New-York tribune., 1875-11-29
MEN THE CHILDREN OF GOD.

me Eer HeWy HWd beetHfF az ify"Vd" tHUc" NOo"g'e
Plymouth Church was filed yesterday morn
ing by the usual large audience. Among the regular
notices Mr. Beecher said that at the business meeting st
the church, be held next Friday evenings ali notices
in relation tn amendments changes in the rules OF the
church be gven and any notice given after that
dte would not DC considered In order. Mr.. Beecher
chose his text from Romans viii 49, The Spirit itself
beareth witness with spirit that the children
OF God"
The history of ideaty, entire perfection In the
imagination, in connection with religious impulse in
the world. would he of the most instructive histories
which could be written, and OF great practical utility.
For although the popular notion is that the imagination
s decorative faculty, and hat It is for the omam.nta
tion of lifethat it sa kind Of performed life. airy and
graceful dancing IN our vacation hours Tor our ase
ment and refreshmeut that we may then return To
practical life and practical affairs with more robustness
In point Of fact the Imagination IL the seer ot
tie soul II s the poet-prophet, and in the his
tory of the race not more, nor conscious
ness much, has been employed in redeeining the
race from auiinalisn AS the IMAGINATION, Nor
have maXims nor doctrines nor preaching in any
form been so influential in its operation upon manknd
the instruction which has been conveyed nom lie
Imagination. The lower you 90 In society," more You
will find that men are susceptible to influence through
the imagination rather tnah thIousn s"u ' P,acuIa
reason, aud ii has been therefore, SUBSTANTIALLY he CIV
ilzatiOn of the world While s name u NOT eminent III
that regard, the functions Of the imagnaton whether
they he shown by poets or by prophets OF IN orator.
or In art, or in embellishments OF me- OF oid
dominion Of tins imperial faculty nave neeh hsher man
flesh and its miesion "a well as lts Junction. ana are
tO of the visible ana the material INTO
higher realm, where they without eyes ana where
they live not upon the tangible bat upon the Invisible.
Paul touched the very hight Of II when he said, We 1--we
by faith and not by sight" Man is civilized and Christian
iLed lust in the proportion IN which he Is able 10 Ve by
faith that Is by the power OF the unseen, the invisible.
the aginabe rather Than by the power of the present
and the visible. -.
In all religions there have been who have hal di-
rect illumination from the person OF God III Is not
regularity O Christianity IL Is in christianity because
1t is in the race because 1t s fundamental tendency,
organic. Men, however in seeking to become personally
intimate with the Divine nature made an infinite ms
take and often have fallen not only INTO gross errors bu
into gross sins But the history of the lnninaled--s
they have sometimes called themselves or have been III
cOntempt called by Others-is a history Rembrandt
ian-sone fine light, but five times as much dark
shadow. They have generally resOrted 10 exraordl-
nary pains, they who said TO have personal
and fresh relation thought TO thought, feeling TO feeling
i'm the Divine Thoy have Iesorted 10 eNtaor-
dnary pans self-denia, sefrennnciaton setorturc,
great endeavor These qualities have been chief among
h aesthetics every religion. alone under Christian
auspees long before the time Of Christ MI Beecher
then spoke OF the Christian being the son OF Coo, ana
IA the Of God according TO the old oriental aith
was in God. He not, however according 10 tDat
faith owned BY God in the sense of OWNERSHIP hui was
the heir of God. He then touched upon inspiration,
through which at times the mind Is clear ana qnck III
action while other times il is sluggish He closet ny
an appeal 70 all seek higher ie, saying that the
visions OF hope and Of possession for the children OF
nd