Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-03-02
STANDING BEFORE CHRIST
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Bishop
D. Il. Greer, D. D., Id. D.
There Is No Such Thing as True and Undoubt'
ed Freedom for Human Life.

David III. Greer, DID,, LID, preached
in Christ Church, his first visit to
Brooklyn since his election to his high
Office, Sunday morning. His subject
was, STANDING Before the Master"
He chose his text from III. Kings v:2o:
"He went in and stood before his
Master" Bishop Greer said III the
course of his sermon:
You will recall, perhaps, the connec-
ton in which these words were spoken.
Elisha the Prophet had cured a man
of his leprOSy, who wanted to give the
prophet some suitable reward, but the
prophet refused to take it, and said:
LAS the Lord liveth l will not receive
it." And the servant Of the prophet
is not of the same mind. and when the
man departed he said to himself: Now
l will so and take somewhat of him
And so he did, and then when he had
stored it away in some secret place,
us he supposed, he came to where his
master was and went in and stood be-
fore him. And as he came. my friends.
so We must come to another prophet
of Israel. another and a greater one.
who. although of Israel born. is the
Master of us all, to whom all hearts
are open, before whom there is no
secret, and before whom we must
stand. This is my subject for little
while this morning, standing Before
the Master"
There is a great world struggle going
on to-day. which although it assumes
many different forms is yet the same.
1t is great struggle for ereedOm-a
struggle which. to be sure. has been
goins on to some extent in every age,
but which in this particular age ap.
pears on larger field of action with
a greater number of actors partici.
pating in it more conspcuously per.
haps, and which is carried on now as
never before with an earnestness more
earnest. with purpose more resolute.
and its pitiful effort at times. with a
pathOs more pathetic, human life is
trying TO set itself free from misery
and from bondage. and to become SOW
ereiSn lord of itself. This 1t is trying
to do by various means and methods,
by weapons of war on battletields, by
bullets and by ballots, by social agi-
tations and by political discussions, by
great material and industrial advance.
ment and enrichmcnts. widening out
and expanding and thus broadening
more and more its scope, its power. its
dominion, and. through it all, its free
dom from bondage and control.
And within certain limits that Is good
and right and much to be desired.
But freedom is like fire. When guard
ed. restrained and kept within control,
it is good for service and performing
many useful offices and tasks; but
when it is not controlled and becomes
a confiagraton. then it is no longer
useful and serviccable, but injurious
and destructive. And are there not
some signs appearing here and there
sporadcally, in spots in our modern
life. which show that the freedom fire
to-day is getting beyond control, be-
coming Il contiagratiOn, burning and
consuming. not only some of those old
and obsolete traditions which stand
in the way of progress. but some or
those old and pure and good and etcr-
nally true traditions without which
there can be 10 progress at all.
a young man in this city, III the Bor-
Ough of Manhattan, 4 young man OF
culture and refinement and position,
and the graduate of a leading univer-
sity, remarked to me not long ago:
LAS long as | can manage to Keep Il
reputable outward appearance, ana
Contrive to live so as not to lose the
favor and good will of public opinion,
why should | not live to-day precisely
as | please? Am | not free? Am |
not the sovereign lord and master of
myself? And if find in me certain
tnnInnninc ingtipnis nrnoIiV vi
ties and passions which | love to in
dulSc, which can indulge why should
| not indulge them? Am | not free,
the sovereign lord and master of my
self: Whose business is it but my
OWL and what. indeed, shall hinder!
Public opinion! But am assuming
that public opinion will not know any
thing about it. Religion? Why, who
knows anything about religion to-day!
The Bible? Well, this is the twentieth
century, and the Bible is on the shelf.
Am / not free to do precisely as |
please as the sovereign lord aud master
of mySelf:'
That speech. perhaps, was to some
little extent typical of a growing con-
dition, freedoms fire becoming Il con-
tiagration, burning down and cOnSum-
ing some of the Old true, eternal, fixed
and established human religions; some
of the old, true and established social
restraints. And if we look at our
modern society very closely we see it
not only appearing here and there
among the young men and the young
women but also among some others
that are not yet SO young, too much
frn al 2
please, when they throw aside the old
fashioned feminine graces, modestieS,
proprieticS, too much freedom in de-
meanor and department. hoping thus
to show, perhaps that they are eman-
Cipatcd But us some one has remarked.
such freedom is not the result of high
or education, or culture. or advance
ment, or progress, but of dull and
stupid ignorance. 1t is a reversion Of
the lesson of Peters vision, and always
to call all things common and I'M
clean.
Thus to-day we see here AID there
beginning to appear abuses of this
magnificent human freedom, a diSpO-
stion upon the part of many of every
age to push and set aside whatever
seems to interfere with the freedom
of their lives, with the full and free
expression, indulgence and gratiiica-
ton of their desire to live aud do pre-.
cisely what they please. And SO the
children soon wander off to do as they
please. Why not, are they not free?
And the husband wanders off to do as
he pleases? Why not, is he not free?
And the wife wanders off to do as she
pleases, and the marriage VOW wanders
off. Why not, Is it not free age?
And like house that rests upon the
shifting sand, the home breaks up and
falls, and great is the fall thereof, for
it pulls society down.
All, my friends, freedom is a mag
nificent and glorious thing, and it has
it's great and magnificent uses, and it