Year: 1877




LOVE SUPERIOR TO FEAR-sERMoN BY HENRY


WARD BEEcHER.


new feature in church introduced At
Plymouth church yesterday. IN accordance with n
resolution OF tho Music Committee. 1t consists In
prefacing the hymn to he sung by the congregation
with verse selected from tho Scriptures, and having
The same tenor the hymn which follows. THIS IN
PRODUCTION is chanted by The choir and then the
grcgation break in with tho hymn, at the close of
which tho choir chant another extra verse. This SER
vice seemed TO give much pleasu TO all concerned,
three hymns being rendered in that way under dircc
tion ofM Henry Camp, conductor OF the choir.


The victory OF love tear the subject OF Mr.
Beecher's discourse, the text being drawn from tho
fourth chapter Of johns first eplstle-"There Is no
lear in ove but perfect cas,cth out ear because
tear hath torment. He that iearcth not is made pcr.
feet in love-" Cc4tain preachers, he said, decaim
against lax theology and cry out continually that the
law must not be rcmtted, that mon need the scourge
and be flied with fear in order TO bring them undor
Tho influence OF the Gospel. Mr.. Beccher would not
deny the truth OF these propositions, but held that
thcy do not hold good universally The ideal
instruction in religion. the consummaton OF
Ill teaching according 10 John, was love. That
apostle that II dwct in fear
he just much less than perfect, for lear had
torment. Human life began very low, and as II de-
veioped from purely animal stage toward an intecc-
tual and moral one the influences brought to bear on
Il at each stage necessarily different Many men
seemed to think that because fear necessary at
any stage mans development that it is necessary
oil the way through That was as If schoomaster
being necessary for boy was to be bucklcd on
to his back all the rest of his le.
No a good schoomastcr who
brought scholar up IN such way as TO have him
need teacher all his lie; aud this true also
spiritual matters Human lie might be said TO be





that OF liberty with wide margin between OF IN
tcrmediate mixture, partly bondage and partly liberty
In the one the ruling motive fear, and IN the
other. love For this all the way through the
Law, as /, was Called through the Old Testament tho
motive Is "ThOu shalt not " tor 1t is the hndcring or
evil that the Ten Commandments mostly embrace. In
the New Testament the wnoic phraseoogy was changed
TO sThou shalt" The was the dissuason OF fear
and the other was the persuasion OF love.


AND THE CHILD


The Old Testament was adapted To race struggling
mp from animalhood The reign offear always preceded
tho moral sentiment. child could not be prevented
from putting his hand into the fire by advice which
he was not old enough TO understand but II he
thrust 1t in the pain would teach him not to do It
again. In like manner 10 men must be applied such
motives as they are susceptible to- Mr. Beccher did
not. ior this reason. agree with those who think
children should not be punished physically Tor wtong
DONG and that they should only bo taught 10 act
right IRON motives OF duty. II a child, he said
not susceptible TO the head, there was another
part where he could be made TO iocl lLauehler.!
The administration of law necessarily rude and
coarse among men IN the lower stages Of development
In that coudiuon the majority OF men could only bo





Il perfectly normal and was the best thing possible
the time, though would lead 10 something better
This also in theology In the earlier periods
Of time what was necessary was to produce
upon tho minds OF men the fundamental
distinctions between right and wrong, TO dis
Euade them from wrong and persuade them to
right aud that was only possible through fear IN
the first instance. God oil thunder was therefore
set up before men to intensity thor feelings. Nova
days, however, men reached ten timcs high point
of seslby by onethousandth part of the vigor just
rs a sensitive suffers IRON Slight lapse
Il arsc
mitted a terrible crime Coarse or unelevated men
nee.ed the Dantean pictures OF the Old Testament 10
be placed before their minds continually but II Mr.
Beecher did II before bis congregation they would not
forgive him ana they should not


WHEN TO TURN ON THUNDER.


Men said old fashioned preaching was dying out, and
that the farther goes IRON OF civilization the
he finds the old doctrines preached. The doctrine
was the same but as men farther from the
sensiby they needed stronger moral medicines, and
they got them "l it is found, " SAID Mr. Bcecher,
'that Will not listen to the presentation
of the higher aspects Of the Divine love and beauty,
then try the grade OF motive below the mixture or,
II used 10 be called the alienation Of hope and fear
II that wOn do larger measure OF severity and
harshncss, II need be, fear; and then II you tail,
sound the diapason let the harsh thunder of the
law Thc soul that sinncth shall dic;' uncloud the
and the pit aud let the smoke OF their
torment ascend before their cycs-abythng rathor
than they should perish But you not TO let this
plan parallel with your whole teaching"


Men who acted righs IRON conscientious motives
that state called tho children Of light and liberty be-
cause conscience had lear and perfect love cast out
lear. MI BecCher reviewed the peculiar hotOhs ncu
by many so.calicd Christians ana the manner of life
they adopted IN order 10 be saved Many when they
become converted, he SAID, have impression that
they somehow be lifted from the Of sin,
that the Holy Spirit sort OF stationary engine
the top and that there Is rope attached to
ell they have TO do hold and be drawn upr
Every CHRISTIAN life he said has in u element OF
conscience, IL Is rising from stages and
every man, consciously unconscousy, goes through
these stages between ea duty and love understood
tn the text


THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.
THE LEGAL PROFESSION BY 7. DE


WITT TALMAGE.


'sThs morning preach to the legal profession said
Mr. Talmage yesterday. "Next Sunday shall speak
10 the members OF the medical profession, and then