The New York herald., 1878-01-14
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

THE WAY TO REACH cHRIsT-sERMoN BY REV.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Fully one-hai OF the immense congregation that
yesterday crowded Plymouth Church crossed over
from this city. Out of the olive wood vase, which
wreathed in voleIs for the occasion, Mr. Beecher
sprinkled babe in arms before the services. There
hustle or trouble In consequence Of the re-
seating OF the people Tor the year. all seeming to
nnd tner without hesitation. The pastor s
prayer was unusually long and earnest. ''No man
cometn snto the Father but by me' the pas sage
he selected text lie set out by asserting that tho
apostles adapted their preaching 10 the capacities OF
the assemDages they addressed, mat Christ took up
The thread oi preaching where John had lett IL and
That every single month OF HIS ministry Jeepened
the Character oil HIS teaching In Galilee He spoke
lo an unlettorcd aud cosmopolitan people almost as
one would talk child; in Jerusalem ne Was con-
topics anu HIS methods Of discussion changed,
SO that the temple dstourses arc proiouu ud
pLd to great eytent Incomprcnenslble When by the
rising storm lie was driven out OF Jerusalem He be-
TOOK Himself 10 Berea aud poured out stream OF
parallels mat seemed to have end aud this picture
taking TOOK It's place between inc other Two styes oil
preacElng Most OF the Saviour's temple dIscoursos
are iound IN the puges OF ST. John There was set
iorth the nobility OF the higher, the spiritual liic and
there also II declared tnat tns lie /, impossible
except by the direct influence o. God on The SOUL and
that therefore,, there was al ntcrspherng OF the d-
vInc' nature and human nature lhss theory oi the
uivne ndwellipg mad been the subject OF much COM
ment and OF much msapp rehension. Men said,
SWELL II Christ alone Can oraw me 10 the Father ana
DOESN'T draw me, whose fault Is t?' Mr.. Boechcr
held that this aocrine OF divine sovereignty ought
not TO present stumbling block To any indeed, II
ought 10 prove "A moiivc tor industry ana effort A
farmer VINO should DC told, "lour crop cannot come
TO maturity except by The sum-" would bc foolish TO
cease hoclng and wedding that account, for tie
sun SHINING through all eternity would not bring
fof tn luscious fruits without the dDos oi the hus
bandman. Nevertheless they could not be grown ex-
Iept Tor tho glow oil the sun.
NO NARROW HEAVEN.
lie argued against the notion entertained by many
that the way OF tho soul 70 God was path so dcli
niteiy bounded that any man who dId not walk
strictly therein, but tried u climb up any other
way was a thicL some men, he contcndcd, found
tncr way to God by intellectual processes. Sucn
was the case OF Jonathan Edwards, vino drove multi
tudcs vi men almost 10 ueSpalr because nc declared
that mis- way and the WY Tor such natures WIS the
way Tor all. a great many could not 30 iu that way
Some men ~ Christ through reason; others
through ascctcism, through philosophy, through I'M
aginaton, through love. 10 provo tDe power Vi
beauty upon some souls In preparing them Tor the
WORK OF The spirit Mr. Beechcr spoke oil a VISIT he
paid the gallery OF the Luxembourg, on his nrs trip
10 Europe, IN 1850. lie was 80 affected by the HOOD
pI color cried hallelulah IN his soul and ex-
orG blems oi human life recounted, and he walked
through the gallery ALI day until absolute fatigue sent
him away. The way Dy winch man came 10 tho
siritual lie Mr. Bcccbcr held TO DO Oi minor
Consequence so long as no attaineu 10 IT,
God was not offended or jealous II a
man came in another way tnan that Ito had pointed
out HIS theory OF mans attitude on this point the
preacher SAID was ike that OF one at the Fulton Jerry
iuuulglng The way to New York, ana who being told
the way oy the boat should resent tho direction as an
attcupt To deprive him o his right Of liberty, and de-
clare his intention OF swimming over. 81 would not
bc Jealous because nc refused 10 follow the way
oinlea out 10 nlmv said Mr. Beccher, "Dut when lac
lad tried swlmuing lttlc think he would take the