The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-06
Mr.. BEECHER'S FUTURE.
He will Go On With His Work and
Leave the Issue With God:

Leave the Issue With God:
EXTRACT from Beecher's Friday Night Talk.
have gone through some things in the
last five years of my life as it befalls no
man to experience in an equal length of
time. And then the experiences were Pc
.culiar; they were exquisitely adapted to
annoy me. They fitted my tempera.
ment and disposition; now, I am the
leading brother and pastor by election
and affection Of this church, of this body
of Gods people. 1 have gone through q
great trial, not ignorant of other trials
before. I tell you-and [ have right
to saw it, and l mourn at the publicity
which is given to these meetings-1 must
have chance to say to you, Christian
brethren, you young men and maidens.
that, looking to God as your pastor,
have right to stand up and say that
GOO has tried me for five long years, as
he has not tried you, but, by the grace of
God, have been kept in peace. | have
not been tried so that have given up
courage, and so that may not say I
have many things to be4~thankful for. I
am more thankfnl. to G9d for e ~. this, that
nv heart is not embittered, that my
feelings arc not soured; that am not
morbid and that l am not in any way
whatsoever turned against any human
being. There is not creature
on the earth whose sorrows
would not relieve if it was for me to do
it. (Applause.) l do not owe any man
one particle of bitterness, and there is
not being on this earth whom would
not rather relieve than strike. I bear
you this witness for have been with Je-
sus Christ; because have studied the
body and the life OF Jesus Christ; because
it is the sovereign ambition of my life to
be manly fellow, and mean by man.
ly fellow, man in, Christ, as with a per-
fectly calm courage and a regard for the
future which is in man hen he is in God.
So that whether l go up, or whether l 60
down, and when l go down | go up, am
satisfied that God cares for men more
than men do, for He is my fortress, my
sure defense, and my everlasting reward.
After passing through all these expert
ences, I have right to stand up and say
that there is truth in Jesus Christ. la
voice, "Amen.' say there is truth in
religion. 1t is more than rhapsody; it
is an all.sustaining power: good to live in,
good to die on, good to live on forever and
forever. And when preach to young
men and maidens here and hereafter.I wish
you to understand that that which speak
of are things proved, proved.
One thing is this, that hope, with all
courtesy and respect, that everybody on
EARTH will think of me just as they choose.
and whether you think one way. or the
other, shall not feel angry, l shall not
be angered. I accord to other people the
most perfect liberty in that respect. In
the next place, whatever men may think,
this world is so large, there are so many
sides to it, that it don't lie with you or
anybody ON the face Of the earth to de.
termine my future. That is a matter
that lies with me and God; and God sand
I against the world. [Applause, with
cries of "Amen' from various parts of
the room.] don't propose to be put
down in any other sense than the sense
in which wheat is put down in the soil.
However pressed am, however I am put
down, I will come up again. 4 Applause.
Will you be kind enough to be still.
Here some onein the rear of the room
clapped their. hands, That mans
tongue is in the palm of his hand. I do
not say this merely as matter of AFRO.
gance. simply say this that by patient
continuance in we'll doing nobody can be
put down. [ do not care what people
think of me, know what am. God
knows it; He discloses it. But / know
that there is love and truthfulness in
Him. don't work for any other reason
than that work is sweet to me, and un-
der Gods providence I am going to work
out my life now, let me see the man
that is going to stop it. It lies with God
and with me. Nobodyis allowed to vote
on that subject; and as long as there is
ignorance to be enlightened, sympathy to
be encouraged, love for the unloved, par
don for the outlawed. tongues for those
who cannot speak for what they want, so
long as there>are5 men who need God, so
long shall they have my help and labor.
THE FUTURE IN GODS HANDS.
don't mean that I care for a high
place. went into the wilderness. 1t
was not who took myself from the viii.
derness; did not come here with any
ambitious plans or desires. I was sent
here. did not stay here because had
planned it myself. / vas kept here BY
the divine purpose that sent mehere. IT
shall stay as long as Gods providence
keeps me here. shall go when Gods
providence takes me away. I shall die
when God DEGREES me to the other life.
Living or dying am the, Lords. NY
future is in His hands. I will do It
though the thousand devils are in the
road. leave, for Him to judge. That is
my future. His name is God, and His
other name to me is Father, and I have
day by day to say, "dear Father,: =wkat
wilt thou have :nssto do, that shall do