Milford chronicle., 1909-06-18
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

MS special dlleglduce 10 Lue Heavenly
King and sets his affections chiefly
upon the heavenly home and feels a
broad kiDship with the entire groaning
creation Of every nation. people, kin
dred and tongue. he, nevertheless, re-
turning from a visit abroad and pass
ing the Statue Of Liberty in New York
Harbor is bound to feel grateful to
God for America, and the torch Of en-
lightenment which It has lifted before
the masses Of humanity.
Let us not go to the unwarranted ex-
treme Of some; let US not call this land
OF the free the Kingdom Of God es-
tablished on earth; but let us on the
contrary realize that with all Of Amer
ica's blessings and enlightenment and
advantages everyway for both the
poor and the rich. she is far from per-
fect Let us. while appreciatlng our
glorious land, and our wonderful bless
ings therein. rejoice that a still bet
ter Government and still more favor
able conditions are part Of the heaven
ly promise to the world Of mankind!
Let US rejoicingly continue to pray to
the Lord. "Thy Kingdom come; thy
viii be done on earth as it is done in
heaven"
"Let Us Think soberIy.'
st. Paul urged believers, 'Let us
think soberly." according as God has
granted to each a measure Of his
grace. Hence the Christians rejoicing
is not boastful, but tempered with
moderation. He sympathizes with the
groaning creation In other parts of the
world and does not ignore the faults
of his native land. even while he does
not unduly magnify and parade them.
In all soberness. however. BarthOldi's
statue Of Liberty Enlightening the
World Is true to the facts OF the case. |
He would be blind indeed who failed /.
to recognize the great influences which /
the principle Of liberty established here /
exercises all over the world. When .
was born on these shores. 4
rocked I'm the cradle of the Revolution,
it had not kith nor kin in any part OF .
the world. Europe alone had civillza-
tiOn, but not even it had Liberty Ev-
erywhere the barons ruled and the
masses, comparatively ignorant. re-
joiced to submit. Liberty and equality
and manhood were almost unrecog-
nized.
As Liberty emerged from its cradle
n stalwart youth its influence and ex-
ample shook Europe and threatened to
overthrow it with Revolution as ac-
complished iu France. And when
finally better counsels prevailed. aris-
tocracy realized that its days were
numbered. unless concessions were
made to the liberties Of the people. 1t
yielded with good grace, with the re-
suit that the monarchies of Europe are
no longer despotic. but limited parlia-
mentary: the people have vote and
voice in their own government
The blessings Of liberty came to Eu-
ropeans so slowly that few of them
today recognize how very diff
'erent We're the conditions century
lgo. and how gradually the change has
,ome about The most advanced ma
ions of Europe have only quite re-
,ently granted suffrage to the people.
md even vet It is under limitations
Nowhere IS the standard Of manhood
as in this land All the
'eforms Of Europe Of the past cen
ury. directly or Indirectly. owe their
impulse to the example Of America.
As the sons and daughters of Europe
" the thousands and the millions
nave come to these shores they have
earned the blessings Of liberty and
he meaning Of manhood And their
etters TO their brethren mt home filed
With their new conception of human
lights. have had a leavening influence
lpOn the bureaucratic and monarchical
heOries and institutions Of the old
world Yes. Bartholdi had it right!
liberty has been eulightening the
world during the past century,
Gods Mysterious Ways s
It is not for us to boast. but to think
oberly. Whence came the light Of
Iberty's torch? We answer that the Z
park was divine In a certain sense I
nd degree this spark and torch were
iven to Abraham's natural seed. the q
Hebrew nation. in the Divine Law. at r
he hand Of Moses. Later the anttype {
( Moses. "Christ, brought life and i
to light through the Cos t
el" message OF our Lord it is writ a
en-. ''He is the true light which light
th every man that cometh into the
7orld." Our assertion. therefore. is v
bat whatever blessing there is in the d
ght which shines from Llberty's torch o
the light Of the Gospel r
Notice the language Of our text, "The r
berty wherewith Christ hath made t.
s free" OF course man. originally S
lade in the Divine likeness. must o
ave had the love of liberty in his L
cry constitution; but thousands of T
ears Of experience in slavery to sin a
nd death have considerably crushed o
ut the proper conception Of liberty L
odlike liberty. It is to these sinners n
: perverts from the Divine likeness 81
lat the Lord Jesus offers the true lib Of
'ty Note the effect that this Gospel fl
essage had upon the early Church ST
made them a peculiar people" II Il