The New York herald., 1873-10-13
BROOKLYN CHURCHES.
PLYMOUTH cHURCH.

PLYMOUTH CHUROH
God Not as . Despot, but as q Loving,
sympathizing Father - Sermon By
Henry Ward Beecher.
Plymouth church was as well filled as usual yes
terday. The service opened with q magnincent
voluntary. Mr.. Beecner chose his text from
Hebrews. iv a. Is, 16 coupled with !. Corinthians,
IL, /, 5-"Seeing then that we have great High
Priest that Is passed into the heavens-Jesus, the
Son OF Goblet us hold fast our profession For
we have not high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling OF our n1rmities; but was In all
points tempted like as we are, yet with
out sin. Let US, therefore, come boldly unto
the throne Of grace, that We may obtain mercy and
find grace TO help in time OF need.n
Whatever else may be said, there can be no ques.
tion that, to those to whom these words come, God
was represented in
ASPECTS MOST TENDER
It is the method of the Bible to represent the
Divine nature to men by symbols, and those SYM
bols are selected as TO convey the most knowl-
edge to those to whom they are presented There
Is no symbol that could be more understood by the
Jews than the symbol OF the high priest God is
represented to different people by symbols best
understood by them.
wish to come to this by different representa-
tion, and by different writer We have no knowl-
edge OF who wrote Hebrews. Certainly Paul did
not
"And I, brethren, when come to you come
not with excellency OF speech or OF wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony OF God for
determined not to know anything among you,
save Jesus Christ, and Him crucided; and was
with you IN weakness and in fear, and in much
trembling, and my speech and my preaching was
not W. eascng wSeos S snr 81 mems M put IN
faith should not stand IN the wisdom OF men, bus
In the power OF God.n We shall get back from this
nnG onn n hn n har n IN
preached Of Jesus Christ; he did not attempt to
assall human nature by Establishments OF rhetoric.
sion did not attempt to entice your understand
ing; did not attempt to give you theory; l de-
termned, II had power, 1t should come from your
that should be able to disclose, that men should
not say he Influenced them, that he was an inge-
NOUS reasoner, but l shall open Heaven for you
and give you belief which shall give boldness In
time OF need to come to the throne, to delineatc
such divine character as shall make men want to
believe
What, then, was it he wanted 10 make them be-
leve. Lsten:-"I shall preach Jesus Christ, and
Him crucifed." There was every reason that he
should avoid this point in preaching to the Jews
Tnat he should be scourged, stripped OF all
power and crucifed. 1t would seem o monstrous
to SeM to
volts to divine nature that is bent to the oppres-
| sions OF men.
| and Greeks also, a different line should have been
taken; but Paul brought 1t out in light in which
i
| that God was capable through sympathy in suffer-
| ing with men; he united the human race in Jesus
| the conception OF God that you could not choose
but believe. Both the Jews and the Greeks idea
Godagh S noy aust q6mercul ann 81 ana PSnlsa
! sympathetic and loving-you cannot reconcile. and
Paul. having ielt the influence Of living, sympa-
tnizlng palpitating Cod coupled to the human
1 race SO that 1t should be drawn up. Having once
gained this conception, he could not extlngulsh It.
| He said 81 determined not to know anything but
| JESUS CHRIST AND
and to preach that view among you that your faith
! should stand in that magnificent view Of moral
| and suffering saviour. 1t Is o disclosure OF the
| great parental tie between God and the human
lower natures; but there Is vulgar suffering and
royal suffering, that suffering which comes from
men bafiied and disappointed in unlawful endeav-
| ors; but there Is o royal suffering that comes
| through sympathy, and when men say 1t is desc
Grating the idea Of God say that God Is capable
away that, you destroy in the Divine nature that
Transfer to God exalted state; see Him luxurious;
1t makes God poem, but poem to which no
seek those whose hearts have been broken There
fore, the aesthetic divinity-the divinity Of
a not s Sod up d asoye a aea
powerfully. All If when Jesus comes God stayed
at home TO enjoy Himself, there would be little
comfort in that. Oh, yes; some. III were rich and
some near relation should hear OF 1t and should send
a pound OF lea by an errand boy 1t would be some
aud sympathy. II there is going on sublimer
process than it is in the heart OF man to conceive,
and II God sits sovereign, loving and patient
ruler or the universe; If this be God, how sublime
| being is God. without this view we cannot
imagine view of God that men can worship. !
think line has been drawn between God and
| mankind. God has been
ROBBED OF HIS ATTRIBUTES
some have been given to the Virgin Mary, some
have been given to the Pontiff but God is Himself
| everything that human life needs, all those ele-
ments OF love and kindness necessary to save the
world. You ask me II believe In the atOnement
| OF Christi l believe IN the atonement OF God,
them into the worship OF God. ''rll smile, I'll
| punish;o but all are love manifestations "WhOm
| ! love ! chasten;o this Is the revelation OF q
fatherhOod, and this view does not destroy the fact
OF right and wrong. There Is no need to tell men
that sin is sinful; we know we are born OF sin; we
/ as to what wanted to bring into this world.
have been unfolding under laws 1
don't know, and am suffering aud Will suffer, and
what want IS to know that, though Invisible, the
despot; II despot, despair; but II father rejoice;
am lifted up out OF all my tribulation God did not
come Tor those who longed Tor Him, but showed
His love in this, that He died for US while we were
| yet His enemies.
| When. at last, we come to the heavenly gate, We
! Shall not enter saying, 'Benold perfect manln
| but we shall say, III come born or the latherho0d
| OF God again. that shall see the Father that
| saved me.n We shall enter not as q beggar but
with head lifted up, heart vibrating with 10y, as
source OF all bounty and beauty, and shall say, mot
unto Thee, but unto Thy name be all the glory and
| praise, f0revern
FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH.
The Law OF Christ-Sermon by the Rev.
NJ. Robin, of Paris.
M Robin Paris prpoched vesterdav Y,orninr