Year: 1879




INFLUENCE OF GODS SPIRIT ON MAN-sERMoN


BY REV. HENRY WARD BEEcHER


Among the notices announced by Mr. Beecher at
Plymouth Church yesterday morning. previous to
the delivery Of the sermon. two Of special sig
nincance. Ono that all the pews and aisle seats
in Plymouth Church would be lot at auction on
Tuesday evening week hence. and the other was
that on New Years Day he would receive callers at
his house on Columbia Heights. from eleven A. NJ.
to six P. NJ and that this year his invitation in
cluded the ladies. The subject Of the sermon was
the influence of the Spirit and the text selected was
L Corinthians, XIII. 8. 0. 10, II. The effect Of the
Gospel whom preached to the Greeks. said Mr..
Beecher was peculiar in many respects. its
effects stand contrasted with the effect that it pro-
duced among the Jews; for nat,onal spirit
shows itself in the dissemination Of religion.
When the sun brings forth light everything
develops life according to its original kind. SO
whom the mighty power of Divine truth rcsteth on
man the development of tina. truth manifests itself
in accordance with tho original nature. the geiiu
and the education Of tho man or of the nation to
which he belongs. The preacher then said that 1t
was tho Spirit Of God that he proposed to speak
1t defined in the Scriptures as Father. Son and
Spirit. He did not however. propose to discuss or
mark their individuality in any way. To do that
would require an insight that no human being pos.
sessed. That there was . reason In this method Of
tho Divine existence. and that God should be
called Father sometimes, sometimes the Son and
sometimes the Holy Spirit. he fully believed. But
what that nature Of God was and how those three
pcrsons-if they persons-were united, and wh&s
was their jurisdiction no one knows. He believed
stcadfastly in the unity of God. but that God ex
isted in threcfold manner and that each developed
form Of manifestation ha6 separate title. That
was shown by analogy in material life, tho lowest
form OF which was q simple junction, which grad
yates into higher Developments and growing COM
plications until reach tho animal. and then is
developed the brain. which grows more and more





upon men was OF that diverse and graduated
character. In the chapter from which tho text
Ho would not discuss tho nature of the gifts. but
would assume that they gifts possessed OF the
Spirit God The o. q.
element Of the man. The light Of truth found its
way into the heart Of man through the mind that
was born in the individual. Lie did not believe that
an idiot by reason of the gift of the HOLY Spirit
would Dy that gift become . philosopher; or that
the gift Of the Spirit created IN man something that
that which already latent In tho human mind.


MAN AND HIS POSSIBILITIES.


The Gift OF the Spirit of God was the primitive
constitution OF the mind. and afterward the inAu-
ences by which that gift was brought into vital con-
dtions. We had but faint conception OF the posi-
than tho Huxeys, the Tyndalls believed us
to be. We had now and then flashes and
divine innuencoa, even in this life. The
operation OF the Spirit developed then by super
influences that gave life and force to the qualities
that were already the heart the soul
of man. There prevailed in the human family an in
fuence that pervasive a. the atmosphere that
surrounds u.s. and which stimulated men to good
ness. Tho junction Of that influence was to bring
mon souls above the animal level into the clearer
light and liberty Of tho sons Of God The action Of
this Spirit was both apccial and general God worked
in his providential dealings with men. and in the
influence OF His Spirit along the ordinary course
OF their nature, ns general rulo. but he mr.
Beccher) thoroughly believed that God did make
new paths for himself when the occasion demanded
it, There was NO reason for disbelievng that Daniel
had not larger measure Of the Spirit Of God
That this was vouchssfcd to special for special
work and that raised for special work he
influence whom men were raised into condition Of
mind in which they were said to be in state OF exa-
tation, There were mon who living only in thcir
bodily senses would say that there such
spiritual influence. So much the worse for such
men. The sermon concluded by an eloquent and
vivid description Of what the soul realized when
brought to live under the divine influence.