The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-07-16

sight seems, perhaps, confined to this life, the
blessings which he shares III this God freed
country.
Honor be, this day, to the noble men who
declared and who achieved our independence
Glory be to God this day for that He used
these honored instruments to secure to Us the
! freedom we enjoy Great are the blessings
I connected with this freedom. Bat no good is
| gained by shutting our eyes to the truth; and
! we cannot well blind ourselves to the fact
| that liberty sometimes degenerates into
! license; and that there is danger to liberty no
ways connected with Kings and Mobiles. Yet
sad As We may sometimes feel when we see
! tokens Of danger to cur continuance as free
| people still there is no land SO blessed as ours
| is now and it Is thus blessed because OF the
maintenance of those principles for which
| our revolutionary fathers were content to
risk everything. When on the Fourth of
July our Nation was virtually born into the
world we entered upon career such as never
| before presented itself to organized men,
| None, after Il gradual training in the thoughts
and habits of freedom has had such an oppor-
tunity naturally to lay aside so many hin
| ORANGES to full liberty. Small communities
| have been as In Swit2erland-exempt from
trammel, but never a great and wide spread
| Nation. | would call forth thankfulress il |
can. But there is no need to dwell upon what
SO frequently fills our mouth with Boosting.
Ready enough are we TO see why, i'll view Of
our glory, the words of cur text should be
adapted to our stale.
Ic shat be free Htdccd. Compare our con-
dition with that of other peoples and our
ground of rejoicing is seen to be true. But let
us go higher. Compare our state with some
thing better; look at realities, and shall We
not gladly look Tor more just application of
the words of cur Saviour than that which &C.
commodities them, for the moment, to |
our political rank among Nations Our
Declaration when settling forth solemuly the |
inalienable rights of man, how does it sum |
them up? Life, and the free pursuit Of hap |
ptness. To be protected in your life ard in |
your property to be allowed without let or
hindrance tSpursue happiness after the bent
of your own will, provided you do not too |
much crop the will Of another-this is the |
sum CT political freedom. The pursuit Of |
happiness is secured what shall secure the |
attainment of the thing sought: If attained, |
what can protect our treasure? What can |
save from loss, o: from fear of loss Nothing |
earthly. Our political freedom saves US from |
many a wrong at the hand OF our fellow W man. |
But nowhere is the most blessed Of carth's |
favories freed from care which waits upon |
us as our shadow from sorrow which tracks |
us as a sleuth hound its note of approach ever |
sounding in our ear when dream of care |
steals over US. What from disappointment |
snatching from cur hands what was almost |
seized, or rendering vapid sooner or later |
whatever JOY we may be allowed to taste |
Our text lie shall be free mdccd, would have |
a very narrow meaning indeed if the freedom
of which it speaks were that which our |
National holiday commentaries. Thanks to |
God more excellent way is shown. There |
is freedom offered reaching to every imagin-
able case,-free as the heart can desire. A
freedom connected with life eternal, having |
for its fruit unending happiness without alloy. |
This freedom is the gilt of God. 1t is the |
heritage OF the citizens of His kingdom, the |
Kingdom of Heaven. In Heaven is life, life |
tLat knows no change except that of increas-
ing strength. In Heaven there is freedom
indeed. No care, no sorrow, no pain OF body. |
no anguish of mind can follow MIN who ell
tiers the Heavenly City. And is the pursuit |
OF happiness right OF Heavens freedom |
What is the pursuit Of that which is 10 be fully |
possessed? If there be in Heaven change |
1t is hut increase with increasing capabilities |
through increase Of love, and kno ledge, and |
holiness that flows from the throne Of the |
Source CT all PROJECTIONS. This is the glorious |
liberty OF the sons Of God, who through Jesus |
Christ are delivered from the service of sin
and who, being made perfect i'll Him, are
fitted for TIE companio2ship Of Heaven and |
the uuveile presence Of the Almighty. If
the SIM therefore shall mGhc g1u ticc. yyu ShrH |
be fire.. iaicad True it is this full freedom is |
entered upon after we shall have done with |
all that belongs to earthly existence. We |
escape all power of tyranny cniy by passing |
the Jordan of death. But not, therefore, may
we put aside the comfort which comes from
our Lords assurance by the thought that they |
refer to Heaven only. To the Kingdom they |
do refer but that Kingdom is begun on earth.
Its citizens who are to be glorfed hereafter |
are enrolled, trained, blessed, perfected here. |
They who are godly have the promise Of the |
life that now is as well as that which is to |
come. Freedom which the Lord bestows has |
its highest significance in a higher state, vet |
even here they are free indeed who following |
the Captain of their Salvation, march Heaven |
ward. OF earthly freedom it has been said, |
= The price of liberty is ceaseless contest" |
The idea Of liberty and contest are not incom- |
patible. Most certainly they are closely con-
Joined in spiritual things. Delivered from
tyranny, it is ours to maintain the position in |
which we are placed. In strength Youchsafed
by Him who has freed US, yet in strength to
be exercised by US, must we ceaselessly CON
tend. The full fruits are in store, yet how
full even now is that which we may enjoy if |
only we will with our whole heart cling to the |
Lord, and live as becomes our calling as
citizens of His Kingdom.
With our whole heart This is the con-
dition God has connected with His offers and |
this is that which SO few are willing to com |
ply with. They are content with partial de-
liverance. They do not aspire to the full free |
dom that is found in entire submission to |
Christ the Redeemer. Therefore it is that SO |
languidly we go to reach eternal joys.