The New York herald., 1874-09-21
LYRIC HALL.
Rev. q. B. Frothingham ON Spiritual
Force and Its supply.


Force and Its supply.
Quite large congregation assembled in Lyric
Hail yesterday morning, in spite OF the dubious
weather Alter the voluntary, Mr.. Frothingham
opened the services by saying Listen to readings
of various scriptures on the subject of Charity
under which head we're extracts from the Bible
the Koran or Mohammed, and the Chinese and Per-
sian scriptures. After the singing ofs hymn, Mr..
Frothingham said, Ny theme this morning is,
spiritual Force apd Its supply" The word
force is one OF the great words of
our day. We hear OF material force,
forces of nature, will force, elemental force
social forces intellectual lorces By spiritual force
mean none OF these. By spiritual force i mean
the force OF aspiration OF reverence, of trust of
hope, OF faith In principles. Love Of truth spir
itpal force, love Of excellence fs spiritual force,
enthusiasm for goodness is spirtual force, sympa-
thy with human beings and great causes Is spirit
xal force integrity is spiritual force; by spiritual
force, in word, mean the power OF those sentl-
ments and purposes which tend toward ideal
things, as we call them; toward the establishment
OF principles and purposes which are matters OF
thought, not matters OIL sense.
Now think 1t will be generally conceded that this
species Of force is undervalued; that is to say,
material forces-forces OF money, OF partlsanshp
OF business associat1ons-will account for all the
progress of society, while the five moral forces
are gradually fading out OF account. don't think
so, and in order that you may not think so l ven
ture this ncrning to make this plea behalf OF
spiritual force. A great preacher said, a lew
months ago, that OF two things he Ielt certain,
and that they were the base OF all his faith and
teacning-drst, the spiritual helpessness OF man;
second, the spiritual help uiness OF God Man has
no spiritual power ln and OF himself These two DO.
sitions belong together-they are but two
forms OF one statement. The preacher ad-
mitted da,a that there was sprltds! orce in
above. He was mistaken think that everything
else was tncidental-tne divinity OF Christ-the
Trinity l believe his faith IN the spiritual help
fulness OF God rested on these pillars OF dogma. II
he took account or his belief, he would that God
man, and, OF His OVID discretion and Will, minister
Ing TO feeling III behalf OF HIS own Kingdom. SO 1t
lleve that this Individual, personal Christ sits on
HIS throne and ministers IN all sovereign
tRen of the m faith Re0p n tse A' everasss
helpIulness OF God and the helplessness OF man /?
Are we not left, then. with no hope IN the future
that man may stand on his feet the spiritual neIp-
lessness OF man, thing TO he taken for granted
a thing We must assume first principle |
Why sooner thar doubt that man has inherent IN |
himself spiritual power would believe that had
not mental power for as look at it the spiritual |
force OF man Is the most astonishing fact in all this
history. l know OF nothing so vast and omni-
present as the working oil this spiritual lorce, and
am not willing 10 resort to
THEOLOGY AS A WITNESS.
take facts they lie on the surface OF the world
What is more surprising than TINS that far away
in remotest time men should have been taking up
material things and Transforming them INTO
beauty that as lar back as you can read you dnd
men taking mountains as types OF eternal suDlim-
lty, the wind as a suggestion OF a holy spirit
breathing through tue earth Now this implies
power OF reading the invisible from the visible,
and you can CONCEIVE what a tremendous thing
spirit force Is Or look again. What are the great
buildings tnat have peen erected III different parts
OF the earth the cos test and most vast are what?
churches and temples OF worship buildings tuat
nave Ra up SIMPLY to ner
temples are simply expressions III granite and
stone OF those dreams and hopes that all men
have. Men cross oceans to see them They cost
the labor OF generations to erect. Kings palaces
SINK to inslgnhcance IN comparison. Look at the
wonderful temple of Neptune; that Ger
talny IS demonstration OF spiritual
to man what aas the nanye
ductOns o! literature? This is the mightiest proof
Of mans splruaI lorce. The greatest OF all books,
by al admitted, are those winch have lasted long
est. Those winch are Oldest and are read and
Iondered most are the sacred books-cali them
ters not They have the clearest observation. the
richest thought, the most iar-reachlng charity.
they comprehend the greatest range OF expert.
ence. We read that Aristotle controlled the mind
OF the middle ages. Well, so ne did. Bacon, we
say, cohroued the mind OF the modern age. But
tne DOCKS that nave controlled the mlnd ancient
and MODERN are the sacred books. Look at the
creeds which nave held men in absolute supjec-
uon. say OF them what you viii, stn the fact re-
mains that tor ages multltudes OF men nave been
bound and lnthrdled by them This seems TO me
astupendous declaration OF the power OF spiritual
force.
Take another test-character. What Is charac-
ter German writer says character Is dlsci-
pinned VIII. should say charact-r was
CONDENsED ASPIRATION
All else Is as nothing IN comparison with the char.
aeter men have exhibited impartlng impondera-
bic forces t they become resistance That Is char.
acter. Now don't say that character is a common
thing 1t IS rare thing, but there mas never been
time when more or less OF this character was
not exhibited. Grant there are but lew, they are
a demonstration OF spiritual force. / believe the
ages when THIS spiritual force has attained the
greatest power have been when the social forces
nave been most at work. Here, then, Is the secret
a. II seems to me. This power. which 1s inexhaust-
lbe, Is inherent in us, the possibilities OF wnicn
are IN all Of US. | han the advent OF this great
spiritual force as one who does believe IN Justice
integrity generosity and sacrifice. | believe the
time VIII come when this species Of fellowship VIII
be universal, when we shall be as the apostle saws,
one Of another.
CHURCH OF The HEAVENLY REST.