The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06

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their own passions. In the face of al
this. lie calmly states. 'Ye shall be rree!'
The craving for liberty was no new
thing: 1t lies deep in oil human nature
There was tho promise of satisfying it
noS. Many wise an dgreat had promised
il before, but failed to bestow it.
They had tried to give it by force.
Whatever force has been used on the side
Of freedom we must and do honor 1t.
Isl, ell had had such, as Joshua, the
Judges and the Maocabees. Had the
son OF God so willed to come. even from
human standpoint, success was GER
tain Mems hearts were full of Him,
and at word from Him, thrice three
hundred thousand swords would have
leupt from their scabbords. Had He SO
cone, but the nation might have gained
liberty: not the whole race of man and
the liberty SO gained would only have
been independence Of a foreign conqueror.
The, efore as a conquering King He did
not come.
It might have been attempted by leg
islative enactment Perhaps only once
has this been done successfully and by
a. single effort. When the names OF con-
querors shall have been forgotten. and
our modern civilization shall have be-
come obsololete; when England shall be
all ancient history, one act of His VIII
be recalled as the record of her great
ness; that act by which in costly Eacri-
fee she emancipated her slaves
England could and will give freedom,
but she could not fit for freedom nor
make 1t lasting The stroke Of mon
arct's pen will do the one; the discip-
line OF the ages is needed for the other.
Give tomorrow Constitution to some
savage horde and in half century they
will be slaves again.
Therefore the son Of man did not come
to free the world by legislation.
Nor can 1t be done by civilization
Civilization in a way does lberate: In
tellect equalizes. Every step Of civ1liza-
ton is victory over some lower In
stnct. But civilization contains within
itself the element of a fresh scrvltude.
Man conQuers the powers Of nature and
man Is in bondage to the machinery
which does his will, his house. his habits,
his wages are all determined by It. The
rich man fills his house with luxuries
and then cannot do without them a
highly civilized community is very
spectacle of servttude. Nan IS there see.i
q slave to dress. to hours, to manners,
nv, y, ,triua 10
make his life more easy, become his
masters
Therefore our Lord did not talk of the
progress of the species, nor the growth
of civilization. He did not trust the
worlds liberty to a tight division of
property. But He freed the inner man,
that the outer might enjoy the highest
form of liberty.
The truth which Chris. taught was
chiefly in three points-God, man, I'M
mortality.
Blot out all thought of God as a living
person, and all life becomes mean, ex-
istence a riddle, the universe dark. Re-
solve is left without Il stay, aspiration
and duty without q support.
The Son exhibited God as Love, and
SO that fearful bondage of the mind to
the necessity of fate was broken. a
living Lord had made the world. and fits
dark mystery meant henceforth only
good. Not by sacrifices is God pleased,
nor is His wrath bought off by blood.
Christ showed the whole radiant truth
in the single sentence, God Is a Spirit,
and they that worship Him must wor
ship Him in spirit and in truth"
We are a mystery to ourselves Go
where you will, and study the wealth,
and skill OF the nations, and you will
stand lost in wonder and in reverence.
Yet on the other hand. what base de-
sires what low aims. what sordid lives!
So great, so small IS man!
He looked on nam. as fallen, but mag
niticcnt in his ruin. Beneath tho vilcst
exterior He recognized and showed us
the human soul is capable of endless
growth. as he led the way for it upward
to its God.
1t Is not III IT'S ilSHI PitSt' iloi St'it ~
re, while in the dark prison house of
sin. Its true home is freedom and in
the presence of God.
He taught us that this life is not all;
it is but a. state of needful infancy. lie
tauaht US that truth by His words, His
ifo and by His resurrection.
II there be a faith which enslaves the
saul. it is the idea that this life is all.
| If there be one that expands and ele-
Yates. it is the hope of Immortality. And
this is something quite distinct from the
selfish desire for happiness.
1t is not to enjoy but to be, for which
wa pant: to enter into more and a higher
| fuller. life. It is a craving with which
| we only part when we sink below hu-
| nanity and forfeit it.
This was the martyrs strength. They
we're tortured not accepting delirerance
49, Il,a,, ,,,ic,,t attaip y better TeSllr-