The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-12-17
THE SECRET OF LIBERTY.
IL Is Found in Obeying Gods Law
Taught by the GOSPEL of Christ.

IL Is Found in Obeying Gods Law "a
Taught by the Gospel of Christ.
will walk at liberty, for | seek thy
plccepts.-Psalms cxix, 4j.
his Is a profound saying, a stroke of
Inspiration which leads this Hebrew
psaImist to lay bare the secret of ali
liberty, and by contrast the root of all
bondage, IN the soul Of man. He per-
celyes that there is a wide reaching. a
universal divine law; he perceives that
sorrow II pain and bonds come from
violation Of that law, and then he grasps
the happy truth that by obedience to it
we become free. At least TWENTY-FIVE
centuries have passed away since this
sentence wab written, but the world has
not got heyOnd the truth Of it, and il
cannot, for that truth is eternal free
dom by conformity TO divine law. This
Is the great principle enshrined in the
text.
Liberty, freedom, enlargement. are
found liz obedience to Gods law. There
Is / noble confidence in the psalmist's
words. He knew perfectly we'll that the
service Of God might cost him much.
Already he had endured affection be-
cause Of well doing, and yet he has such
trust IN God that he is persuaded that
day by day, ever increasingly, he should
walk Il free man, at liberty because he
sought the divine precepts. The human
idea Of liberty, pushed to the extreme.
is this: Let the law die; anarchy is free
dom. The divine idea is obey. Great
peace have they that love Gods law, and
nothing shall offend them.
The words Of the text anticipate n
Of the wisest sayings of a heather teach
er. who declared that ito serve the gods
was to reign" Probably our judgment
is convinced. We see plainly that to
obey Is TO be free. but. alas, there is a
practical ditticulty-a chasm before US
which we cannot ourselves bridge over.
We are in this dismal case, that while
we are persuaded that to serve God is
good we DO not love his law. and we
cannot obey it.. There are those who,
partially awakened, have r~esolutely set
out on the way Of we'll doing; they are
grievcd to find that it is a bondage to
them: the conscience and (the bent of
the heart are not at one.
Where does help lie: There is but
one answer; and hat answer is, the
Gospel Of Jesus Christ. This gracious
Saviour does not come to see us free
from the law of obedience to do that
would be to put at defiance the govern
ment Of God. but he to save us
from the final consequences of our sin.
He IN 70 pardon, to strengthen US by
his spirit, to shed abroad the love of God
i'll OuT hearts. He begins by freely for
giving, and thus putting away that sense
Of guilt which is to those who feel it a
fetter upon the soul, and this forgiveness
is obtained by that cross which is the
supreme manifestation at Once of the
righteousness and love Of God. That
victorious cross cOnQuerS the old repug-
nance, breaks down the enmity, brings
a new atmosphere unto our spirit, so
that we begin to love what God loves
and to hate what he hates. We walk at
liberty, for we seek his precepts. The
Christian man OneS to see, not only
that Gods Will is right. but further,
that it is blessed.-From a Sermon by
Rev. f. Medley in Christian Inquirer.