The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-01
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

NE. BEEcHER ON THE QUALITY OF GODS LOVE-
The names OF th,rty-two ladies and twenty-one gen.
tlcmen who will on Sunday next join Plymouth churcn'
either by letter upon profession OF faith, were read
by Mr. Beecher yesterday from the platform. He an
nounccd that such Of the members as believed in
the necessity OF immersion would be baptized In that
form Sunday night. The form in which per-
baptized, he said, made no difference II the
ceremony were accompanied with faith.
These words, from the lfth chapter of Romans,
formed the text of tho sermon:-"For when We
yet without strength, in due time Christ died for tho
ungodly For scarcely for righteous man will one
die; yet peradventure for good some would
even dare to die. But God commcndeth his love
toward us in that while yet sinners, Christ
died tor us. Much then, being now justified by
his blood, shall be saved from wrath through him
For IT, when were enemies, we were reconcied TO
God by the death OF his Son, much more, being recon
ciled, shall be saved by his liien We are not
used, Mr. Beecher said, TO this interior and
psychological thinking which nbounded In Paul
He is the Plato OF the Gospel and though he had the
special marks Of nationality, and although the tme
element or the spirit OF the age was upon him-and
they make themselves manifest IN the recordyet as
he took Tor his unit the qualities OF the mind Of man
and the mind Of God and these remain substantially
the every generation OF the world the writings
OF Paul fresh and strong to-day tho hour in
which they made-stromger, because have
thrown upon them all the illumination which comes
from additional experience ind from the development
OF the human mind. One Of the OF the OBJ
security his argumcntatve writings lies in tho TACT
that he s arguing upon things SO nterior-thngs 10
which come not by power OF thinking, but by the
force Of loving And seldom, II ever in the face
OF great muttudcs find men living nteriorly, SO our
methods of reasoning and our powers OF analogy
very lew go with US but very little way and furnish
with few spiritual letters ~ read them But this pas
sage though very profound, may DO very obvious. II
results IN thishe certainty OF every mans salvatio
who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, because Christ
saves him or which lie In His nature
See how ii is stated When we were yet without
strength-spiritual strengthen due time Christ died
Tor the ungodly. That takes In the circuit Of The
whole world amt all periods OF Tine II takes IN uni
versal humanity in It's spiritual weakness and wicked
ness Is for the sake OF dead in trespasscs
and sin ard because they were dead in respasses End
SIN that Christ died There are many men that
vigorously right and Just who from being sym
pathetic or exciting sympathy in US A just man
always admirable but not always ovablc but men do
not
DIE FOR THEIR ADMIRATION,
while thousands OF men have thrown away their lives
for love. The Just man is passive, the good man ~
active. Very few persons will die for merely abstract
good person, who has not lived in sympathetic
With them; but God died Tor u.s. who are in
initey beneath Him, infinitely jar from being iovabe
or excellent infinitely removed from clnging affection
for Him. While we were yet snncrs-enemies-He
died ior In close contrast to that thought Is
put this If Sod will do much in dying
for us how much more will he do living For II, when
we were enemies, wcro rec0ncilcd to God by tho
death of his Son, how much more, being reconcei
shall be saved by his life " The nature OF God such that
those who utterly undescrvng and sinful may put
the IN Him-not an account OF what they
are but OF what He is. There mas been dsagrceabo
way OF stating this II has been the trouble with
great of theology that has been moulded in
the hard schools OF intellect and has to the
bare bones suppose should relate tho marriage OF
young and maiden thus IAN enger aud i'm
pc,uous young man came 10 town, ana seeing a iar
VIRGIN he dashed in through all the affections OF father
and mother and dragged her away and the father ana
mother had them any more, except in on indi-
way You state the story at end and II ia
mean trick you state it at the other end and II Is
Gods bounty. so some people say, "Man
never do anything good; there Is
nothing earth that Is going 10 help you but Gods
will" And everybody or at least feels IL won't
accept but the whole would rather do II than 60 to
heiLn So they take God thing better than he'll!
Really the whole purpose and compass Of Gods govern
crnment and the royal wish OF His heart 10 nelp
weakness, TO cleanse mpurity and redeem spiritual
bondage.
Mr. Bcccher compared the position and feelings OF
some people TO the joy q weary traveller through
newly settled country feels when ascending hill he
cspes a light before him. As he travels On, however,
he descends into dell aud tho light ~ lost Tor time.
But walk he SAID by and By you will ascend another
height the light will dawn again close at hand.
Many persons stand spiritually still because they
no hope, JOY; but 20 forward go forward and tho
succor shall Doubt and gloom and the Incidence
that comes by OF them the most dangerous
agencies the world Will the mother forget the child
who is born TO hery She forget H. but Il will not
forget IT, saith the Lord Of Hosts