Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-11-14
THE BEAUTIFUL.
Mr.. Beecher Forgets His Notes,
but Delivers a Sermon
Without Them.
Old Maids Defended and Called Simply
Unmarried Angels" Without
Wings Protestant Saints.

Rev. Henry Ward Beecher from the
Nashville Union of last Monday:
New YORK, Nov lit is Mr..
Beecher's custom to have the head of
his sermon written down for reference,
the sermon itself being mainly extern
poraneous. This morning he amused
his congregation by saying: "Accept
n very unusual gift from mean
apology-and if my discourse should
be too long or too short or too ragged,
please understand that in changing my
coat before came, left my notes at
home. am sorry to initiate SO many
who have Sunday clothes and change
in the week and leave their religion
behind with their garments. | will
speak to you from one wOrd--the word
beautiful. 1t is contained in the
third chapter of Acts, second verse.
And a certain man lame from his
mothers womb was carried, whom they
laid daily at the gate Of the temple
which Is called Beautiful The temple
represented the Jewish religion, and
the gate by which you entered
was called beautiful, and, in this
respect, while probably it arose from
the highly decorative work that had
been employed upon it, the way of
the beautiful is the way of entrance
into the sanctuary, if only we UNDER
stand what is meant by beauty. One
may be surprised to contrast the Old
Testament and the New on that sub.
ject. With one or two exceptions the
wOld beauty is not mentioned in the
whole of the New Testament. On the
other hand, it is mentioned often in
the Old Testament, and mentioned, too,
to describe character and quality. The
beauty of holiness is mentioned signi6,
cantly, The beauty of conduct is also
mentioned. God is called the Beauti-
full in the Old Testament. Now, in
the New Testament, though it does not
mention beauty as the Old Testament
does, nevertheless we have a speciti.
cation Of qualities of thought, Of
feeling; an analysis of the soul and OF
all its members, and declarations that
connot be construed in any way than
as exhortations to beautiful conduct.
What a sermon there is in real, full,
lovely Christian life walk and CONVEX,
sation. Every single quality thai
belongs to Christian character should
be carried up to the condition o.
beautifulness. That is the aim, anC
this, too, not by flash; not beauty
occasional, rare, used only as medi
cine is, but beauty that rises like a stal
and continues to shine with a steadfas
ray. The light that has in it all thu
primary colors carries them Away
without any discontinuity, and so thu
great qualities which grace inspires
which are rooted in nature, but ar,
developed by grace in the human soul
These qualities are, every one Of them
to be carried up toward the line o
beauty; they are intrinsically so
Religion is beautiful, which is tn
comprehensive term for all the mora
qualities that 60 to make up a perfec
manhood in Christ Jesus. 1t l
beautiful, not as men hold it, not a
men experience it who have not ye
developed it up to its tiorescent stat
and its highest condition; but Their
may be many things that are, whe
right, most beautiful that ale not S
when they are wrong, as you can fin
by eating grapes. On their way up
lusciousness they are repulsive, and ST
many of the qualities intrinsicall
beautiful as they have been brOugf
mp to their ripe estate, on their way u
are not so beautiful. Moral qualities
like physical excellencies have begiI
ming. Some attain more quickly an
easily than others the relish of ii
beautiful. Some are the result onl
of long striving, Some grow liz
autumnal flowers, only when they fe
the coming breath of frost itself; b.
every quality that goes to make ii
true Christian as Christ longs to S,
him is an element that, if carried up