Year: 1877

LOVE SUPERIOR TO FKAR-sERMoN BY HENRY


WARD BEEcHER


new feature in church music was introduced at
Plymouth church yesterday. IN accordance with
resolution OF the Music Committee II consists In
prefacing the hymn he sung by the congregation
with verse selected from the Scriptures and having
The same tenor tho hymn which follows THIS IN
PRODUCTION Is chantcd by The choir, and then the con-
gregation break IN with tho hymn, at the close OF
which tho choir chant another extra verse. This ser
vice snemed to give much plens TO all concerned,
three hymns being rendered In that way under dircc-
tion OF MT Henry Camp, conductor OF the choir


The victory OF love fear the subject OF Mr..
Bcecher's discourse, the being drawn from tho
fourth chapter Of Jonu's first eplsle--"Thcrc is
lear in love- but perfect castoth out ear because
tear hath torment He that iearcth not is made per-
feet in love-" Ccftan preachers, he said, dccIam
against lax theology and out continually that the
law must not be rcmit,ed that men need the scourge
and to be flied order bring them undor
The influence OF the Gospel. Mr. Beecher would not
deny truth OF these propositions, but held that
they hold good universally The ideal
Instruction in religion the consummaton OF
all teaching according to John, was love That
apostle said tina, II man dwct in fear
be was just much less than perfect, for tear had
torment Human life began very low and as II de-
veoped from purely animal stage toward an intecc-
tual and moral the influences brought to bear on
/, at each stage necessarily different Many men
seemed to think that because fear necessary at
any stage man development that II is necessary
ll the way through That was as If n schoomaster
being necessary for boy was to be buckled on
TO his back all the rest of his lic.
No man was a good schoolmasler who
brought scholar up IN such way as to have him
spiritual matters Human lie might be said to be
divided inc two parts or periods, that OF bondage
and that OF liberty, with wide margin between OF IN
tcrmediate MIXTURE partly bondage and partly liberty
In the one, the ruling motive was iear and IN the
Law as i, was Called through the Old Testament, tho
motive is 'rhou shalt not for 1t is the hindcrng or
evil that the Ten Commandments mostly embrace ln
the New Testament the whoc phraseoogy was changed
''Thou shalt" Tho one was the dissuasion OF fear
and the other was the persuasion OF love


THE RoD


Tho Old Testament adapted To race struggling
up IRON animahood The reign OF fear always preceded
tile moral sentiment. A child could not be prevented
from putting his hand into the fire by advice which
he not old enough to understand, but II no
thrust II in once the pain would teach him not TO do It
again. In like manner 10 men must be applied such
motives they susceptible to. Mr.. Beccher did
not Tor this reason, agree with those who think
children should not be punished physically Tor wtong.
DONG and that they should only be taught 10 act
right IRON motives OF duty II u child, he sald
not susceptible 10 the head there was another
part where he could be made to feel. Laughter
The administration of law was necessarily rude and
coarse among men in the lower stages OF development
In that coudton the majority OF men could only be
reached through the influence oil ear aud in that state
It perfectly normal and vas the best thing possible
ut the time, though II would lead TO something better
This true also in theology. In the earlier periods
OF time what was necessary was to produce
upon tho minds OF men the fundamental ,il
suade them from wrong and persuade them TO
right aud that was only possible through fear IN
the FIRST instance "A God OF thunder was therefore
set up before men To intensity their feelings Nova
days, however, reached ten times high point
Of sensbity by onehousandth part OF the viso just
rs n sensitive suffers moro from some Slight lapse
Dt duty than a coarse man does from having com.
mlttcd a terrible crime. Coarse or unelevated men
needed the Dantean pictures oi the Old Testament To
be placed before their minds continually. but If Mr.
Bcecher did II before bis congregation they would not
forgive him ana they should not


TURN ON THUNDER.


Men said old fashioned preaching dying out, and
that the farther goes Of civilization the
he finds the old doctrines preached The doctrine
the same but men went farther from the centres
OF sensbity they needed stronger moral medicines, and
they got them. al 1t is found, SAID Mr.. Bcecher,
ssthat Will not listen to the presentation
Of the higher aspects Of the DIVINE and beauty,
then try tue grade OF motive below; the mixture, or,
used to be called the alienation OF hope and fear
II that won't do try larger measure OF severity and
harshncss, II need be- fear; und then, II you tail,
sound the dapason, let out the harsh thunder of the
law, The soul that snncth shall die; uncoud the
future and uncover the PIT aud let the smoke OF their
torment ascend before their cycs--aby thing rather
than they should perish! But you not to let this
plan run parallel with vour whole teaching


Men who acted risht IRON conscientious motives
we're under tho bondage of tear and could not be
that state called tho children of Ii.ht and liberty be-
cause conscience had lear and perfect love cast
fear MT Beccher reviewed the peculiar notions held
by many so.cillcd Christians and the manner of life
they adopted order TO be saved. Many when they
become converted, he said have an impression that
they are somehow to be cd from the iowness oi SIM
that the Holy Spirit sort OF stationary engine on
The top and that there is rope attached 10 ana
all they have to do Is TO hold and be drawn up.
Every Christian life, he sald has in It element OF
conscience, IL Is rising from successive stages and
every man. consciously or unconscousy, goes through
these stages between ea duty and love understood
tn the text