The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-05-01
FIRST METHODIST CHURCH
BRILLIANT SERMON By REV.
FRANCIS 4. BROWN

Speaks on sThe Law of LiBerty"-TeIIs
Audience That Sooner OF Later Every
Man Must Reckon With Past Deeds
Says That 1t Pays InaniteIy to Study
Law Of Love-Large Congregation
First Service in Elegant New Modern
lied Auditorium.
Large audiences were in attendance
both morning and evening at the ser
vices held yesterday in the new and
beautiful auditorium of the First Meth,
odist Episcopal church. The pastor
Rev. Francis 7. Brown. preached
both services, speaking in the mornine
on ''The Worth of Life" from the tex
III. John, 2. At the close of the sermon
the annual financial statement was
made by the treasurer, Frank T., Rice
and subscriptions We're soon reeeive5
providing for the budget for the neN
fiscal year, which begins May /. Tn !.
benediction was pronounced by ez-
President Timothy Dwight.
In the evening the pastor spoke OF
The Law Of Liberty" James i, 25. H.
said in part:
This is a phrase of James own COLI
ing. His letter is marked by indepen
dent expression. Writing as the brothes
of our Lord, before the composition Of
the gospel memoirs and of most of tha
New Testament epistles he FORMULATED
freshly his own memories Of the Oral
teaching of Jesus. 1t is he who has tol,
us OF the literally giving God and is
double-minded man-of the tengrafte
word, /" of the royal law and the 'slal
of liberty. But of all his liber3
phrases this of our text is the mos
striking and fascinating. What nigh
and precious words constitute III
Law Liberty"'-majestic and pric5
less. These ideas command the mo
ern world! And their marriage gives
/ at frst that sense of paradox that
the challenge of a hidden and high
reeonciling truth. st. James evidentl
regarded this perfect law as worthy
the most attentive and persistent study
1t is a law into which one should pee
stopping down as Peter and Mary
| stopped to gaze into the empty sepul-
cher Of their Lord as the angels desire
| to stoop down and look into the gospel.
4 Such is the word used by James of the
proper scrutiny to be given to.this law
of liberty. Let us look earnestly into
1 its inner meaning. And in doing so let
us note two outer and related meanings
1 which the phrase might possibly bear.
! i. There is the law that controls lib
erty or the law of consequences. No
4 body has to do right in this world Oh
the next. Goodness is volunteer bust
ness Every man can play the game
of life as he pleases; he may make his
moves carelessly or sullenly If he will
i he may make them reverently and low
4 ingly, but after each move the automa.
ton chess player called Consequence
makes an answering move and sooner
or later every man must reckon witt
every play OF his past. Sow and rear
what you SOW; choose your way, but
some ways perish as paths that narrow
to pnecipice: build as you will, bu
i live in the house you have builde(
though it falls about your head. Mira
beau going down in the storm of tn,
French revolution like giant oak rot
ten at the core. cries 20; the sins o
my youth They keep me now from
i saving FTance!" And in the highel
/ realms there is this same law, only
4 Jesus way is the way Of life and h,
that heareth His words and doeth then
not builds upon the sand for certain dis
aster.
IT. There is the law that commands
/ libertyor the law Of duty; duty which
do this--but you have no right to do it
/ not only This way is expedient-bu
i You ought to follow it."
i The speaker showed how this com,
i mand of conscience comes with re.
4 doubled force through that human ex
4 perience quiekened by the spirit of Coo
whose record we have in the Hol.
i Scriptures-how this "eye of God
word searches and commands us ant
i supremely finds us in the person Chris
:! Jesus
4 III. There is the law that creates lib
erty-or the law Of love. Under tn,
fOIIlCi ItWo u lL11lI lil6ty NC I6bCi VI +:
slave-but when, like Browning, he see
that "alPs love yet ais law"that it j
the hand of Divine Fatherhood that re
Trained and chastened and melted tina
II only through obedience can be master.
and freedom-then with young Wendell
Phillips he falls upon his knees ant
prays 30 God from this house make
) easy for me to do the right" TIL
Il law becomes written in the heart an,
seeking Goods precepts he walks at lib
: erty.
It pays infinitely to study the secre
of this law-patiently, continuously
not forgetting what manner of men w
are. 1t pays infinitely to become b.
persistent practice doors Of the word
! not hearers only, until, through tn
J law Of love In our hearts and the tech
nique of obedience in our lives we dali
! come with joy to do Gods will.