The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-06
TRUE LIBERTY is THAT
FOUND IN GODS PRECEPTS.
The Reverend Josephus stephan
Draws His Lesson From Statue,
Frances Gift TO America.

At the Mount Auburn ". E. Church.
South. yesterday morning. the Reverend
Josephus Stephan preached on the subject
of Liberty Through the Truth taking as
his text Psalm cxix. 10: Il will walk ct lib
erty. for [ seek tiny precepts.' He said. in
pert.
Just nineteen years ago yesterday. the
Fourth of July. the French people. in token
of their love OF liberty. placed. at cost of
over half million dollars. the statue Of
Liberty on Bedloe's Island. y. Y. The we'll
Known title. The Goddess of Liberty En-
tightening the World, souncs very beauti-
ful. but it Is in fact misnomer. 1t is mis-
leading as a statement Of the true nature
OF liberty. The fact is that liberty does not
and cannot. in the nature OF the case. en-
tighten the world. Liberty may be a great
blessing TO the world but it cannot en-
| tighten it. Ii is not so much cause as the
effect of a cause.
Liberty Is the result of enightenment-
the light of Gods eternal truth. There may
De license without it. put there can nev-
walk at liberty who seeks not the divine
precepts When Christ declared the truth
shall make you free he laid down a prin-
ply it to our bodies. 10 our intellectual or
to our moral nature. or to our civil life
The truth OF Almighty God, written both ~,
nature and in RECITATION. is the grand trunk
always been occasioned by trying to run
| independently of the divine rails-the Law
Little We think Of it. amid all the
excitement and enthusiasm OF such days a.
yesterday, this liberty over which much
ado is made, 40 much gunpowder burned
and unbecomins conduct shown. was not
only the result OF the eni.gnteuing influences
Of the Word of God. as it operated On be-
lieving and ohedient hearts, but II may De
lest by our despising it. Our future pros
perity and stability as a nation depend
alone on This II can never be found II our
navy and our regiments 0ur mines and our
fertile plains. our vast commerce and man
ufacturing establishments. nor our culture
and our schools. With all of these our
liberty /. never secure unless we abide by
the fidelity Of our fathers TO the teachings
OF the Word OF God.
our country to-day. indicative OF
widespread disregard for God and his law.
and which endanser the, future destiny of
ing Of children, unbridled lust. poisonous lit
erature, multiplying divorces. inordinate
greed. the sensualizing drink habit.but it ia
sabbath to which / call attention
How few think that this nations liber-
ties fSund %b en- the P
came In sight OF land after tempestuous
voyage and found they could not land with.
SIs h5ng IL the she sabsash eS 9
Choir and kept their first Sabbath in the
New World. sacred and quiet e,,o., in , Tors
brave and daring men, as we are wont
let US not forget that these lovers OF lib
erty. who came to an unknown snore Wnete
they might unfurl the banner OF conscience
unchallensed to the breeze, condemn Us,
however eloquent and enthusiastic GU.
words unless we sFnq h , MEM IN Of his
word Better give up everything else thah
the SABBATH to which they chung. for it is
one of the basal stones on which our ma
tional greatness must ever rest
"Rationalism Is attempting 10 Wrest !!
from us. In contrast with the obedience Oh
our fathers to the law of God. who never
for a moment doubted Gods supremacy anu
the authority Of his word, there Is ten
dency with mere sweep OF the hane 40 20
their liberty shall not be interrupted IN en-,
loving every day as they Ike. no matter l.
It interferes with divine suthoTity or human ma.
rights. The practical rauonalism of tnoss
who theoretically accept all the facts OF gu.
belief in God and his word. but who Den!
the whole thing b. their violation o. Ills
divine law are not a whit less the enemies
Of our liberty
''The hard of greed is placed upon, our
this money getting age, for business; oa.
the day which belongs TO God must be made
subservient to selfish interests. From sen
ing a piece of chewing gum up to the run ha
ming CT Sunday excursion trains and the
sale of millions of dollars worth of unneces-
sary articles. greed for gain controls Gods
But no form of business is so Unsuitable
as the saloon in its dissertation of the Sab
hath for s a The Wh its par Of q 3s L
must also be open on the Sabbath to carry
on It's nefarious traffic in the destruction
hard earnings. 1, is FouTfold destroyer
II begins first to destroy manhood. thea our
homes, our Government and our civilza-
e i9s AhS a s t this s end
Another hand on this sacred day IS un-
ssnctifed pleasure Il looks as though Te
European Continental Sunday. In France
there is horse racing; in Ireland pontleiai
meetings; in Spain bull-baiting: in lt2!s
nd
where the Bible has had no chance the day
ia holiday and not holy day. For en-,
stem backwards The general Sunday hey
dew of our cities. winter and summer, IN
various forms Of pleasure, is a sui1cient
Indictment of our outlines
Every time we desecrate the Sabbath.
whether by disregsrding its sacredness in
we strike Immediately at the foundations of
this nation which We laud and honor so
highly na ti'!s born in prayer and o ra
tain popular liberty without continued rev.
eTence for the Sabbath. How much popu-
s lar iOea and her coionies sWtzerland Can
ada and the United States-those countries
where 1t is most sacredly observed? with
failure began when she discarded the Sab
bath, and only as she has become more
Christian has Improvement come II was
ell as liberty and neither can any other
country turn its face towards liberty while
II turns its back on God.
Let the individual and the nation be-
ware lest in robbing God they become like
the eagle that stole the consecrated meat
IRE which had been burning beneath it,
which set in flames its nest on the noun,
tain top and consumed on itself. Its nest and
altar ali on the sabbath take with it the very