have eternal intellectual ana moral growth ana
Tss Il hut the development Of familiar law To
think with great human mind enlarges us. How
much mere TO think with
DIVINE Mind
emotions Of the mind. Emotion is q vast power.
Il electrines vitaZes, moves impels. Thought
without Il becomes cold and dead. There Is need
more important than to cultivate true living,
healthy emotion. This cannst be done through
men, they are diseased Through God only can
is lie. because 1--we We shall live," Is His word.
ToMPKINS AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Sermon by DR.. Clarke--How to BE Good.
Illustrated by the vision Of Jacobs
Ladder-Modern Christians and Dcvout
CathOlics-Five Thousand Dollars More
Wanted for the New Church-Anothcr
subscription.
There was large congregation yesterday morn
| ING ct the TOmpklna avenue PreebYteIian church