The New York herald., 1876-11-06
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

PLYMOUTH CHURCH
FAITH AND LOVE IN JESUS cHR1sT-sERMoN BIZ
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Strangers had to take back scat at Plymouth
church yesterday morning. For four Sundays prior
the pewhoders generously yielded thor places to the
eager aud curious Centennial visitors and stayed
home while the strangers lux in soft cushioned
and the tbeosophic coquencc of the gifted
pastor. Still there were good many unfamiliar faces
present. but as noticc published that the members
OF the congregation would return just for the
great Of that besegcd the church prior
Sundays fell OF considerably. Before the three
men and two women were received into communion
with tho church.
Mr. Beechcr looked to be IN Gnc hoalth and spirits.
He took for his text:-ssWoman, why weepest thou?
She saith unto them, they have taken away my Lord
and know not wherc they have laid him. - John Xxx,
IL The preacher said :-lf tho gospels had been
structed purely dramatic purposes they could not
have been successfully done than they
stand. Christs mission was an extraordinary one.
AS Hc drew toward the end Of !. strange indeanabe
dread overhung it. The scene ut Gethsomane like
picture Of Rcnbrandt's full OF tho intcnscst light
ond shade Then when the drama was near It's end
darkness settled down upon il and It closed in grief
and gloom. At that time there several women
lifetime Among these named Mary,
but which Mary who figured most wonderfully in the
cruciixion scene has been made clear, Tor thcre
were tour Marys there aitogster though the mass Of
opinion IS in favor OF Nary OF Bethlehem. One thing
we know is, that there was Mary who had been
leading a dssoIute lie-onc OF those great natures,
redeemed and ie regeneration Of soul in the words Of
the Lord Jesus Christ She stayed 10 the last, and
followed the sad PROCESSION TO the tomb made DEL ior
the Jewish Sabbath was over she rose and went INTO
the garden and when she came to the tomb again sbo
found the stone rolled away. She told the disciples,
and they hasiened to tho sepulchrc and found there
nothing but The grave clothes, and Mary
gos appeared, and Jesus himself was among them.
She answered the angels, when asked why she wept,
They have taken away my Lord and know not
where they have M h laid him in M the greatness Of HIS
ienominy 10 the royalty Of life, and
snc stood in perpetual consciousness OF
She fcsooncd Him in her mag nation with all the at
tributes Of beauty, and the plenitudo OF this Affection
which conveyed with IL exaltation ard joy, she fol
lowed Him through His ministratops.
In that wreck OF Calvary and in the discovery of the
love; nextngushcd love shonc out with dazzling
radiance. To Mary nothing could be more desolate
than The loss OF Jesus, but she had listened 10 and
hung upon His words and He had raised her failh
and she Him through that faith after HIS death
the We shall such drama again. To
us, perhaps such eclipse will happen as that which
the disciples. but yet 1t possible for
the teachings OF the present day there thousands
OF men standing in uncertainty feeling that some
great light IS about bursting the world;
standing where the torrent OF sccpcism
Is sweeping away the old pillars Of belief There
thousands OF men and women, from whose hands the
Bible has dropped whose minds have been saturated
with the teachings OF SCIENCE that at destroying
very central figure OF tie Christian bele and well
may the follower oil Christ, doubling and troubled,
look around HIM and excuim with Mary, "rhcy have
taken my Lord away and know not whore they have
laid him. TO those who have passed their lives
Jesus the taking Of Him away woud make this world
very drcary indeed.
Here the preacher drew pathetic picture of a man
returning to his lonely after the partner OF his
bosom had been lad n the grave, all the memories
OF vanished JOY return, but never again the JOY ITSELF
IL Christ Is to be taken away. and wo have nothing
left by which interpret God but rocks and fish
and fossils, there is why the world should
mourn. II science must rob OF our sympathies
and emotions, and give nothing in
tain knowledge oi this old OF world, then
there subject for sorrow. enc OF the objects,
Think or Cod In allowing Tins scept,cism 10 sweep
Is to bring nearer to Himself BY brushing
away church made doctrines and building up the
igion OF the nvinglhear Reason, as substitute for
faith and love, JOY and rcst in personal Christ re-
veacd in personal consciousness by the spirit
OF the Holy Ghost is poor indeed. IL there be God
lie must bc God that is reproduced by highest
love- sympathics and aspirations. What We want
is God who has mothers heart, who knows
watches and develops unrpe exccllences and
sympathizes with cruditcs and inhrmes ana Hts
us up out Of sin. And II you take away such God
from they go TO an empty scpulchre and eNcsim
"You taken Him away and we KNOW not where 10
nnd him . The CHRIST preach you went through
probation OF poverty, where poverty lasLed ann
excoriated. companoned with poor fishermen, and
knew the depth and breadth cf human wants and
weaknesses. preach living Saviour 10 ali who have
hunger OF soul and know not where to cxpcnd H.
There many persons who have nothing to love-
They their fnther and mother and but there
ourcachings and lcngings OF the soul that nothing
on earth satisfy and all such pour forever
on the abundance OF their love aud receive
a hundred told in return.