New-York tribune., 1875-02-13
GROWTH IN CHRISTIAN LIFE.

MR. BgECHER on CONVERSION AND SPIRITUAL
EMOTION.
The attendance at Plymouth Church was AS
large as usual evening although the services seemed
unusually short the benedic:on being pronounced at
halfpast eight. Mr.. Beecher took up again IN MS
talk" the subject of revivals rather the demonstra-
tive ndweng of the Holy Spirit compared with tho
quet conversion. Aludlng to the custom many years
ago among teachers Of magnying the first experiences
of the soul Christian life he said there Is some reason
for it too Some of great moral natures who have
reached the highest experiences of Christian life did
well in making their experiences known. In my child
hood there was too much stress laid upon 1.-THE
Divine Spirit but too little upon the methods through
which the soul acted. There was narrow theory as
10 the action OF tho Divine Spirit on the human
soul First there would great feeling OF repuR-
nance, and then struggle and then all was light and
the heavens would shine. and there would be such
world OF Joy used 20 feel that young converts were
TO be enved who had In their conversion experienced
what was called real struggle. and used TO long for
that ecstaey and never put much work into nifty
sermons as did into my efforts to have "experi-
epce" But these conversions were just rs good as
quiet conversion, without any Of these emotional
demonstrations and better. What want Is to give
my people the right IDEAL not have them follow false
All people are not alike; their temperanents are
various and while some will have these ecstatic
sensations when the Spirit dcscends upon them and
them. others must be cOutenL 10 alonR
ont IT, Carry into kind Of life. Men rank
themselves God gave them aptitude there rs classln
cation all through and 1t is just 80 in religious lfe
When a man first begins the religious life, II he has had
special ordering OF life by when the REBOUND is strange
and dramatic, or II he il man whose ATTITUDES are
such as make him seraDhc the very beginnings OF his
life will be refulgeDt. But suppose man with tnat
kind of nature that cannot supply It's own food He can
invoke very little vi lDagnalloR Do you expect that
when such person sets ls face toward Jerusalem ana
is determined 20 up there the beginnings OF his liie
Can be filed with such 10y as aiterwardf NOBODY
ought to happy in the beginning OF Christian LIE
as afterward. We read what Paul eaid in Epheslans,
and sigh as we say Ob well, Paul was an Apostle;
can't expect 10 nave such feelings" M. nor PAM
either when he went DAMASCUS, hut It was 40 years
afterward and the wonderful tenderness aud Insight 70
divinity that breahed in these machless tiers were not
the direct inspiration Of God but that iratioh which
comes from the whole life OF experience developed uD-
der Divine Spirit He worked out his sal tation. Some
people have that they dOn' come TO true
Christian growth until the latter OF their fe H.
therefore, you begin with the rigid rule that you begin
fulhenged, you VIII keep all the little BIRDS out you
make to come into your new HE Win tne hour
n of full 5aEd Of music what will those do who caut
even wbiste9 lLaughter.l The true gospel Is God
ma nfest through Jesus Christ as the pardOner and
helper and sancIer Of every soul. beginning at each
soul in the plane OF development where IL stands, and
helping II 1g1t straight upward.