The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-17
Tomorrow is the first day of
registration. Register and get
1T Off your mind. Full registra-
tiOn Is the 0hiiy thing necessary
o.
for Democratic success nj the
polls.
FETTERS STRICKEN OFF.
Rev. f. ID. Cowgirl breaches on the
Freeing of the Soul.

Freeing OF the Soul.
At the First Methodist church last
evening Rev. f. B. Cowgirl, the pastor,
spoke on "Unfettering the Soul"
His text was:
He hath sent me to proclaim liberty,
to the captives, and the opening Of the
prison to them that are bound. ."-Isa-
iah, Xxi, l.
He said in part:
The words of the prophet appear to
have primary reference to the year of
Jubilee, and the righting Of social
wrongs, and the emancipation of those
who were in slavery or in prison on
account of debt. When Jesus made
these words His text at Nazareth, He
doubtless emphasized the element of
freedom in the life of the kingdom
which He came to inauSurate. The
brotherhood idea, which was SO con-
spicuous feature Of His teaching and
so cardinal an element in His religion,
has been bearing the fruit of freedom
in all the centuries of Christian history.
The spirit of Christianity, which thus
manifested itself first, has resulted
throughout Christendom in abOlishing
slavery altogether In a very impor-
tant sense, too, Christianity has been
opening the doors of prisons; for mod
ern penal legislation and administra-
ton seek alike, not only the protection
of society. but the salvation Of the
criminal himself, and the humane
methods of modern prison adminlstra-
ton are resulting constantly in the
reformat ton and freedom of those who
have once been guilty CT great crimes
against society. The onward march
of political democracy and the cultured
iEdiVidualism that is sheltered by our
institutions is a realization in part of
that freedom which has come and is
coming through the truth Of the gos-
pei.
But Christianity is the harbinger of
freedom through the systematic
and enlightened charity which it
brings to the assistance of the defective
classes. Our hospitals are a wonder
full exhibition of the freedom which is
thus given to those who, through dis
ease or defOrmity, have been in bond
age. Hearing IS often given to the
deaf and sight to the blind, and bodies
that have been sadly deformed have
been so improved that the souls within
them have been set free to do the work
and enter into the enjoyments of hu-
man life. There are schools for the
feeble-minded, the deaf and the blind.
There are schools in which those who
cannot distinguish darkness from day
light are enabled to enter into the de-
lights and the instruction Of literature.
One of the happiest little mortals
and sweetest singers OF Christerdom Is
Fannie Crosby. who has always been
blind. Her life has been an exultatiOn
and a song. She has sung multitudas
Of Christians into higher attitudes Of
Christian experience, and lifted other
multitudes out Of the darkness and mire
Of sin and unbelief. In the un-Christian
ages of the world, this human jewel
would not have been brought into the
light and have revealed, as she has
dcne, the splendor Of her soul.
The love and knowledge, the intel
! lectual genius and moral herOism put
! to the service Of the blind and deaf
| and defOrmed in our charitable insti-
! tutions have splendid analogy in the
! love and devotion which have been and
are bringing the knowledge of the
truth, as it is in Jesus, into the lives
| of men wherever Christian work is be-
ing done. Hard is the task of tearing 6
| away from the soul the fetters Of false
! faith and the chains of superstition,
| and those who best succeed in this
| blessed work are those who come near
! est those enslaved, in the power of a
! loving sympathy and in the divine
| glory Of Self-sacrifice. The evangelist
| of Christ is the true emancipation, with
out whose work all other eInancipators
would toll in vain, even if they cared
to toll for human freedom.
Christ was the great emancipator
He said, Eye shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free.
| When He revealed her moral state to
the woman of Sanaria; when He won
| Zaccheus to the right; when He in
duced Mary to accept the truth and
! choose the eternal things; when He
! called the publican and the peasants
and fishermen to discipleship, He was
striking fetters from souls and found
ing His kingdom Of the free. To thai
| same woman He calls us ali. When
ever and wherever we reveal the trutf
| of the gospel, whether in our homes
in the shop, or street, or store, wheth
er to old or young, whether to thost
who are going down the steps into tht
degradation Of the soul, or to thost
who are climbing with their faces tt
the mountain tops of Christian aspira
ton, whoever proclaims the gospel an(
mG nifests the power Of cur Lord jesus
| Christ, is one of a splendid comHsan!
Of emancipators, whose glory is writ
ten in heaven.