The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-03-18
father BYRNE'S
LENTEN ADDRESS
INTERESTS MANY
Ferndale Clergyman I'm
presses Hearers With Ex-
preston of Sentiments.

Sp. OF FerI-Qalos conn.,, was oSLlNefSo
at ST. Augustne's church Wednesday
evening before a congregation that
packed the edifice to capacity. The
subject of the discourse was on the
laws that govern people. The speaker
told his hearers that the world, the
whole creation. spiritual and material
is like a vast machine made by an
Omnipotent God. Every creature of
whatever species, is subject to His
power and is governed by His AL
mighty hand, he said. The sermon in
part is as follows: ~ Y
"God created man not for this world,
its pleasures and its glory and its
wealth. God destined him for nobler
thin gs-for the vision and enjoyment
of heaven Here man is on probation;
here he proves himself By life of
fidelity to Gods desires worthy of the
possession of Gods bIissfuI home.
MAN is not master-he is a creature
a servant of God. The arrangement
of his life is not left to his own whims
and caprices; he must live it as God
designed. There is an order to be
followed. Many men, unfortunately
don't want any other guidance but
their own wiII-their< own passions; in
this they are very wrong.
teThis evening we shall reflect for a
while on the laws that govern our
lives The world, the whole crea-
ton, spiritual and material, is like a
vast machine made by an Omnipotent
Hand.
..AIl it's parts are perfectly adjust
ed, fit together and work together for
a single purpose 1t is like a vast
army thoroughly organized and unit
ed under one supreme command that
directs all the inferior commands and
controls the movements of every unit
to the common purpose. Tt is like a.
well ordered family where obedience
and union join all the members to-
gether in a splendid harmony
s"The secret of all this order is in
the perfect subordination of the parts
due to respect the laws regulations
that emanated from the supreme au-
thority.
'@The source and fountain-head Of
all the order in the universe is God
Himself. The world is but a finite
created imitation of the projections of
God.
when God planned it, He found
the design in His Own Infinite nature
conceived the models in His Own
Divine Mind and called it into being
by His Creating Will
1.-THE very nature of things is a law
to themselves. Tt is the source of
their development and Of all their
operations. The heavens, the fnani-
mate beings, the plants, the animals \
all obeN the laws of their nature and
thus Sing the glory of God. The
intellectual creation, angels and men,
feel, too. within themselves, this nat
uraI instinct for right; and even when
most degraded, man will still realize
that in doing wrong, he is doing vio-
lence to that splendid nature which
God gave him in. the beginning pure
and untainted by sinful disorder.
mot content with this natural law
God in His Mercy instructed man by
To ri
Moses gave US from the hand of God
the ten commandments.
ssOur Lord Jesus Christ perfected
this first revelation by a still more
complete code Of morals for human
life.
with all these helps God placed
over us two powers, to govern and
guide us on the road to heaven, the |
spiritual and temporal authority
church and state. When they com
mand us. God commands. God speaks
to us through His church; God speaks
to US through the civil authorities We
must obey both as we obey God.
'aThe Church is our infaFible guide;
the state is our guide, though not in
faIlibIe. When it is question of our
eternal interests the church is SUI
preme and has a right to our absolute
submission. Our conscience applies |
all these laws of God, of church and
-
I AM making and the truth I watn you |
clearly to understand is that all law
and order is from fGod-there is no |
law or order but from Him.
sFWhen the state oversteps it's limits |
and ordains against Gods orders, it |
must not be obeyed. We may never !
sin; it is never lawful to rebe against
God.
.sThis is the most beautiful concept |
of life and the most comprehensive.7
1t is st. Paul who said, Let every
soul be subject to the higher powers, |
= = Therefore he. that resisteth
the power resisteth the ordinance of
God, and they that resist purchase to |
themselves damnation.' Rom. kill
This law is a reality not depend
ing on our caprice but absolute. We |
cannot destroy law. It is ever before |
US as a signal showing the path to
happiness.
ut is a building force-not physical. |
but moral We are not compelled |
physically to act right, but seeing the |
proper action to be done we must of |
it. Liberty is not license; liberty is |
the faculty of choosing good means |
to good end. We are not free to In |
jure, malign or murder our fellow |
man. We are free to choose our mode |
of life and our actions provided this |
mode fof life and these actions are ac- |
cording to Gods laws. There is no ac- |
ceptation of persons with God These |
laws are for ourA good They give |
peace to the world, peace to nations, |
peace to cities, and peace to the home. |
ftOuf duty is to believe in God and |
with faith and humility obey His |
neverencing God always in |
our superiors; spiritual and civil. This |
obedience to law is possib1e-is easy |
with Godss grace. It is not humi1iat- |
ing and demeaning, it is rational, just I
and right. It would be folly, it is folly |
to disregard law.
"Our obedience should be conscien- |
tious-not a mere external observ- |
ance, a sham morality. Our morality |
must be thorough, sincere, rooted in |
the heart. We should not appear to |