New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-08
IMITATION IN RELIGION.
NR. BEECHER DISCUSSES THE ELEMENTS
CT A CHRISTIAN LIFE.

MEETING-A FALSE RUNOR THAT MR. BEEChER
WOULD BE ABSENr-TnE PASTOR WARNS hls
nFARERs AGAINST ovERAucH IMITATION IN
RELIGIOUS IIFn-rBCvLARrIEs OF TEMPERA-
MENT TO Dix CoNsIpERRD-DiRFERKNr GIFTS IN
rR,yrn-NECEssARY THINGS TO A CHRISTIAN.
The attendance at the Friday night prayer
meeting OF Plymouth Church not large last evening
ss at recent meeiiu There was hardly more than han
the usual number present The body Of the room
was comfortably filed, but none were obliged 70
stand. while tho social parloIs were comparatively
deserted The limited number present was probably que
u a rumor that Mr. Beecher confined to his house
BY order physician account Of sore throat ana
would not he present The report however piVNeu l"
be untrue for five minutes after the appUihFa 'hV
Mr. Beecber appeared, accompanied by his daugh'crh
law Mrs Henry Beeeher Both assembled the PLATFORM
Mira Beecher taking seat in the rear OF the pastor c
Mr. Reeeher wbeu he entered looked tired and worn our
but after the service had proceeded SNORT ume ue
seemed to revive, and resumed MS usua Nsoi
OF expression. After the singing OF Nearer
Nv Gotto Thee" Levi W. Hart led the audience In
nrayer An invalid from Nebraska who has now become
a regular attendant at the meetings next
offered prayer In the course of his petition
he said ave thank Thee for all the mercy
Thou given the leader and pastor OF this church
We pray Thee 20 bling him through this great rla ana
we pray that Thou Wit his labors with scc'ss
We pray Thee still 10 bless him." MI Bceeper theh
spoke as follows:
One OF mistakes which persons fan INTO whei 'ney
enter upon Christian life distinguished from thocoui
mon life Of morality, of the mistakes they almost
always fall into, ia that OF imitation IL
natural for those who are young 10 iooh
M TO persons around them who reutcd to be most
emncnt N Christian lfe whose influence they nave nost
felt is quite natural that aside from any purpose o'
imitation, they should fall Into Oh hsensble
Imitation of them, and that at last this
imitation should take the form VI duty
and the examine Of single individual stand for l1n
ele or and for whole. Thus in DR.. Paysons time
was quite natural that persons should feel that rhSoh
required them only IL be in earnest Dut 10 h'o"
zeal that glowed and corusca;ed all tho uule; MOI
only 10 have ZEAL but 70 devote themselves continuous!
to ,,arer standing nlqny hours sometimes IN the day
in nrayer and appointing from time 70 time seasons OF
fasting and Of prayer; aud that they should follow UP
these in way and another, with addltloha services
of some kind. Now il Is not for me to say that thesc
think. are not right because see most adniraDle men
that are fruitful Of these elements and are very noble anu
very beautiful. Lot because Dr. PdysODs genus
devclopes itself In that way, u does not 10"
low that mine shall. ITO his own master ever!
man stands or falls" and every time mat Goa
makes man, lie does make another hike him; Hnd
every time he makes lie makes HIM thai nc hi'!
disclose hmsel-thst L. Christ in him. As II II tooH not
only the whole race successive generations OF IT, TO
get forth all those qualities which are nnne III 'he
potency in the Of God And as church mani
tests IT, IL do Il only by the special sits Oh ndnes'"
ton that are given TO each person.
Row. for a moment suppose man has slender forin'
brown hair gray blue eyes, is OF very nervous temper
ament has stIong emotion, and he goes into raptmes
his soul is full Well, that is beautiful, That If pe"u'l
full And the that sits behind MN Is oRse'
he has pale skin-uie flesh hangs III eolunins'
has wsery eyes, slow digestion, sleeps long and s'o"
and walks slow aud long. he never understands JoAe
until after everybody else has through laughing AT H.
and this of into seintilaUons OF religious
geuius and he Says We'll, now, miserable sinner
thai | am / never feel so. and If this Is religion
uy.f haf
that follow Ii is good thing to be poet but may
man not be good father citizen aud business man and
not be u pOeti And II Is no diepaaGenen' u poetry
man may be very excellent man III m'uv
respects and be a musician, although he would DC
better man II he musician, anu IL Is no d'sparaSe
rpent 10 music a that's OF eausbe temiera-
nent moderate in AL his feelings and acuons' ne never
can appreciate or understand a man " ner'
yous temperament And II THIS Wei'
gained wonld IL not be desirable. That Is
10 cav that which the Lord wants is that every Dob
shall take his peculiar temperament ana constitution ana
wor out diffeuu things and different experiences and
so add 10 the treasure Of the Church Whereas men
should all conform to one 'dea-oe all ahH'
the Church would be Impoverished When
tree begins 10 grow it grows central sem but II
when il grew up Il WAS but long sten would
not Dt beautiful and, therefore, We have bfanon neIe,
anu above, aud anOder above that IL Is ihls L'n
hcaon 10y which you make up that unity that makes IL
beautiful TINS Ia the way IN tle church. , ,,, .,oo
Take Another instance Many persons think tnat tneTe
is nothing That Is go ellaractrsIe oi Chrls.ian
Christian man., but every man Is Nv; gifted a+
BY prayer Is then prayer sit Dy LOU Hou
tendency III which, wnen 1t receives culture, no
velcpes' and they dehst in prayer oI more aan
,idcr payer in lis just aspect, the communion n,
ship aud converse with God. In the hist lace
there lie difference i'll the way III which men Come To
God aud in the way men pray TO God Some
come 9us sS S tn Se who ooe fast soe are fluent in
PRAYER but you mus, not blame those wno are not 80
VINO talks all the Ine and with good SENSE considering
the amount of H. Here - aholher VINO o,ot Guns
, In. V tine rst And you dSnI call that treason
80 family Frequently wha il called the domeFtlei
OF disposition il allowed III the lower circles OF lehu
ship aud Is it not allowed III the bigher c'rclcs
And II II the nature vi some persons 10 fiS 10
otners not TO- rise ~ do you suppose debit and
credit account is kept IN which THIS man Is booked ae
being nearer 10 COD oe..u'e he Irays Tour honl.,
and that this man cones mex, VINO n"ye
nrSt nms W%n , nHt' one hour In.s man next Who
prays nsI hour, aud this man last wac pratS ten
than others do lu ioAr hOns. NOW inid nT,n
disparag ng prayer cay s1ve ior " o'lS,
bondage" Itis matter Of liberty. There arc great
t.iugs That you should stilve tor alike } lnhN tue
snI His relationship with you. Tne sense that You are
eluerins into life IN which you nave Hvnns
universal power, and That peIsonage, Jesus Christ
stands ali goodness, and sympathy TO you
relationship to TIE Lord Jesus hrist is the best
thug in the rniyerse The sense so u,st yGn are
stands related a sick leisOn, as sddS dJcs 10
en-. Sc' Of II Christ evcf vita you, ever
guiding, is very comforting, enigh~inhg
Tus i the prime con Iteration OF u Tue , C%s o
ton OF this eleln Christian experience. that y"ur
privilege Take whaever you please, VI il, lees oi
r. ~ fr a. YOU eet II IN The heart IN no Bible, social
meeting church anothe III 80 that you gaiu A.
Int tins is primal eescntal sld vital.
perceive hundreds and thousands Of people who hold
Christ not 10 this dovtrine; and II they alV to