Milford chronicle., 1903-07-03
Faith Justtaed

i Inc slgners pledged their fortunes q
L. well as their lives Had the insure,
t tion been failure their personal pror
critics would have been conhscatet
When the millionaire. Charles Carol
signed the Declaration bystander tiif
= PANTY remarked. There go few mil
lions of dollars if the cause is unsuc
cessful." Yet so dead in earnest wa
Charles Carroll to pledge his life, hi
fortune and his sacred honor to tn,
cause Of American liberty that lest hi,
name shoald be confused with that O,
another Charles Carroll he specified
and individualized lis name as he sign
ed it, Charles Carroll of Carrollton."
But while the members of the Cont
! mental congress of l7TG were brave
men. they were also, as class, pray
ing men. True courage and consecra-
tion are brothers They were men
who believed in God. They were men
who. down upon their knees, reverently
| and earnestly and intensely sought di-
vine light In the famous historical
picture the members of the Second Con
tinental congress are shown on their
knees in prayer To the Christian
American student that picture ought
to be the most impressive historical
painting ever hung in legislative hall
or in foreign or domestic art gallery
l have seen the noted war pictures Of
Berlin and Dresden. have seen the
form of Emperor William l. in many
scenes, tlanked by Won Moltke and the
nation builder, Prince Bismarck. In
Paris l have seen the Napoleonic pic
lures and in London the war pictures
of Waterloo, where the pale faced We'll
lington immovably sits his horse.
watching the destruction of the French
Srenadiers. But in all the art galleries
OF the world there IS no historical pic
ture that. to my mind is so impressive,
so significant. so full of inspiration as
that histotie picture of the Continental
in prayer.
Most of the members of that congress
came from praying Christian homes.
They assembled in the spring and sum-
mer Of 1TIG TO take the most mo-
mentous step which the citizens of any
country can take. 1t was no lightkor
trivial act to renounce allegiance to
King George and TO defy the power Of
he British government These men
we'll knew the Consequences involved
Il such step and realized the neces-
ity Of having divine guidance. One
# the members arose and moved that a
prominent EpiScopalian minister of
Philadelphia should be sent for and -
sIed 10 lead the members in prayer
o God. Samuel Adams, / think it was,
ecdnded that motion. He said in sub
tance: Il am not an Episcopalian. but
am not blgot | feel that Gods
and must lead us in this national
'isis. | second the notion" The mo-
on was carried. The next DAY this
minister came to the leg
lative hall He came in full canonical
'bes. All the members knelt can
ell believe that all must have Joined
the prayer that the God of the
mics of Moses and Of Joshua would
nd and guide them. How on any
her assumption can we explain their
.untless courage? 1t would have been
eer temelity for those men to sign
at Declaration unless they had be-
we'd that God would be with them in
e struggle that must ensue. And
cir faith was justified by the result
le God who heard the pleading of the
'aelites in the wilderness heard the
ayers Of that Continental congress. In
providence England was not left
e to use her strength in crushing the
ant nation. The life and death
uggle in which she had to engage
lrer homo curtailed her power and
that fact. due to the overruling
rcy Of God, our fofefatheass uOad
lr sucoess. On, my felIow c1nDtrv-
n, let rs on this anniversary exer
the faith rh0t our fathers bad IN
God Of nGttDIs. May we continue
pray as our ancestors prayed In
9 and in 1872 and in 1861. Nav we
as Il nation that our God is a
yer answering God. and that he will
ell to our petitions, whether lifted in
rch pulpit or in the legislative hall.
hus on this glorious national boli
want you to take the Declaration
Independence, which is our birth
ificate, and place It between the
'es Of your Bible There may it
TX to US as Christian citizens and as
viduals. While it reminds us of the
'iotism and sublime heroism Of our
ers, may II also remind US of t:a
cation devOlving upon US to redeem
beloved land from the plague Of
and to promote. as far as in us lies.
which alone exaIteth ~
ltion. And as individuals may it
remind US Of our high privileges as U
ems in the kingdom Of Cod? When -
lied by temptation and by the evil
would subjugate US let US remem-
the Declaration Of Independence
n Christ signed for us with his
blood and realize in our own lives
truth Of his words, IF the Son
you free ye shall be free indeedp'
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