Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-10
EMANCIPATION is
THROUGH TRUTH.
Rev. D. F. Howe Tells the Graduating
Class of U. S. C. How to
Attain Their Highest
Ideals

emancipation Through the Truth"
was the topic of Rev, D. r. Howes
paccalaureate sermon to the gradual
ing class of the University of Southern
California at the University Methodist
church.. The text was John S:32: Eye
snail know the truth and the truth
shall make you free" After an intro
ductory greeting and the statement
tnat the struggle of man through all
the centuries had been for emancipa-
tion and that the only way to eman-
clpatlon is through knowing the truth,
and that . Christ is the highest truth,
the speaker said, in substances:
knowing physical truths has eman-
clpated man. IL has picked the farmer
out OF the furrow and set him on
spring seat beneath a sun shade while
two burrows turned beneath him: has
Strengthened his back from the reaping
hook and placed him on a machine
that cuts, binds and even threshes the
grain as ne goes along; and ere long
possibly steel arm will reach over
and put hot biscuit in his mouth,
made from the grain he is lust cutting
He is no longer the slave to distance;
ne mas learned physical truths that
take him from the stage coach to the
Pullman. Children are in California
whose fathers crossed the plains in OK
wagons; they Che children) came on
the limited. Point Iona gets wireless
telegrams from the eastern seaboard.
Distance no longer enslaves. The seven
leagued boots of the fairy tale are out
done by fact. Truth is freeing man
from disease. No longer the slave to
dreadful plaques. He no longer fears
eclipses and comets. Politically he has
all his freedom through knowing the
truth. So spiritually the truth in Jesus
frees man from the dominion of sin
the highest emancipation.
Liberty Through Restraint
"There is no emancipation but by
obedience to truth. Liberty is through
restraint. There is no liberty where
there is no. restraint of law. The kite
is free in the air only when held by
the string. Cut that and it falls, the
slave of the earth. The locomotive is
free in motion because of the restrain
ing f1anges; release that and it is
wreck in the ditch. The heavenly
bodies are free in motion because of
the restraint of gravity. There is free
dom in health but slavery comes by
violating sanitary laws. There is no
political freedom where there is no
obedience to law. Anarchy means the
most awful slavery. Our declaration
of independence means something be-
cause it is also a declaration of
dependence on God. There can be no
declaration of independence of things
low and base that does not also mean
declaration of dependence on things
higher. Jesus was free because he
obeyed his Fathers will So are we.
Schools can teach no more important
or needed truth than that liberty comes
only through obedience to right laws.
This restraint is an inner restraint;
that is, man obeys through love OF
the law or truth, not fear of 1t. We
have come to the highest place where
we need no outer restraint because we
have the spirit of obedience WITHIN US.
The lawabiding man never concerns
himself about what the laws OF tne
land are because be desires only to 90
pood. He feels no fetters from law.
The bad man does. Gods aim in CHRIST
Is to bring us to this love OF truth
that makes for us no outside prohlpl-
tions needful Heaven, the hlgnes1
government in the universe, is not
Mace of external prohibitions. Love
within is the principle that guides
"a woman said she could not keep
her little boy in the yard because ne
would turn the button on the gaze; "a
neighbor said, Why not put the pu.
ton on the boy? That is, Try W So
a spirit of obedience in MIN ron
higher motive. This is the metnoa ol
Cod This is the end of religion. rms
ia true freedom a soul in love win
tho divine law and therefore feellng no
bondage. This is the climax OF eiiian
cination to which all Christian schooiS
should lead, if possible, their puplis.
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