The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-15
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

THE FATHEIHooD OF GOD sERMoN By HENRY
WARD BEEcHEE.
II God owns US. so do We own God, said Mr..
Beechcr for love is ownership, and every being that
desires to rccoGn God as his father has rights IN
Him. Myriads live to whom this fatherhood Is fruii-
less but the fault their The collier who lives
IN tho bowels the earth not soc the sun. but t
shines with warmth and health Tor every man There
was also father hood Of God that did not depend
upon moral relationships for lie maketh HIS
rain 10 fan alike upon the just and the unjust
There was also u disciplinary iathcrhood Of
God. There continual operation through
out human existence OF great moral laws
obedience 10 which brought JOY, and disobodiencc
pain sorrow. These laws were so numerous as 70
lie over the moral world thick nerves about tho
human body ana no who fitted himself 10 them most
thoroughly and easily clothed himself with something
OF their potcntality Old tneoogians taught that God
rcigns for the augmentation OF HIS own glory; tna
tho chors around Him were all the time telling HIM
how splendid Ito is aud how good He s 80 mat every
place He turned reflected Him as mirror, ana no
was constantly saying, show handsome am now
beautiful am. how splendid am how GOOD am
This. Mr Beecher held. would be conce, ana w"a qua
is greater than God. no held, does NOT
reign Tor His own glory. but SITS IN
me centre OF universal affairs for tho sake OF minis
tcring TO everybody, high and low" ana the cehtruI
principle on which He administers His government
that pain aud penalty education ~ you endure
Christening Cod dcuelh With you as sons" says the
Bible aud again, .the way oil the trapsgressor ~
,nou.h, God was too good 10 punish them for heir
sins would hnd their mistake God would punish,
for the sake OF punishng, put 10 save tue sou,
lust as loving parent punishes the child tbat Is
may be led from evil why's Nothing marked fault 50
quickly as love was SO closely critical.
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION.
The faherhood Of God had III personal reiation-
ship 10 manxind. an uish;nngsand visiting power--
4 power manifest itself not only 10 mon in general
but 10 individuals personally. This power affected
tue soul became as positive OF the exist
senses. This feeling not continuous, but came
ana won't rs some distant melody Is borne TO the
listening ear in snatches, fading into silence Many
men did Lot experience this conviction, because OF
the whirl and din III which they lived, the whole
OF their being absorbed In the outward exist
ence. SIR. Bsecher's statement was that anything
which rendered tho brain thinner, moro sensitive,
less lcathcry permits the light to shine through IRON
the other world. Tho dying often believe lney
celestial forms ana hear sweet music. Why should
not beieve IT, TOO "Bessed are inc pure IN
heart Tor they shall see God" Old saints-and
Mr.. Boechcr not admirer oil them, as no be-
lievcd We have better ones now-behevcd they had
VISIONS heaven, and why should We not agree with
could believe more In spiritual manifestations. Tho
pr,Dc,ple OF them IS all right ITS the substances
that object TO. (Smles) He welt on IN humorous
way 70 express his wonder at the extraordinary IN.
teectua deterioration OF eminent persons when they
passed INTO The spirit world ana came BACK " conu
he doubt that, despite his nifty or sixty years
Of study in this world, u he were to die his spirit
would come backa tool Iaushtcrl TO ilius,raI. this
Mr. Bcccher said that in the days when he was dong
battle for tho North III England no cncoontercd
medium Liverpool Ho was willing
10 near from his father, and the latter
raped very much like himself too said Mr. Baecher.
The only communication he maio was, '.You are
working TOO hard.n tHc needn't have come from
the realms OF blessed to tell that, said Mr.
Bcecher tsWhat snail DO, fathcrY' said. "fhe
old gentleman hud nothn. to remark on that sub
iecb Then the medium said III Beecher's mother
present. and AZ tho very thought Of her he soft
encd Tor Virgin Mary IS to the devout Cath
olic sue was every Of her children. Through
her pray IN every extremity,' said Mr. Beecher.
say rhcn soft rapyings announced SO the meaium
said. the presence Of ms dead children, and Tho
thought OF them filled his eyes with tears but they
mad nothing TO say. Thcy mad not learned 10 talk
when tney died, aud they had not improved on the
other SIDE. sMas
Tho whole ncart Mr.. Bescner said yearns tor these
things.
In conclusion Mr. Beecher impressed upon the
minds OF his hearers tnnt to every man VINO desired
God u held that relation. Churches aud
Green's only helps to goodness; they were none
o! them essential Ono could get uD INFO a cherry
tree easily with step ladaer, but tho boy VINO chos
rather to climb reached the irut just the same, an.
II did not matter TOW 10 got there So It was Will
these organ zations-hay were ladders only. III pa
ptranIc' my -idtnek evri rnoueh the bishops an,
| priests CID not know him. Though Abraham be ig
norant OF thce, Israel recognize theo not doubt
| loss he Is your iather"
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
cHnIsT's ACQUAINTANCE WITH GRIEF sERMo,
BY THE REV. DE-. ARMITAGE.
The Rev. DIR. Armtage preached In his usual logica
anu forciDle manner on the subject OF tsChrst's Ac
| quainiance with Grief" he took his text from Isaiah
| M 3-at man OF sorrowa and acouaiutcd WITT