The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-25
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Continuation Of Last Fridays Talk
Prayers TO the Father, Son and Spirit.

Contin uation OF Last Fridays Talk
Prayers To the Father, Son and Spirit.
Plymouth lecture room was crowded as usual at
the time OF opening the services. After the GUS
tomary exercises Mr.. Beecner said 81 Will resume
and speak more at length on topic which came
incidentally up in our talk last Friday-namely,
the right to pray to Christ. To many
the ques ton seems strange. Most OF US
have been brought up to feel that 10
the name OF Jesus belongs honor glory
power, as in the book OF Revelations it is repre-
scented as giving all honor and praise to the Lamb
and yet we are not to forget that many hundreds
have been brought up to think differently Per-
sons brought up IN such manner are often
shocked at our hymns and prayers 70 Jesus. Now,
while 1t makes a great deal o.! difference to whom
we pray, the difference does not lie in names or In
any mere personiacation. l think many persons
play upon themselves unconsciously and ignor-
antly in this matter. Ianalyze the thoughts and
feelings OF persons that pray to the Father. lin
their prayer they are looking only to sovereig nty
and universal power can conceive how they pray
prayed more to Christ than they. l don't doubt
tina. there have been
ROMAN CHRISTIANS,
only they did not know Christ There may be
such thing as technical Interpretation OF divine
nature. What is 1T You are seekings Is 1t attri-
butes, character, nature, or Is 1t a manner suppose
you are thinking OF divine mercy, love and bound
less goodness, and YOU say Jehovah. Let another
think OF those same attributes and say Father;
cept the
DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
simply on the ground that it seems more conso-
nant on the whole, with the tenor and plan ol the
Scripture. not because understand 1t, not be-
cause think there Is distinction between the
Father ana the son. There are no such distinctions
in the Word OF God. Our knowledge Is limited at
best. We have knowledge OF Cod whether YOU
call it God the Father the Son 1t makes no diner
ence. We have an exalted conception OF divine
mercy, helpiulness and wisdom and whichever
name we give 1t. 1t makes no difference. Some
men say .sYoa have no right to take honor belong
ing TO the Father and put IT on the Son." Now.
II you can conceive tlat the Father IS only Cod,
and you take, In despite, honor from the Father.
that would be wrong; but, suppose another.
you suppose the divine nature is so narrow,
SO suspicious and mean that 1t would matter TO
GodS l SIT IN my house, reading paper, and
man comes in TO see me, and my son receives MN
and attends to his business. sit IN hearing and
know be can do as well as |, and let him, and am
angry? No; 1t rather pteases me- / ain gratlted.
There Is no greater pleasure than the hoh0ring Of
one you love- Now, consider what 1t is TO pray.
it not communingf Is It not the sense o. beauty
and grandeur, the soul rising IN contemplation OF
CHRISTI The rensearsing Of oneself with ngf te
higher? May we not come to Jesus and talk with
HIM, and speak 70 Him. OF how beautiful
He seems to Us, and how hope to be drawn into
that sphere where Will be son OF Gods And
suppose we find out that the Trinity Is personal
do you suppose God would be angry II We prayed
to Christi ! Say that while devout UnltarIans
pray to the Father they do pray to the Son. That
Is to say let them analyze and state to me what it
is that draws them. II 1t be reverence m admit
that it might be to the Father; but it be tender
ness and love then they have an idea OF Christ and
while they call Father, all Their ideas OF the atri
butes are borrowed from tue Son. II you pray TO
the Father you pray 10 the son. and you pray to
the Son you pray to the Father. i regard IL as an
UNNECESSARY PUZZLE.
II you pray with chdike faith and trust, earnestly,
Here Mr.. Beecner gave space ior remarks, and
Brother Sherman id:-"You seem to think TINS
line OF thought was only necessary to those
brought up IN the Unversalist faith. 1t does TO
my mind. present difficulties. to those brought up
in the Trinitarlan faith. All we can do IS TO
matter what name we call HIM. Mr..
Beecner sald-"You ind another thing
tnat, under the same name, people are wor-
not the some God Dr. Emmons worsnlpped.
rake manhood, he that takes MS greatest good
and brings 1t to others has the highest mannoOd.
Manhood is sell remuneration, gong out of ones
sell. Now out OF that conception must come a
we become sweet and humble, Just in that proper
ton VIII we rebel against God sitting cold and
stun, happy only in proportion to the praise gwen
HIM. think when devout Catholics
PRAY TO THE VIRGIN NARY,
II goes 10 Cod. nave sympathy with that; i we
1t outside IN another form. "AnOther brother
asked If the Lord Jesus Christ answered pra, ers,
why he intercedes win God. Mr.. Beecher SAID
Well. sir II the teaching had been given to Us pr1
marty, don't suppose any such language would
have been used. That Is nguratlve language.
The figure Of the high priest, to the Jew,
represented the most blessed traits, and to the
Jews the Apostles said. s.He is an nigh prest.n 1t
was mere figure given to the Jews, and Tor US TO
take 1t up at this late day and llteralize 1t is a
blunder. That there are intercnanges OF thought
and feeling there can be no doubt; but That the
saviour is obliged 10 go and intercede with the
Father is contrary to the letter and spirit OF the
whole Bible.n After the close OF the prayer meet
ing the committee met to examine candidates for
membership.