New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-05


even get glimpse of the pastor until the
conclusion of the sermon. The Rev. Dr. H. w. Bel
lows also preached In All Souls Church his opening
discourse of the season, which contained interesting
illusions to the doctrines of Tyndall and Huxley
THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD.
Henry Bcech at Plymouth Church tCOnorega'ona
church decorated and perfumed with the
flowers which loaded every available place.
crowded In seats aisles and halls with patient
multitude. while people enough to have filled
Il twice struggled for admittance at
the doors. awaited tho delivery Of the first SER
mon by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, after his
Summer vacation, yesterday morning. Plymouth
Church seemed to be the special center Of attraction
Long before the hour of opening the church. crowd
waiting at the doors. All the cars stopped at
Orange-s,. to add to the numbers, and from
the ferry-boats there q constant stream
Of hurrying people. When the doors were opened
at about $50, the seats were quickly filled
the rights Of being generally respected
Fortunate they who gained Ambulance then, Tor
the woudbe audience the outside rapidly augmented
Its number force Of policemen, at the main entrance
Orange street. abored quietly, but persistenty to
keep some order In crowd which would not believe
that pushing and crowdng would not force an entrance
and TO keep them from the doors when there was room
for no more; while occasionally some lady or gentle
mana church member-would be allowed to enter.
only to reach tho door in much agitated condition and
find their seats occupied At the side entrance line
formed and some one guarded the door, admitting
only those who were recognized as members. A
small number were gathered around the door of
the lecture ROOM but no stratagem would secure
admtance there Some, disappointed in not gaining ad-
mttance climbed to the windows and stood the stills,
looking in, but these quickly dragged from their
perches During the first part of the services probably
people waited patiently outside. the number
hearing the great preacher apparent Inside.
the audience had settled themselves IN their seats filling
the moments OF waiting with loud buzz OF converse
ton which could catch the Of the pastor
the text The floral decoration tastefully done
The platform was friDged with bank Of lght.cOlored
varegated leaves tuberOses, lilies gladolus,
ivy and smax, which. with the bouquets the table
and DESK perfumed the around. From the front of
the choir gallery depended simple festoon OF smax,
which, extending along the galleries, was loOped with
bouquets The sides of the church above were similarly
adorned.
Mr.. Beecher's entrance unmarked by any Of the
demonstratve enthusiasm on Friday night. He
quietly took his and the services began The choir
sung the TIE Deum Laudamus, the hymns, prayer, and
sermon followed No illusions at all were made which
could have been construed referring to the troubles
OF church pastor. The sermon upon the govern
ment of God, which he likened, near human I'M
derstanding coudcOnceive, to that OF wse just and
loving parent, upon what was Gods will in
relation to men, and referring to human judg
ment Of God. each other and themselves in
comparison with what it should be. When
the services thei audience generally seemed
In hurry to depart until Mr. Beecher had left him
self, while OF outside awaited themselves
promptly of the opportunity to enter and look at him.
circulated at one tme Just before the be-
ginning of the services and slight disturbance at the
door gave 1t credence, that Mr.. MoutOn had tried to
enter. The only foundation for it the effort Of the
police to prevent crush at the DOORS which was misin-
terpreted by some imaginative person. The attendance
of strangers very marked in the gathering. Mr.
Beecher began his sermon follows taking for his text
Matthew VII THY will be done in earth as it is in
Heaven"
The divine will is the universal law 1t is the ground,
therefore, OF universal hope and confidence The divine
will law seeks for the highest good OF all the crea.
lures Of God and that according to the circumstances
OF their creation and the conditions into which they
have been put by Divine Providence. We have been
taught from our childhood that we were sinful,
and are; that we were corrupt and
surely. in some degree, first or last, oil
men have corrupted themselves; nevertheless.
respect the nature and character of man. has by
Of the peculiar technical terms and the mode OF
stating. gone wide OF the truth II 1t be said that every
needs to be transformed to be educated TO be car
rled from the point from which he starts1 mat Is
universal necessity, that is the truth But II IT be
said that everything which belongs to human experience
is bad It not true. m be said that men are all OF them
corrupt by reason of their own original nature, who
made that nature 1t is the work Of God. 1t not
by any fault Of mine. 1t was given to me. 1t is
not the fault Of hawk that ,h it, is hsws.
dove it is no degradation in a that it is worm.
These facts which indicate the How OF the DIVINE
the condition Of the human is such as needs in
finite sympathy, infinite patience and foroearanee;
continually they need the Divine forgiveness re-
ao and Soh az %s and eR
But 1t does not follow that 1t Is true from the
viii Of Gci you take the highest conception of the
foctness possible to rational and accountable beings II
not simply the general ideal, the point Of aspiration:
but the memorable rule OF Jad9nen' anu sGa.
ing oondiiionsthe poor African, born with his
peculiar temperament and In the Gned it
f RULE by the
to be saf by hs ali
our own civilized land, born some Of thieves some Of
papenIs whose genius they inher~if say you bring
down the ideal perfection OF manhood, ana apply y at
hood in their youth, in their manhood. in their old
age and all the conceivable circumstances OF life yog
might well with one wide sweep OF lightning cut Oh
aY S SqTR 's Sas
less Shall we remove the penalties which are COOS
Roads and spurs Shall we take away the as e,
q higher position No, verify not that! The STANDARD
,a DC sep Sp To SseSms Would de-
it another way If We lowered 10 the present con-
What need We sheni We need Divine Being an ad-
that shall stand between the higher form
of human perfection and the state In which men are
born with the moral neutrality-suspicious. patti nce,
{" nourshn gness by which men may he led step by
step until they reach the higher form OF perfec
ton and when we pray that the Will OF God may be
done into that will enters the conception OF me OF
evolution and successive development, and into that
Divine WILL since IL is the creative will OF the world,
also enters the the geneness the patience
on part God in His nature and inherent
and organic His moral government. which looks upon
tmperfection and unrigheousness with such allowance
necessary to bring men up 10 the higher FORM.
1t is impossible for any form "a full conception
of ba would indicate that we our