The Newtown bee., 1898-06-24
The Home Circle.
LESSONS OF THE PAST, STRENGTH FOR THE
PRESENT, AND GUIDE FOR THE
FUTURE.
A SERMON PREACHED IN THE SHERMAN
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, MAY %,
1898, BY REV DIGHTON MOSES.

IODo1 bA KEW BANA4ON AAS0AA5s
Text. Isaiah 81 Ia, 1.-THE spirit of the Lord
God Is upon me; because the Lord hath an
nointed me tO.preachBoOd tidtugs TO the meek
he hath sent me TO bind up the broken heart
ed, to proclaim liberty to the capuVes,
and the opening OF the prison TO them that
bound; to proclaim the acceptable year OF
the Lord, and the day OF the vengeance OF
our God; to comfort all that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes; the oil
OF Joy for mourning. the garment OF praise
for the spirit OF heavyness that they might be
called trees OF righteousness, the planting of
tho Lord that He might be glorihed. And
they shall build the old wastes; they shall
raise up the former desOlations, and they
shall repair the waste cities, the desolations
OF many generation"
The lessons OF the past should be util-
lied to strengthen the present and guide
the future. Therefore 1t may be of prof
it to recall little Of the past in relation
to one Of the greatest history making
epOchs OF this nation. Whatever some
may have thought or may now think,
the late Civil war of the United States,
W@9 NV ia AAI sgAESf R@AbA1eNA Va 1N~
tiOnal, only q circumstance. That for
which 1t was fought, was the principle
of the highest oracle civil liberty ever
uttered; the inalienable equal right Of
all men In the pursuit OF the highest and
best In life.
This Ia the principle which Christ
taught, and which has been before the
world for nearly 1900 years. 1t WAS the
principle wrung from King John by the
barons at Runnymede In 1915. 1t was
the same idea moving on, when Charles
the frat was forced to grant the right
OF petition In 1923. 1t became mighty,
living, growing principle, when in 164s-
40 the HOuse OF Commons passed their
three great resolutions. 1st. 'That the
people Of England were, under God, the
original of all just power in the state.
I'd. That the Commons, In Parliament
assembled, having been chosen by the
people, possessed the supreme power in
their name. Sd. That whatever the
Commons enacted should have the force
of law, without needing the consent OF
either King or House OF PEERS" Thus
was this mighty principle of liberty
brought full hedged into the world. The
great thought in the second resolution
Just quoted is mighty. "Thst the COM
mons,--hsving been chosen by the peo-
pie, and representing the people, possess
cd the supreme power in their place."
How like, in thought and word that
WONDERFUL EXPRESSION OF NOBLE
... ABRAHAM LINCOLN:
"a government Of the people, by the
people, for the people," Here our an
cestors $50 years since brought this
mighty principle OF civil liberty from it's
long secIusion and set it before the
world; and from that time on it grew
nightly, until those wonderful words
were penned in Philadelphia and given
to the world on July 4, l776, as self ev-
ident truths; tThat all men 1are created
equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienaDle rights,
that among these are life, liberty, and
the pursuit. OF happiness Thus 1t grew
until out OF 1t came q great nation; ma
zion however that did not carry out In
fact the theory announced at her birth,
and that for more than three-fourths OF
century was part slave and part free.
In shis condition the intolerance which
oppression always begets, became too
intolerable 20 longer be endured, hence
Ehis great principle became enlarged By
che watch word, "NO more slave terri
tory"
There the ways parted and two great
principles stood face to face In mortal
combat. One che principle OF tyranny,
the other the principle Of oppression.
Ona was the idea represented by King