New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-19
LAST Words BEFORE VACATION.
CHRIST THE BREAD OF LIFE.
HENRY WARD BEFCHER AT PLYMOUTH CHURC

HENRY WARD BEFCHER AT PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
At Plymouth Church. yesterday. morning Mr..
Bpecher preached his last before going upon
bis Summer vacation. There was large attend
ance. After announcing that the Rev. Mr. Brad
ford of Montclnir. would M the pulpit next SIM
day Mr. Beecher said that this was the last sermon
he was permitted To preach to his congregation be-
fore October 1. The intrmity of hay-fever would
drive HIM 10 the mountains, but before that he
sbould make brief trip to the northwest and the
lake country. From the mountains he should not
descend until the latter bait of September and he
hoped o bS with hie people IN renewed health and
streugth on The first SUNDAY in October. The
mon was discourse upon the helpiulness of Chrss.
represented as the Bread of Life and mans need of
Him. L. was based upon 81. John W. 80. And Je-
sus said unto him, | the bread OF lie: lie that
coneth 10 me snail never hunger; ana lie that be-
lieyeth in me shall never thirst"
Mr.. Beecher said that these utte'ances were
among Inc latest of Chrsps after lie had left Gall
lee when the shadow had already been cast forward
and He was advancing TO the great close OF Ills me-
These last words had depth, an intensity OF mean-
ing IN contrast with HIS highest ut;erances before
He assumed to be divine, as He was and Is. The
sacred Scriptures III making known the unknowa-
bIe have ransacked the whole known world Tor
descriptions and titles for Gcd. To represent His
greatness, He called Lion to an Eagle, HIS power
ia represented by lightning and thunder aud His
majesty by the storm. cloud He is represented as
the Counsellor and the Government, as King and
Creator, to give conception of His power and wis
dom and goodness aud geDtleneSs and OF all HIS
manifold attributes, but the straDgest Of all was
that of a loaf of bread While II was not strange TO
represent him as king, high above all as glorious
IL y
said lie was the Bread of Life, and IN institntng
memorial OF Himself took bread as the symbol. His
eueInes might ridicue this and say that His follow
ers ate their Gods. yet no symbol was more admir-
able. God altar of, ruler Of the universe, IL not
what is needed. but God IN the heart and under
the life. To contend with the temptations perplex-
ties and disappointments of life God present and
adenuate to all emergencies IS needed. No idea bet
ter expresses this than the idea of bread. 1t sup
ports all parts of the body God supports all parts
of mans nature. No article universal bread ;
ali peoples use it the world around, IT the best
SYMBOL God feeds the body and life Of all and is
represented by q symbol uniting the thought and
feeling of mankind. He repairs and restrengthens
men.
There are two ways to consider Gods influence
on men, continued the preacher lie acts genercally
whether we know 1t or not, quickenins men, and
guiding and controlling tins terfagueous globe,
There Is no machine 30 wonderful and complicated
AS the human MUD. The most wondrous thing each
morning Is that "a man wakes and thinks; the nam
teuance of n mind sound IN sound body IL per-
-tua miracle Besides the generic Influence there
is an influence like that which inspires one mind
with another, reciprocity of feeling like the
MERGE of noble souls-a reciprocity like what IL
called communion with God, when the Divine ma
ture interspheres with mans. This Is the feeding
consciously or unconscIOusly. OF the human life
taught when Christ says i am the bread of life"
1t was not 80 In religion nor 10 the theological
world always. In his own experience Mt. Beecher
said, there was very little OF Christ where wac