The times., 1897-05-10
LIBERTY A GIFT OF GOD.
DR.. Johnson's Eloquent Sermon at
the Metropolitan Church.

the Metropolitan Church.
President Mckinley attended church at
the Metropolitan yesterday There was
the usual large attendance Among the
eongre cation was Mrs. Hartzell, wife of
the Methodist Episcopal Bishop of Africa.
Mrs. HartzelI will leave Washington on
Wednesday to return to her husband in
Africa.
Assisting DR.. Johnson in the service yes
terday was DR.. Baker, who read prayer
DR.. Johnson's text was from Second
Corinthians. BIT: Where the spirit of
the Lord is there is liberty" He defined
liberty as the power of living being to act
without hindrance according to the true
law of its life.
When Madame Robard was carted to the
guillotine by the criminals Of the Reign
of Terror, as she passed the Statue of
Liberty she thus apostrophised 1T: 20
;berty, what crimes are committed in thy
manner" Liberty is not iawlessness, for
the. whole universe is under law. Man
can disobey, by reason Of his free will, the
the law of his being. but his highest liberty
is in submission to that law. We must
OPTICS our ears according to the laws of
sound, our mouth according to the laws
of health. Perfect obedience brings per-
feet liberty. SO the Lord Jesus Christ
confers true freedom upon all who obey
him.
Where the spirit of the Lord is i S na-
tonal liberty. Political liberty il the iii
scparable companion, the attendant angel
Of the Gospel. Christ left the great world
despotisms of his day untouched, but he
left moral force which did two things:
gave an inward liberty which was in
dcstructibie under any form of government,
and, next. made the creation of new civil
institutions only a question of time. Wher-
ever the Bible goes, there goes freedom.
What were those demands which the
English barons wrung from John, ITO no
one Will we sell, to none viii we deny or
defer right or Justice AtRunnymede the
king signed and sealed the great charter
which is today the foundation Of English
liberty. This same keynote was sounded
in the hearts OF men of the same race
when they struck for self-gOverment and
independence
Let the Bible go free book among the
nations of Europe, and all tyrannies viii
&C. Let it spread among the lawless, and
they VIII become peaceful and well-ordercd
communities.
Where the spirit of the Lord is, is
ecclesiasticalliberty All false religions ale
despotism, and so are all false forms OF
the true. The old spirit of the inquisition
is not dead. 1t lies not only in the de
crees and bells of popes, but in the in
tolerant words md Darrow daads of Prp.-
estantism What is an established church
but the old effort to put rctter On the
conscience? Tie English-established church
is tottering. The evangelical churches
of England have over 10000 Sunday
scholars; the Church of England, little
over 1000. 900. They have sitting ac-
for 1900. 900, nearly d
million more sittings that the Church of
England. though, at the beginning Of this
century, out of 100000 the Church of
England provided 4,250, 900.
1t is no use to fight for ervolyenent
and pre-emineRce againstthe greatmajorty.
This Is one glory. a free church among
free people, and church that will not
tolerate others ought not to be tolerated
Where the spirit of the Lord il. is mental
liberty. Slavery is that which cramps
powers. The worst slavery is that which
cramps the noblest powers. Mental indie
pendence does not mean pride. The only
freedom OF thought worth contending for
is .'ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free
Where the spirit OF the Lord is, is moral
and spiritual liberty. The destruction OF
the Rastile was the type of the fall OF
tyranny, but the tyranny OF the revolu-
ton, OF sc-called liberty was so appalling
that between June 10, and July 27, 1894,
upward of / 400 victims We're executed and
the public aecuser at length proposed TO
erect the guilIotne in a hall adjoining
the tribunal to dispatch 900 prisoners
day, prisoners whose only crime was luke
warmness toward the revolution.
Lincolns emancipation proclamation de-
stroyed slavery after an existence of 2i4
years, but the liberated slave still felt the
fetters OF sin. The believer is Jehovah's
freed man. There is freedom OF will, free
dom from passion, and freedom from fear
We are enrolled in the citizenship of the
free. When Grant, az fter sixteen years Of
public service, started on bis tour around
the world, the English papers discussed
whether the courtesies to be rendered him
should be those accorded a sovereign ruler
or q private citizen. But Lord Beacops-
field, the premier, announced that he should
be received as sovereign How blessed
TO be the children OF the King and to enjoy
the glorious liberty of the people OF God
For what avail the plow or sail,
or land or life, if freedom fall
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