The New York herald., 1874-09-14
BEECHER'S SERMON.
An Immense Audience Gathered at the
Feet of the Plymouth Pastor.
ELOQUENT APPEAL FOR UNITY.
Obedience to Law Necessary to the
Development of Our Lives.

TWIN MOUNTAIN HOUSE. N. H. Sept. 13, 1874.
To-day has been one OF the most charming Sun
days OF che whole season for the enjoyment of this
mountain retreat. The sky has been clear and the
temperature most favorable to bodily comfort. 1t
would seem as though all nature had conspired
to make this always delightful spot more lovely
than ever. Alter week OF remarkably fine
weather, about an hour before the time announc ced
for the religious services 10 commence, people in
large numbers began to arrive from the outlying
sections OF Mr.. Beecher's mountain parish. Cars
laden with their human freight came from Fab
yan's. Montpelier, Wells River, Plymouth, Grove
ton and Lancaster; and large number Of car
riages, as usual appeared upon the scene. 1t was
estimated that last sunday there were some 1000
people here including the guests, and 1t is thought
that TO- day the number in attendance was about
the same. In the audience were noticed Mr.. At
water and wife, Of Brooklyn, N Y. Mr.. Beecher
began.
by reading the thirty first hymn OF Plymouth col
lection, beginning
hST %y d1s ;s11y ny SsS5aS ssS5 5seiss to hear
In Zion let US all appear
And keep the solemn day.
rhe prayer, which followed the singing Of this
hymn, and which was full OF beautiful and lofty
sentiment, closed with these words:-
Bless our whole land. Bring us more and more to-
gether in true unity OF reciprocal interest May be
tn 9t
may Ss pray Ras
this great and PROSPEROUS nation puded up BY thou
throusn9ut the whole country and may the day speedily
longer and study the things which make for and
;5SnS thSt when the kasao% q
new earth. In which dweieth righteousness shall
The prayer concluded the 1,1eeth hymn, COM
mencing, ''Rise. my soul. and stretch thy WINGS"
was sung. Then came the sermon, aud more
powerful one, we think, Mr.. Beecher has not
preached for many day. 1t was founded on the
following passage from Galatians, ", 13-1s:-
For brethren ye have been called unto liberty; only
al the law e is sa ~ ons
word even in this Thou shalt love tiny neighbor thy
tRst " e be s one G THIS say nsn
flesh For tn hesh ustetn against the spirit and the
spirit against the flesh and these contrary the
would Butn ye be led OF the spirit ye not under
THE SERMON.
Of all the writers, said Mr.. Beecher, whose words
are recorded IN the Bible, there is no one whose
spirit so perfectly accorded the whole, with the
modern spirit and the spirit which prevails in
America as Paus; there was one of them who
had such profound sense as he OF individuality,
OF right OF the individual or of the object
OF religion-namely, to fill up In each particular
person manhood that should be large strong,
rich and perfectly free. There is no OF them
that speaks so mucn about liberty-a sound pecu-
liarly pleasant TO our ears-as the Apostle Paul,
ana he declares that called to it, that 1t Is
she very thing in religion to which we called.
Now there is an apprehension very widespread
and we can see how reasonably 1t has sprung up,
that religion, SO far IRON making men Tree, ham,
pers them, restricts them, ties up, burdens them,
and there is anon men universal impression,
when life Is strong in young beings and the i'm
pulse to do just as they wish to is powerful, that
little while They think il WIN be time to
stimulating. They say-"When we are old enough
to have the rheumatism, why then we won't race
why then Wen be sober, and when we can't do
any thing else why then Wen get ready to die. AS
long we have vigor ana vitality and all sorts OF
pleasure we are going to have good time; we
will take the bad when we can't help It." On the
other hand there are many persons who are
anxious about their children, and trying to bring
them up well people who take on the duty OF In
structlng the community, and call themselves
assy M or s se eow to oe and
employ public sentiment. There are many such
VINO are astonshed when we say that religion Is
the
FREEsr OF ALL THINGs
that men who have become once converted and
6E6 Truly CQTlSIduS are no lOuSeT uuueF lue law
and that the typical Christian is person who does
just as he has mind to- "a person tnat does
what he has mind to Is Chrlstlanp, say tney.
"Why IL Is contrary to the whole iace OF the Scrip
ture, which says-You must deny yourself and
take up. your cross and wear yoke and bear
burdens and to preach that when a man be-
comes Christian ne may do just what lie has
mind to, Is fagltlous. 1t Will lead to lascivlous-
ness, to ali manner Of seli-indulgence." The con-
seTvatOrs OF purity and religion are very much
afraid OF this doctrine OF liberty, because they
think 1t viii break the bands OF responsibility ana
ha nQyar n ~ tan m an
Now what Is liberty ? In the first place the way
In which men have learned to consider liberty has
oppressed by each other and in emanclpatlng
themselves from the dominion OF neighDor or
Be- otSeT he Sooe 70 bena
at liberty. to do what you wish to DO, is Intimately
associated with the act OF throwing of law and
mate between the process by which they come to
state OF liberty and the essential element OF that
state In regard to civil liberty, we are very proud
OF having had the War of independence. We broke
away from Great Britain and became masters OF
ourselves, and made our own laws and elected
our own officers, and as a nation, we could do
what we pleased without asking consent, and
men, from these various historical developments
OF the power OF liberty, nave come to have an idea
that liberty means setting aside authority
and the control OF laws. No man Is free until
bondage that he does not know that ne is in bond
age; no man has true liberty un It'll he Is 30 SUBJ
dued that he accepts the control which IL over hlm
and makes IT his own and ceases to be able to dis
crimnate between his VIII and the law that is ex.
terror TO him. | think there Will be no doubt
about the matter II you Will trace It, step by step,
and see how men do develop. Consider how men
become, in their material and physical relations,
large, strong, facie, successful. When the child Is
born and begins to learn the qualities OF matter
and the use OF itself, OF its ieet, Its hands, its
eyes and its ears what Is the process by which he
Is developed out OF weakness and INTO strength
We teacn HIM the knowledge of matter,
what Its laws are and how strictly to OBJ
serve those laws. At first he does not know
the difference between cutting edges and blunt
edges, but he learns, and ne learns how to
accommodate himself to these things; he does not
know the difference between fire and Ice; he does
not know the difference between matter to be
plunged into and the air to be breathed He
learns the uuat,es of these substances and their