St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-07-30

III ~
- Y Mn the rule and posses
-----~19 sion Of England;
We think of the he
roic struggle which followed. Of the
brave, precious lives laid upon the al
.ar 0! a nations need. We say: This
~ what 1t cost to win our freedom -
we speak Of the Christian freedom and
tnlnk Of the bondage into which man
was plunged by sin; we think of his
hopeless, helpless condition. of his ef-
Iorts to win his OWL deliverance, and
enen We think of the great Deliyere-
come to win success where man has
tailed, to give His life that mans life
might be redeemed. And we say: This
is the price which has been paid for the
christians freedom" Freedom is a
word not Of American coinage, but has
an older and Diviner origin. In the
extravagance Of enthusiasm we Amer
leans sometimes encourage ourselves In
the belief that we were the discoveries
OF the genuine brand of liberty, and that
the soil and climate Of the United States
anord about the only favorable condi-
lions Tor the growth of the flower of
freedom. But we forget that God es-
tablished the principle Of liberty when
He placed man upon the earth, and gave
him the freedom of choice of good and
evil. Jefferson has said: "The God
A Who gave us life, gave us liberty at the
same time" The foundations of this
government are laid upon this underly-
ing principle.
THERE is much that is thought Of as
i liberty, and great deal which is
promulgated as liberty, which is as for
eign to real, true liberty as goodness is
foreign to the Devil and his angels.
Schiller declared that freedom was only
in the land Of Dreams" because that
which was Haunted as freedom was q
perversion, was travesty upon the fair
term which proves SO attractive to
every human being. And because of hui
man frailties and failures, because OF
selfishness, and prejudice, and ignorance,
true freedom is more an ideal than it is
. reality. 1t was for this same reason
that Nine. Roland could stop in her
march to the scaffold before the statue
of Liberty in Paris and apostrophize it
with the immortal words: 20, liberty!
liberty! what crimes are committed in
thy name" True liberty, that liberty in
which the spirit Of Gods Righteousness
and truth moved, never committed an
Injustice, never took q life needlessly,
never fought war unnecessarily. never
sought unfair advantage or exacted more
than its due, and never imposed condl-
lions which were harsh and unreason-
aole. And yet how much Of what man
calls liberty and freedom is tfnctured by
these human and unrighteOus elements.
Never were words more truly spoken
than that liberty is purchased at the
price of eternal vigilance. A vigilance
which guards the rights OF others, as
well as protecting those OF ourselves. A
vigilance which is exercised with as
great sincerity and faithfulness in meas
uring the needs and rights OF our neigh
hor as we use in estimating and de-
manding what we consider our own
rights and needs. t& -
Tr we would know what true liberty
or freedom is we must turn to the
Divine author Of liberty" as we sing
4 in our grand national hymn
"America." We must search not in
man to find its genesis and compile
lion hut in God, and in Gods Son.
christ Jesus. We want to talk OF the,
rhristian's freedom, for in that freedom
!. fonnd the essence of all true freedom.
.ror freedom did Christ set us free"
whom did He set free? What does
the term as here used mean? The
freedom which Christ obtained Tor
mankind is q universal freedom. and
whila primarily 1t implies spiritual
s,.eedom from sin and its conse-
crances. 1t nevertheless includes as
raj, freedom as connected with the
60 r;ous secular relations of life. Sin
10 tha great enemy of freedom. God
rave man the freedom OF choice at the
time Of creation and sin entered IN
and robbed man Of the freedom to en-
Inv the blessing and the fullness
hitch were to be found in the garden
.here God had placed man. And that
vas only the beginning. Sin ever
s,nes has been robbing man Of the
freedom which 1t was Gods desire and
yrnrnose he should have. Trace to Its
shmrce every forfeiture Of freedom.
every oppression which denies ths
lights and freedom Of others, and you
vi,l find the tell-tale mark OF sin.
nra when for freedom Christ did set
-. tree He struck at the very root OF
+ha trouble. He put away sin in
tI;s body on the tree. and thus gave
- man the freedom which is the be-
.,,rrinx Of all freedom. The special
s s to freedom in our text Is de-
.;wsrance from the. bondage OF the
Ia,v,sh law and circumcision. Many
- .ha Galatians who had been rejotc-
~, :. n the liberty Of Christ Jesus were
~. ..asng led into the bondage OF Jewish
49, and, the Mosaic law. They must
- -. ctrcumcised. They must keep all
-. Mosaic law in order to be saved:
Md against such false doctrine raul
80 -. ant He exclaims: For free
Am M did Christ set us free; STAND 1ast
u 3 a..sore and be not entangled again
=, IN ! woke Of bondage. For the GAIA
:. .,.n christian to be circumcised oDil-
go. 80. him to keep all the law ana WIN
e s,s.tior hy his own works. This was
-, rs,ns him Of all the liberty wnicn
l,,..,st had purchased for him and was
outing him in bondage .na :. nos