The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-26
Yesterdays Topics in Metro
politan Pulpits.
Beecher on Individual Concep-
lions of God.
WHERE is OUR FAITH?
The Duties of Patience and Faithfuness
Discussed by Rev. John Hall.
OR. DIX ON SELF-DISCIPLINE.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

FLY MOUIH CdChCd.
INDIVIDUAL CONCEPTIONS OF GoD-MR. BEEcHER
WANTS MEN TO BE LIFTED ABOVE THE CARES
OF LIFE by THEIR PRIDE AS SONS OF GOD.
Most OF the strangers who occupied pews in
Plymouth church yesterday were evidently from 'tho
Provinces and doubt making the visit to
Mr.. Becchcr's feature OF their trip tho big
nj Philadelphia The subject of the the de-
veiopmeDt through faith OF higher manhood in
Christ and consciousness OF, and pride in, being
sons OF God, such as shall lift above tho petty
OF this transient life For his Mr. Beecher read
from Hcbrews-"By faith he forsook Egypt not fear
ing the wrath OF tho king; for he endured seeing
him who invisible
These words the preacher explained were spoken Of
Moses, perhaps the most remarkable figure in anti
ouity Tracing tho romantic lifc OF Moses from tho
ti> no lay amid the bulrushes till he became men,
Der OF tho royal household Mr. Beecher dwe upon the
fact that the prophet forgot his humble origin
the people from whom he sprung The man, said he,
who greatness and who IS ashamed of his
father, mother brethren is a whom nothing
make great nobe-hc is essentially mean. Moses,
for the sake OF his kind renowned all that usually
veek for and into tho wilderness amid
) people who were substantially barbarians
AZ eighty years OF age he assumed the legis-
htivc, constructive and judicial cares Of the great
horde of his oountrymen His patience and cndur-
ancc, being by nature fiery and impetuous oil
tho marvels OF time And it was worthy Of being re-
counted the Word Of God how he became for forty
years so patient ''He endured as secing him who is
INVISIBLE 1t was the sense of God present with him
that gave him that power.
The preacher called attention to the fact that he
dured ..as, seeing God not because he actually saw
Him. Nobody, he added God He is to
everybody but idea. 1t idea, too, which
fashion in our own mind and project into some ex-
ternal form for the preacher held. every in this
lie put into form anything which he distinctly
conccives Of The mode OF forming that idea makes
the between barbarans, semi-cvilizcd and
civilized men all the way up
,t ALL PORN THE COP WORSHIP;
some by one method and some by another; some with
higher materials representing the elements OF thought
aud bcauty-that Is the Greek; some with moral quail
ties and dsposonal affections representing the true
Christian conception OF God, not magsterial but pa
rental paternity itself was the highest conception
Of which the human mind is capable. and as II, under
the element OF divine paternity, justice, power and
law rank themselves as subordinate; love being the
highest parental love the nobest, conception and
all moral quality inherng IN the supreme supcrlative
idea ot lovc-an idea yet struggling Tor birth into
human life, not yet born grown.
We have, too the preacher continued, sense OF per-
sonaiity II are to have God he SAID, that Is to
be OF use He must be person. for though there
be some minds which can conceive OF . Pantheistcal
God II does not come home TO men. We surround the
person with attributes and the latter will depend
what have been taught ascrbe to the notion Of
the suprcmcst good. We form the idea of personality,
around certain attributes, TO IL scope
government and add to this a disposition. Though
these based instruction. yet in the process
H using them each man will color and shape by his
pwn notion experience what that Being Is who Is
made up OF attributes who has functions and bears
disposition. Nor is 1t probable that we ever como
aearcr together in this matter than the generic idea
lfw could throw upon n screen objects in science
thrown rnied, the real pton that each
Christian man forms OF God il probable they
would together than the generic. Sreci-
1cay they would diner ono from another, one man
docs from another man. This Being Is repre-
tad ainU fha -aa
having scope that Is simply immeasurabie.
The element OF time, MIR. Beecher said well
our inherent conception of God From eternity to
eternity God is The preacher, show the course Of
Moses mind in this matter, read largely from the
palms IN which the eternity oil God is illustrated
1T WAS IN SUCH CONCEPTION OF GOD
this the preacher said, that Moses dwelt and the
effect OF constant companionship with such Being
to clothc himself with such power ms has seldom
been vouchsafed TO never probably in admnistra
live realms. Its effect TO fill him with mighty
conception of tho majesty Of God and TO make HIM
siderate the OF the power he held. strong
confidence and in God was also bcgottcn in him.
He locked mp and day day through the years he felt
that God was his companion, his counsellor. his
strength.
sorrow joy than small things Blu, these were rela-
tive terms only like rich and poor What would be
considered prison fare under ordinary circumstances
would be regarded luxury " man starving
One man thinks himself rich with 81, 000 whiic
This rela,v,ty Of arars exercises It's sway and domin
Ion every side and relation OF human iic
Men only lndstInctly conceive how affects Them for
II has really mole do with Joy and sorrow than
Utmost any other element in life.
Mr. Beecher ended his sermon with fervent and
eloquent exhortation TO his people TO develop IN their
souls nigh standard, by which to measure the events
ofthis world regard the affairs of this lilo the
only ones in which they TO figure, hut simply
auxiliary live for the lie TO The events Of
this world he said constitute tho glass that takes the
portrait while the latter Is flashed beyond tho
ether life where every mans portrait IS perfected
Ven he said, ought to be larger in that pride which
God inspires and which should carry men above the
petty troubles and Affections that make tho VICAR and
lear OF human lie.