New-York tribune., 1874-03-16
MR. BEEcHER ON CONVERSION.


OF CHRISTIAN PROGRESS.
FRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBUNtI
NEw-HAvEN, March 12.-Ihe Rev. ii. W. DeecheI
delivered his tenth lecture on "lhe PREACHER
Treatment of Doctrines" in the Chapel OF the laie
Divinity School this afternoon. Ills SUBJECT was
"ConyersionD and he spoke with great power pro
Longing the lecture considerably beyond the usual
time. His line of thought was as follows:
Ue was to speak on repentance and conversion inc
carly stages of the Christian life This Christian hre
was the effort TO live as Christ commanded whoever
had earnestly set out TO live that life was Christah'
The theological way was to insist on certain inner
states and philosophical attitudes. There was need 10
simplify the whole thing, aud come back TO the each
ipes of Christ and the Apostles on that point
There were about conversion three thngs-not always
clearly defined to the mind, but st preseh'-renuho"
tion adhesion, construction These were other hamos
for repentance faith right living and 1t was wen 10 use
new names when old ones had become so hachheSeu as
to mean nothing There must be renunciation OF the
wronr mean low Then there must be an adhesion TO
Christ selecting OF Him the Of all the world 10
whom TO seek TO conform the life Men ana theories
were yarously decentralization, Comte, iiierbert
Spencer Plato Aristotle-the mind falling INTO their
WAYS of thinking. Larger YET, ana all-comprehehs'e
must he the adhesion 10 Christ But at the start there
must not be expected ullfedged aith perfect over
coming OF sin. The stock questions might be rightly
arswered but the knowledge OF Christ must be
growth He was converted who was a beginning
Christian mot he who had overcome all sin or come
TO full love- but he who could say "by Gods help am
trying to lead true lfe and TO learn what true life 49,
That was the Scripture view grain OF mustard SEED
at the start and growth the truest way. He who
WAS starting in this way should be treated as in the p
mary class and failure TO treat persons 50 was often
| great injury.
But there was a distinction between moral stIiyings
| and conversion the latter involving more VIII ana
choice; while all the time it must be remembered tha
the first steps germiua To leave men ont of the
church til they had made marked attanments on tne
ground that II the real they would perseVere
was like putting ne W born child cut doors for a while,
TO see IL IT was strong and worth raising All that the
New Testament required was remuneration OF sin, ana
steps toward righteousness And Of those steps srlk-
ing feature that they developed the moral sense 10
love enemy when he was striking at ones reputa
ton was more than any sermon, II tried it and
il was through all the Christian requirements. the
standard being infinitely high, failure following failure
in the most earnest efforts. prayer being constantly
sorted to with realized wers, and constant moral
progress resulting.
Such OF conversion did not ignore the possibility
OF dramatic experiences. men, from peculiares
of constitution education would go through wonder
ful experiences and then have views Of Cod and
this would he admirable But to insist that all men
should have these experiences like refusing read
ANYTHING but Paradise Lost.
Nor did this view ignore the immedateneSs OF change.
That in a sense necessary. though these might bo
Christians from the cradle, and IN other the time
OF the change could not De established by the watch 1t
was like ships tackug IN the East rivera curve. flap
ping sails the glib catching breath from tho other
side, and with all the sails; IL could not be sand
always Just gheni bat there was when To this men
must be eafnestv urged OF wstiulness not
enough for all beggars and drunkards we're wisful.
Nor were resolutions enough but choice, at whatever
cost. Sunday would draw G)dwaId but ten thousand
things the other six DAYS would draw more strongly
the other way and all embracing choice must he the
safety. To this urgency many objected holding that
truth should presented esthetcallv and left to
their choice; but this was like sending wheelbarrow
loads Of cannOn-ball to enemy, asking them TO kill
thenssyes, IKE eAh9gtpg trout to come into ones
fishing basket The pfebcher had as good right to
bombard men as a general TO lombard fort all ways
and all artillery should be used and fair play withal
There were no such ctades 70 win the soul such
glory to obtain winning for God would remember
when Westminster had been forgotten.
Nor did this view, on the other hand ignore gradual
processes. The moral life OF a child often fed on its
mother its physical life did In its first stages the
child would grow into a Christian infancy The
speaker had known worthy who could never feel
as If one had become Christian unless the person could
remember having hated God but to seek wiring such
a confession from child so brought up was 10 dishonor
a very temple OF the Holy Ghost
Nor did this view ignore the value OF feeling That
was excellent thing, only its use must be borne in
mind, which was to produce action Only so much
needed needu TO action the rest a surplus.
A pleasure yacht needed amount of steam, and
50OOon steamer another The river In which he
caught his first fish turned "a grist mill well the
Amazon would. But some thought feeling had some
hidden virtue II; held it TO be kind OF dye vat in
which the fabric must be stepped over night which view
amounted 10 this: that the longer resisted, and
la ha ad IN he wi 1h an" o
rience"-in a word the he the process OF
conversionthe better Christian he would make. IL
al a mistake. Only the feeling was necessary which
would start 10 action.
The hackneyed test questions for church admission
were: How long since what was the exact time
Deep experienced Great JOY Love to read Bible
Love to Gods folks are I" And unsatisfactory
answers might be gwen TO them all. while yet
Christian or vice versa The question should be, What
is the disposition nowi Has that quarrel been set right,
TINT fraudulent 5000 paid back, that PRIDE humbled,
that last put down leach according %
his bent He had received his church former
Unitarian, whose orthodoxy not luminous. but who
began by giving him money to be paid back to person
whom his firm had defrauded lie had frequently done
such errands and they the evidences OF
version the true Nor could everything be ex.
pected at once; second Of sunlight couldn't thaw
fourteen feet OF frost.
And when the church was entered, the WORK was only
begun; the soul safe. Activity, and in per.
soDal fields was the great procction-the lad at school
the morner In her home sanctuary the his Office
and seven DAYS out of seven made holy time. That
some could come to bgh perfection true there
genus for morals as well esthecs. Yet those who
made high attanments must not discourage those who
we're put together 80 ever 10 be at with them
selves The speaker had in his time about killed himself
trying 10 be Jonathan Edwards Payson Henry Martyr,
and had had TO give them all up and he himself. The
preacher must not let his people fall INTO such mistakes
There was one sun for the cedas OF Lebanon the forest
giants OF Oregon. and the tiniest moss leaf and
(hrlst for all and one hristlkeness O grown