The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-12-16
FARMvILLE VA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER le, 1904

mental grisI Tor my sermons. was
born q preacher and can do nothing else
but preach"
The limitations Of brain power can be
well illustrated by comparing the men
tai makeup OF Henry Ward Beecher
with that Of bis illustri0us father. Ly-
man Beecher. one o. the greatest eccle-
siastical leaders Of his day The IA
nous pastor Of Plymouth pulpit was IN
every sense prose poet he spoke. he
thought he lived. in symbol and pictur-
esque verbiage. The songs of the birds.
the beautiful wardrobes of the flowers.
the autumnal sunsets. the beehives. the
SNOW banks, the murmuring brooks-an
had 10 him q message Lyman Beecher
was made Of angular Puritan granite
he was In every sense q loVician and q
p0lemlc Like John Calhoun. he was
skillful IN argument Grant his simple
premises. and you must grant his con
clusions. he appealed mostly 10 the
brain as gray matter and not 10 the ar-
tistic sentiments.
II was q great source Of sorrow 10
Henry Ward Beecher that his father
never loved nature as he loved H.
Lyman Beecher loved 10 hunt be
loved the woods for game. but not FOR
the flowers. de never loved flowers as
flowers. Facts always had 10 be pre-
scented 70 him ar bare, unbreakable
rocks. and not as rocks clothed in gar-
ments OF green and in J0seph's coats
Of many floral colors. One day, much
20 Henry Ward Beecher's surprise, be
saw his father standing before a beau
tiful picture II was q hunting scene,
but the son prized Il FOR the beautiful
c0lOrs. such as are always found In the
retreat Of the woods. "Ah." said Henry
Ward Beecher father r. az last learn
ing 10 love naturev' lie stepped up 70
the side Of the old man and said: Pa
ther. how do you Ike the picturei
What DO you Ike about II mOstY'
well Henry" said the old man, Il
was studying that picture 70 see wheth-
or the artist had aimed that gun right
Yes. ! think that hunter viii hit the
rabbit. ] think he VIII ] think he
will" "Ah. father" said Henry Ward.
"can you not see anything more IN
that picture than cruel mGn shedding
the blood OF an innocent, playful rab
bitY
No. Henry Ward Beecher's mind and
Lyman Beecher's mind were cast in
different molds. They both had their
limitations. What one could do IN a
mental way the other could not do,
though both Of those brains belonged
10 the master minds Of the last cen
tury. Now. as we al have our phys
ical limitations. is Il preposterously un-
Just for Us 10 complain because we
also have our spiritual limitationsf II
the only way 10 cross the Atlantic or
the Pacific is In q steamship or q sail
ing craft. is Il not absurd FOR us 70
complain because we have 10 sail over
the great sea OF eternity In q gospel
HfebOati
II the United States government
compels Us to obey certain social laws
enacted upon the statute books by the
dictates OF its own national legisla-
tors. Is II unjust for God 20 declare
that when we surrender our Learts 10
him we should come 10 him in his
way and not in ours7 II we have our
mental limitations and only in q fee
bic and incomplete way can grusp the
Infinite thought Of God. are we not
foolish IN setting up ourselves as
Judges and critics Of his methodist
Ought we not rather 20 nccept his
plans and humbly 10 submit ourselves
10 his rulef That is the way 10 true
freedom. When we accept the truth
that be has revealed 20 ne and give
ourselves 10 his guidance. we learn by
experience that the truth makes Us
free The finite mind yields 10 the
infinite and grows into its true develop
ment. Therefore shall we not today
Yield our minds and hearts 20 the So
premacy Of Gods VIII, whose
thoughts are not our thoughts and
whose ways are not our waysr
True freedom always has It's hmita-
lions. The Christian life, too has It's
richtful limitations. Christ said, u am
the way, the truth and the life. no man
cometh unto the Father but by me-
There Is only one way 10 God. one
door. one true life. But after we have
once entered through that open door
then we are free. Aye, we may become
transcendently and eternaliy free. If
not ny text right when Il says, In
Christ the truth shall make you freeT
The freedom be gives is the freedom
from sin, the freedom from punish
ment but that freedom, Hike al others,
can be obtained only BY submitting TO
Christs rule. In one way alone can
we gnin that freedom, and that is by
the way Of the cross In his service
II endless Joy and pleasures for ever
more.