The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-27

At Plymouth Church., yesterday morning.
Rev. George ID. Black, of Yellow Springs,
O., spoke. HIS subject was Beauty" and
he took as biz text q part of the last verse
OF the Goth Psalm:
upon US.
He also took part of the second verse of
the Goth Psalm:
Worship the Lord in the beauty OF holiness.
He said In beginning that he wanted to
talk about q symmetrical DEVELOPMENT of
life and o manhood and womanhood in
which the particular elements constituting
civilized life are controlling. In consider
ing this thoroughly unfolded life, body, IN
tellect aud conduct constitute our human
life and any theory of self-culture that
ignores the body is one-sided and unsound.
There was a time when, following the stolo
philosophers, the body was regarded as the
cause of all evil in tho world, aud it was
long held that the sins of the soul were to
be punished in the body by scourging and
the exercise OF Establishments OF various
kinds. i believe the Egyptians the only
people of old who held the body at its true
worth. They held IL In such sacred con-
sideration that they were led to invent a
process of preserving IL in impsrishabie
form. The Greeks held a different view.
Walt Whitman. in his pecuiiar verse,
calls the mans body and the wOman'sb body
sacred; no matter whose IL is. 1t Is sacred.
His words remind us of Paups when hesaid:
Know We not that your bodies are tenn
plesl' Ii used TO be that he was regarded
the best Christian who ate little. went dir
ty and slept in q cave. True Christianity
docs not teach this. for the son of man
came eating and drinking, and believingin
good cheer.
Keep the body pure. sweet and strong,
and beautiful If We may. When l think
of one who loves the lilies.of the valleys,
and the birds. He who listened to that an
them when the stars sang together and the
sons of God shouted for JOY, | know that
God is best pleased with His creatures
when they are most beautiful before Him.
1t was Dlogenes who carried with him only
q drinking cup, and who, seeing q boy
drink from his hands. threw his cup away.
Who cares for Diogenes nowf There Is a
r~epugnance TO the Idea of being reduced to
the bare indispensables. The beauty OF
feature, of form. OF motion. 10 Dot to DO de-
spised, but received as the gifts OF God,
reverently and thankfully. But how
about those who nave not been so highly
favored. the hOmely Onesf Even in this
case the flesh is the servant or the soul,
and a beauty may shine in them. If any
body is absolutely ugly, barring of course
the question of deformity, who is TO blame
for Ut We are the descendants of the
beautiful and lovely God. You nevor saw
q positively beautiful face that did not
lave q beautiful spirit behind IL.
The face is but the transcript of the
soul within. That face of yours betrays
the occupant within. But bodily grace
and beauty are subordinate and we must
| rise to higher things. There is thought
beauty or intellectual beauty. If You read
the great thinkers of the world you will be
Impressed with the thought of their regard
ing truth, love. justice. holiness and beauty
to be one and the same things. Unless yOu
are permeated with love for truth you can
never hop 70 rise TO any great mental &C.
quirements. Then there is spiritual beauty
Gentleness ia beauty-the spirit that is sc
much master of itself that it can receive
the most vexing provOcation and yet not
| speak harshly. This gentleness Is not
feebleness. This gentleness is compatible
with power"
After next Sunday Plymouth Church VIII
be closed until September, when the new
pastor, Rev. +. T., Dewhurst, of Burling
ton. VT. will arrive.