St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-18
MIR. BEECHER,S SERMON.
The Soul Life as Distinished From
the Bodily life.
Sepcial to the Globe.

Sepcial 10 the GLOBE.
NEW YORK, Jan. 1.-THE Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher preached this morning from
John vi, 63: 1T is the spirit that quick
eneth; the flesh prOfiteth nothing; the words
that L speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they are life" Mr.. Beecher said: There
Is in all Christs teaching an assumption
that the animal life of man and his physi-
cal faculties are utterly incapable of under
standing the highest truth. Christ spoke
to men as one who saw there was in
them, but lying dormant, unusual but
existent, department out of which might
come the perception of spiritual truth, but
that, as a general fact that department
was not opened at all, and that the kuOwl-
edge which could be obtained only through
that element in human nature was deficient
in those that could understand, so far as
their senses went and so far as their mere
scientific reasoning carried them. but i'm re-
gard to the highest realm of truth, which
was Gods nature and Gods life, and that
life corresponding 10 it in the human soul,
they absolutely were ignorant, nor could
they until some change took place, under
stand these truths, and he then teaches
that there exists an effiuence of the divine
spirit, which is not simply illumination
the power of arOusing life. and in that
particular part of the soul where the cog
nizance of divine things resides. He
taught that God as spirit may touch this
inward susceptibility of men, this inward
life, and that its development would bring
to men true experience and understanding
Of all the truths pertaining to
ONES SOUL LIFE
as distinguished from the bodily life.
Now. in the spiritual realm there are the
lower stages. there are intimations OF what
this spirit life must be. In the motherhood,
in the fatherhood, in the love relations in
the highest, nOblest and purest philosophy
there are intimations of what this soul life
is, which is bred and developed by God,
just as flowers are bred and devel-
oped by the sun. The roses would
not blossom if the sun could not
get at them and all over the hyperbOrean
regions there is no flower or plant, simply
because the sun is not warm enough: that
is to say, the earth is so cold that the sun
cannot make any difference, and Christ
saw the knowledge that man could OBJ
tain by the opening of the higher faculties
by which he could perceive what is imper-
ceptibe by the natural, lower senses-that
the shining out of the soul of God was the
creative power that should unseal that dead
chamber in us and fill it with life, apprehen-
sion and sympathy; and out from that
would flow conduct ''Why is it then, if
this be true: why doesn't God do it?" That
is almost the first question. He does do it
Why don't daisies grow under a shed
when the meadow is spangled with golden
dandeliOnS? What is the reason that in
some dark nook no dandelions grow? There
is seed enough everywhere. but things wont
grow where the light cannot penetrate and
give them life. Why is it then that when
God desires the development of this
SPIRITUAL ELEMENT
in the human family, it has developed in
some, but in others not? Why, because
they cover up that element and wont let the
light shine upon it. Light has come into
the world and men love darkness rather
than light. The very choicest part of your
life is like child crying, with no one to
hear it. For there be many that have so
far felt the remote touch of the divine life,
as strange and wandering suggestions came
to them. In the stiffness of a twilight med
itatiOn, they are conscious of something
that lifts them, or in the meditation that
follows great experience in the strug-
gle OF life, or great or crowned
Joy that SAYS. What does all that
avail?" There may be pauseS, in which
man looks away from himself and says,
VANITY of vanities, all is vanity" There
come some ideals to a man and he says:
''Oh, these are poems; if they were only
real. but they are poetic" These are the
cries of the unattended child in the golden
chamber of your soul. There has come in
upon you some divine influence, and you
don't know what it Is; you don't know how
to translate it. This is what is meant by
''Grieve not the spirit of God by which you
are sanctifed." This does not represent the
ambition of God. Anger at your indiffer-
ence; but when men are brought to that
state in their own experience that they are
almost persuaded to open and let in the di-
vine. vivifie light, that is the time when
they should be more careful than any other,
lest other influences overpOwer them and
they shut the door and window against it
and perish.