News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-06
A SERMON In THE WOODS.
BEECHER TALKS TO THE SOLDIERS
OF HIS BROOKLYN REGIMENT.
And Tells them Something about the Love
of Mankind.

VI his DhOOALIN hE61MENT.
And Tells them Something about the Love
of Mankind.
Henry Ward Beecher Is chaplain of
the 18th Regiment, N. e. s. N. Y. On
Sunday he talked to the troops in their
Peekskill camp! His text was a. part Of
the twetty-second chapter of Matthew,
beginning with the twenty-ffth verse
" When men want to take a long or a
high jump" he said, "they go back d
distance SO as TO obtain momebtuni but
Nd man ever took such long jump as
that of this world into creation. The
human family has always been marked
by selfshness. From the earliest day
men have loved themselves and not
theirr -; .s.....a AMONG the lowest
only for themselves. As you steadily
ascend in the geological kingdom you
find animals with love only for their
offspring. The entrance of that SYM
pathy into life which swells into love
comes with the cradle, This is the love
that knows how to suffer for its object
But 1t #as narr5w love. It gradially
took on larger form. From love which
was narrowed by the family circle, it ex-
tended to the tribe and the nation.
Love is like bee there is much honey
in it, but good deal of sting also.
Well do ten times as much for our own
house as for our neighbours. But by
and bye we began to get proud of our
nation: No man who has not been away
from home understands how great this
pride or love is. l have known the
difference between North and South all
my life, but when in Europe in 1868, it
made no difference to me where man
was born; if he was an American my
heart went cut to him.
"This love Of mankind" c0ntinued
Mr.. Beecher, 1" is the aim of the age.
God intends it to be the blossom and
fruit of creation. 1t was designed to
cultivate men, to bring them to a stan
dard which would enable them to feel
for one another universal sympathy. Far
out at sea. the old shipmaster steers for a
port he believes to be in the distance,
though he cannot see it. In spite of
adverse currents or storms, though driven
out of his course, he feels he can make
his port if he can get sight of the north
star. The world has been driven out of
its course by storms. Nothing has been
wasted like man. Nothing has appeared
so cheap as man. Nothing has appar-
emily been of less value to God or man,
but this has been for purpose. Ali
religion means the end to be gained, or
the means by which it is gained. The
moment a man forgets the end to be
gained he has not religion in his soul.
AS in raising wheat there is more chaff
and straw to be found than grain, so in
religion, it is necessary that there should
be chaff, but not after the wheat is
thrashed.
''The man who worships his Bible or
his Sunday or his creed or his church is
an idolator. He has but one instrument
for the end to be gained. A man COMES
out of a revival and says, 4 am a
changed man; have religion What
does your wife say about it2 1 tell you
that is pretty close test. You may be
a changed man, but there is good deal
to be done yet. A man says, II don't
drink any more Very good; you ought
never have begun it. 4 don't frolic on
Sunday any more Very good. Il don't
swear, at least not often, any more.
intend to pray, and will join the church
and be Christian All very well. A
man finds an old razor. He scours it
and gets it free of rust, but forgets to
whet it. 1t has no cutting edge
When man becomes a Christian he is
sympathetic and benevolent, and cares
for the welfare of mankind. This is the
cutting edge of religion. l hate to see a
man more sober after he has become re-
hgious than he was before. His face
should shine. He should become more
of man among men. Bring out your
churches and we'll have an arbitration
of just and upright men. We'll examine
all, not as to theiBuniform and belief, but
as to how far that spirit taught by Jesus
had been developed by them. Love to
God and love to man is the fruit of the
spirit. All Christian denominations are
to be judged in this way: Which of
them make the best men2 Now, some
of you may like this, and say that's what
I've been telling Deacon Giles a long
time. always said these church folks
were as bad as others. But how is it
with you2 How many are there among
you who say, in business, 4 think as
much of my fellow man as l do of my
selfa' Hold up your hands"
There was laugh, but no hands
went up.
''Ah, I see how it is" said Mr.
Beecher; ''you convict yourselves. Bus
mess is organized selfness tempered with
selfishness, with an occasional ray of
self-denial and thoughtfulness in it. But
there will come time when business
will be gospel among men. The world
will have to travel long time before it
reaches this point.
81 will not go into politics. 1t might
create merriment. There is day com
ing when man can be in politics and
yet be Christian. 1 mean candidate.
A voter even. 1t is held to be bus
mess of Government to be selfish, to take
care only of its own people. 1t is a
policy that belongs only to the lower
stages of existence. There has got to be
revolution in the nature of govern
ments, and particularly in international
intercourse. 1t is coming. We see it.
There are thousands of men who prize
religion because they believe without it
they cannot reach heaven. Men purchase
fire insurance for this same reason.
''But isn't this queer doctrine for a
campo So long as society is made of a
shallow top and deep boot the law Of
force must have an armed organization.
Your essential function is not violence,
but protection against violence. So 1
am not ashamed to stand in time of
peace in the midst of armed men and
preach the gospel of love, because
know it will come through future ages.
Citizens, neighbors, and friends and
brethren, l bid you all hail in the name
of religion, of that great principle of
sympathy for men which is lifting the
NY. !. -