The new South-news., 1908-05-09
THE PULPIT.
; BRILLIANT SUNDAY srnYoN 81
rHE ntv. LEWIS I. REED.


ErDoklyn, N. Yin the Ffntbneh
Congregational Church the pastor,
the Rev. Lewis r. Reed. preached a
srnon on The Theory and Practice
~ Suggestive Therapeutics. The
tcrt was from Matthew s.13. And
Jesus sald 20 the centurion, 90 Thy
way. and m thou hast beloved. 40 be
u done unto thee. And his servant
vas healed In the sellsame hour. :"
Mr.. Reed said
In this theme Of "The Theory and
Practice Of Suggestive Therapeutics,
u not my purpose 20 esponpd nov
cities or TO satisfy curiosity. but TO
assiH' all of you who worship here 20
hay hold of some of the great princi-
Pies within this movement By which
Will be possible for you to live con-
Adcntiy and joyfuIiy. ! should be
glad To mako all OF you practitioners
81 the art Of suggestive therapeutics.
There are n few great principles
which II IN essential you should honor
aud obey. Fira,--thc power OF sns.
Sssstion. We have been wont 10 bo
optimistic about everything that takes
place In our lives. provided nothing
evil appears At once on the surface.
We have proceeded on the faith that
The paychicaI system could take up
snd dispos" successfully OF every aur-
gswtion made 10 II. EVIL thoughts,
sovy. anger. greed. concuplscencc,
gtuttony--nl the vices abhorrod by
~. Paul might present their vile pic
turex Ia the mind. and M long as we
atd moi act on their suggcetion. we
s(ttl preserved our character We de-
'"dcd ourselves with hope that we
ucrc what we appeared 10 be. And
sow We have had to learn afresh the
truth Of that Scripture. AS a man
thtnketh in his heart. so in be. I
know ~ no process In mans life more
calculated TO give him serious
thought than this function OF the
subconsciousness OF storing up the
suggrntlonn that thr outer life brings.
Day by day aa we touch the world.
and get our own reactions OF courage
or cowardice. Of sclf-control or self
drfcat. OF purity or sclishnesa. of
kve or hate We are continually drop
pinx. dropping these suggestions into
Tho reservoir OF this subconacious self.
Ia come forth some day TO bless or
curse. Abraham Lincoln livca day BY
DAY the sacrihciai lie OF the burden |
hcarcr OF this people Day by day. |
hour by hour, he gives himself the |
'uEgcstion OF devotion, sacrifice and |
Isith. and then whom the hour for
nttcfHncc has come. takes up his pen
Ind writes on a few scattered sheets
he supreme English masterpiece OF
lAIf century. Benedict Arnold was
llwaya passionate and revengcful
Day after day. year after year. the re-
'ctton OF life on him resulted In sug-
'csting to his deeper self hate, envy.
ride. and soif-wlll. When his hour
pr oppression came. he took up his
on 10 align his name to the BETRAYAL
I his trust. There is nothing In the
rorcss OF the aoul that needs TO
ause us more OF Joy and more OF
Far than this amenability of the soul
D suggestion.
SECONDLY, you must como to q new
Nalirstion OF the supreme place of
nc Will. Hercdity must have some
nAce In tho formation Of character.
lNhOugh that place II not yet very
qeArly determined but the most
tcighty discovery OF the present day
leen,s TO me this rcdiscovcry OF the
cErl power Of the VIII TO do right,
'hesc Psychologists. and hypnotIsta,
their Investigations into the unex-
aoted trncts of personality have come
cross not only n God-likc aspiration
ner virtue IN every soul. but also
n unlimited power for the attain
1ent OF that aspiration. Just as the
lAAtcr OF Life stopped over the Grip
10. saying, Arise and walk" and
new that within that stricken form
here was tho ability to rise and
'Rlk; so modern psychology stoops
vcr every sinful soul and repeats the
cripturc command. BE yc there
orc perfect Tor yc are In the Image
{ your Father In Heaven. who IL
crfect. This IL a tremendous doc
rsnc OF individual responsibility. II
An old ScrIptural doctrine. but 1t
AIMS n new force when. BY the mod
rn hypnotists' appeal to the soul OF
oodncss In man. you see the drunk
rd ~ forth a new man, the spend
arift reformed and the invalid made
roll. II there are In us those pos
Utilities OF virtue. there Ia no escape
Or us from the responsibility Of at
aiming that for which We were crc-
ted. There has come to us the con-
iction that inspired jeremiah: In
hose days they shall say no more.
The fathers have eaten sour grapes.
md the childrens teeth are set on
'dge. hut every one shall die for his
'wn iniQuity: every man that eatcth
he sour grapes his teeth shall be set
n edge" There Ia no more proper
Incentive TO earnest living than the
'eAiisation OF the fact that God has
life to be perfect for every
lrsature; and that II It Is otherwise,
he fault is In ourselves.
DARK 10 the world 20 thee, thyself
mt the reason why" Whoever would
'ossess the reality OF the Christian
lie must achieve the victory over his
moods, and the most heartening mes
A9e OF this or any age is that by our
1od d-given endowment OF the will II 10
possible for us to give to the deeper
Afe Of the soul the suggestions OF
courage and faith and patience and
strength. which altogether means
Normal life.
In the third place. YOU viii have to
lorm for yourself very likely new,
md very stern. doctrine OF sin aud
virtue. The old doctrine OF forensic
|uDeihcAtion before God was an ad-
nirable thinK to look at. but II did
~ work very well either for the
0Dt1Aed or for his family. Those who
~