, 1886-03-21
MR.. BEECHER'S SERMON.
MORALITY A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE
HIGHEST FORMS OF RELIGION.


Il" " LIVING "k"' 'o ~
and Our Fellow hen-rhe Next step "
self-cultlvation' and That Is the LIE
OF Religion
p,oou March I'M Raecber after
.-.nrhlirr o,or A.. badly written notice This
morniny nrotested that he WINS not getting
ala Iu, ,h., ,ha irk was had He heoeed
.vervhdv who SAINT mn n notica To bo read To
vrri,o IN O., blacL ,rt ..Tba time has pone
nv ba oddod iocoseiv ,,when a nartialitv
,,r hloet ,mr,,ss abolitionism IN any one 90
don,t ba afraid -
NJ p.ooha,s a UNA F,hasians M
taai &, ,,h,ch paul so,aks ~ tho in
,o-;or ard h,oh.r i,va ~ coi MORALITY ma
a s,bs,it,,a for tho highest forms Of RELIGION
"a A. poool,.r .1,oors verv much the came
relation that LEARNING the alnhabot docs to
wr,,,nr ro,,,s and or.tons A man can't
-, IT,. -. 10 Lno,vs hoy 10 snsu
Int a ma ma Lro,v them and be a
d,uoa pa,,.io,s ,oo,i. hava rnvvitti,giv
and r,,visclv nrodncei an immersion that
mor,I;,v a. no,hing I saw that pietv
,i,ho,t mo-a,,,r 4. no,hin, yo, m;ght as
Iii .-,, 20 hrna ,or,h harvest vyi,hou, sol
81 E.n1..itn, 7, 4. 1i.,,r ~oht 20
.ara onrsoIyo. ard mn follow nen II ia
~, o,Iy oooI ,or mo Il, mi. world lint n
4. a. .aa.ua, -, ,.htoh ua.v a.
- ~ I'm, Man. r.rsors ~ n,av
-. aa,-n aan.a ,.hua ,hay havo
-,.-.. , ,a,.aon and no,v
- r. .A.,.or 80. In mir rorsonoi
n,5,.,+o 10. NJ : 20 fru ~ f,rIts that
ua-,hoa. r. o..as,o, 30 .rv,.oc, ,hat ,hev
= ~, - r.,i.io,,s a,,ar al and ,bis en-.
49,. g-..-eu., ...,auI D.. ha -.
- 49, ~ m,-.1,,~ a. al, .,,I,iva+ion
and re-, 4. ,La 1,a =, ra1yLo, 7, a. ono ~
"a, dn,oion,non, 80 a. I. .,an s.in
49,. - =. .t,,rot
- ~ - tn.,i.,.ans 90 tncraaso
- - -
"'n N"'"iuse uu'o II" " neip '
perform H. lhere Is no charm attached 10
the church, it simply has helpfulness in IT,
\ man may live a Christian life outside of it.
So man may raise fruit at the side OF the
road Int the bows will be very ant to
teal a. ,vhoroos shal,arad troa IN.
- Ill m -, a.. 80. - a. r,nh.
~ "a"
nahus as wen as pe Pcr"itVeu 10 rlPen
fully. l don't wish to instil the idea
that you can't live a Christian life unless
you Join the church You can. A man may
90 10 California cross lots il he has a mind
70. aud ~ he g.ts there be has cot therc
,ha,,s all RI, ,ha,,s not ,ba easiest ,vav
- -
NOR nc "'s nAe' WY ~.
man may educate himself put us DETER lor
him to go To school 1t Will facilitate the
matter. And the moment a man comes into
church relation he Inspires 10 something higher,
or ought 10. than mere morality and virtue and
..ks 10 Inv the foundations ~ snch stntas NJ
.h.~.n~ - .,.h ..-sh,,. ..iIt a, Mn,
- -
y H"os"'i "nu a ns"'i '"'- ~ '"en'
unere IL a grace hgner tnah the aver
ago church life II may be combined
with church life, or 1t may exist with
out IT, It is a life in which men
make arrangements not merely TO re-
ceive, but TO give. The essential spirit Of re-
ligi0n Is like a mirror, that takes beams OF
light, but reflects them all and don't absorb
them. And men come to the higher level OF
moral life when, having received benefits,
they begin TO feed as well as to be fed.
Such persons are called public spirited.
They are in sympathy, and try to
minister to tho whole human family. This
is thought TO be an evidence Of great piety.
Well. II is a fruit OF piety. II Is not the
highest piety, but 1t ought to be a part OF
every piety.
Now, to persons in the habit Of all the
duties OF church life and Christian life,
there come frequently surprising outburts OF
experience. There o5me experiences that lead
them h say that there is a reality in what is
called the higher life. When the purifying
struggle has raised he soul intd its higher con-
ditions, there com, intermittingly, as 1t were,
n light from above. When an astronomer
hears OF the discovery OF a new constellation
he sweeps the heavens with his glass,
but cnvious clouds or hlmy vapors OBJ
struct and no cannot find It. But he
searches for Il until there comes some clear
night, and he secs It. and ~rejoices over it
morn than for treasure found; but the next
night il is invisible, and a week goes by, and
be cannot find IL agnin, but it comes again.
and he ~rejoices, and he tells those that ARE
In sympathy with him OF this star that has
dawned on him. Now there are persons in
the Christian life that are living faithfully
and humbly, ~workingly, but now and then
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