Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-01-07
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON 81
CARDINAL GIBBONS
Subject: The Prerognt;res and Re-
spunsibiIities of Moral Freedom.

Subject: Tie Prerognt;res and Re-
s9nnsibiIities of Moral Freedom.
Baltimore. Md.-Sunday morning
Cardinal Gibbons preached his regu-
Lar monthly sermon to a large audi
epee. at the cathedral. His subject
YVES The Prerogatiyes and Response
biiit!as OF Moral Freedom" The text
was from st. Luke 1S:31-A3: "Jesus
commanded the blind man to he
brought tt Him, and He asked him,
sa.Iing: What wilt thou that I do
fol theeo And he said: Lord, that I
NAV receive my sight" The cardinal
said:
Is rot he stone blind who is entire
1y engrossed by the desire for earthly
riches and shuts his eyes to the pearl
Of great prize? Is not lie blind who
is wallowing in the mire OF sin, who
is leading a life of ~seDsuality which
leads to melancholy and despair? Is
not he blind who is bending all his
energies to the acquisition Of honor
and fame. and when he acquires it, It
fails to satisfy the cravings Of his
heart? Is not he blind who looks up
to heaven and contemplates the
works OF creation. but discerns not
the existence OF a Creator? Is not ne
blind who sees the hands moving on
the clock-wo-k OF time, but fails to
recognize the invisible Hand which
keeps these works il motion? Is not
he blind who counts the days of his
years as they flow by, but does not
consider the ocea OF eternity that
lies before him?
Now, Christ says to each of you
what He said to the blind man: What
Is thy will? What wilt thou that l
do for thee?
How sublime is the faculty OF free
will! 1t is q gift which distinguishes
you from the brute creation; for man
is the only creature on earth that en-
joys moral freedom. It is a preroga-
tive which you possess in common
with the angels and which makes you
like to God Himself. God and the
angels and Ia are the only beings
that have free will.
4, It Is the exercise of the will that
distinguishes the saint from the sim
ner, the martyr. from the a%postate,
the hero from the coward, the tenn,
perate man from the drunhard, the
benevolent ruler from the capricious
tyrant. II we are destined to be of
the number of the elect, we shall owe
Cur salvation under God to the right
use Of our freedom. II we are to in
cur the vengeance OF heaven, it shall
be due to the abuse Of our liberty.
"Thy destruction is thine own, o Is
rael." In a word, our liberty is a
weapon with which, like Saul, we will
infict a deadly wound upon our
selves, or, il is a sword with which,
like Michael the arcnangel, we can
conquer the Internal enemy and win
our wav to heaven.
Our Saviour told the Jews that the
knowledge and practice Of His pre-
cepts would secur for them true
freedom. The Jews were indignant
that their freedom should be called
In question: "We are the seed of
Abraham" they exclaimed, "and have
never been slaves to any man." But
our Lord replied that though children
OF Abraham, they were in bondage as
long as they were in sin. amen, I
say to YOU: Whosoever committeth
sin is the slave Of sin"
DO not Americans sometimes talk
In this way? We are freeborn citi-
zens n yield to no despotic power.
Eut what will it profit us to enIoy
the blessings of civil freedom. If we
co not enjoy the glorious liberty of
children CT God, by which we are res
cued from ignorance and can tran,n1e
on sin? What will it avail us to be
recognized in the public walks of life
.11 re- I'D Independent citizens. If in
the circle CT our.family, and in the
sanctuary Of our hearts, we are dashed
IS slaves by the demon OF passion; if
we are slaves to a petu1an. temper,
slaves to lust, to intempeTance, pride
and vainglory; slaves to public opin-
ion, the most capricious of all
tyrants?
: .!csus Christ is the highest ideal Of
Christian perfection. He is "the way
and the truth and the life" He came
to teach us by word and by example.
NOW, ii there is any one virtue our
Saviour inculcates more forcibly than
another, it is this: That our heart
and will should be in harmony with
Gods will. "I came down from
heaven" He says. mot to do My own
will, but the will OF Him that sent
Me. My food is to do the will of Him
that sent Me that / may finish His
work"
In exhorting us to make the will of
God the supreme rule Of oAr actions,
u Lord is echoing the~yoice of His
eternal Father. my SON." saws AL
mighty God, give Me thy heart" He
does not say: Give Me thy riches,
thy lands and thy possessions, for
these belong to Him already. "The
earth is the Lords and the f~ullness
thereof, the world and all that dwell
therein" He does not say: MY son
give Il service Of thy body, for that
also belongs to Him. ~Tny hands"
says the prophet, "have made and
fashioned me-" And besides we read
lily bastow the service Of our brain
Il HANDS on one who has already
gained GU affections. Eut He saws:
Give Me toy heart and the affections
OF thy will, for this is all that Won
can call your own; this is the only
free, Nnmortgaged property you can
offer Him.
You should discern the hand of
Cod in the daily occurrences of life.
You mould regard all the events han
pening to you, such as poverty and