The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-21
4 na,nar Sermon.

Those who attended the Presbyterian
o,,nrch Yesterday morning had the >ttisInc-
Ron Of listening 10 one of the most rcmalka'
hl,. diSco,,rScs. perhaps. ever delivered III tins
city. The sermon was preached ny i'r''
Joseph X. Wilson. u. d., pastor OF ti'
church; and his subject was ilie Ne"
Heaven and the New Earth, founded on Inc
first three verses OF the list chapter al h'N'-
lltion> ;. ,.<. ,,.,
DIR Wilson i. a man who's. dl>'ailre'> are
uniformly able and ,ntrrrStiii%-itii' al ''>h
and vigorous thought. showing lT"'"'''"
.r,ldition and careful ana cla'"iatr pirlh"'|
lion. But, IL with other ln,hi oil Ills 'lA->'
There are times when his Whole being ~'''h'-
imbucd with Il great theme; lr rises ABOVE
the plain of hi> ordinary preaching. AMI
speaks with IN authority ana power a'"''
md bcyond himself. The conditions OF >l"h
nm .lmnS1 insured effort are ai the speaker
has discovered in the Scriptures >oin" truth
which has eluded the grasp OF others. ana u"
Enowlednr Of which hr believes To /" r>>rlI'
1inl to u harmonious and perfect system "i
theology, and TO the Happiness al mlilhlilh.
only indrpcndrnt and original Thinkers
preach such >crlnull> and he VIII" produces
:: half-doztn of that order in lifetime ac-
compli>hc> great work.
70 give amy Just idea Of the discourse III
This hiic1 notice would bc impo>>ihlr The
idea, however, was that hi. earth i tn hr
changed and 80 prepared ~ IL he the linai
abode of tin. redeemed after the resurrection.
tie began hv >ayin., that thu most prominent
and Suggestive liluli.lt ui the text Wa new
Ness. there was IL hc nrt' heaven ami 4
new earth that Tie heaven here referred 10
Iinuue-tlonlby meant not the starry heavens
and the bulludlr.s space. beyond oar earth,
bit the alnu- pll'rr world about IL, which |,
really a part OF the earth-its garment. Ia
ter dc.cribe,i t!Ir manner i'll which the earth
Wa 10 be changed and purified. II was TO
br done hy lire.
The arguments Ii BIZ. drawn from scrip
ture were numerous. The leading idea WAS
redemption. Not Only was man 10 be re-
deemed but restored 10 the possession of an
inheritance from which he had been aliena'cd
rs sin This argument was fully explained
and strongly enforced. The earth had been
The abode of ,nlcS> beings in the persons Of
our first parents. The children of Israel
believed in IN earthly paradise restored to
them as Il chosen people God himself had
dwell on earth. in the Shckinah, between the
therubim in the temple 1T Jerusalem; ana
the Divine Rcdeemer appeared on the earth
in the person of the babe OF Bethlehem.
Besides this, The holy Spillt now u"cllN ali''
ministers in the Church on earth.
AT the resurrection the saints shall arise
with bodies clarified. spiritual bodies. but
with bodies still. and they shall live and reign
with Christ upon the earth. The earth Will
ne changed 10 adapt ii to the new condition
and wants Of the risen ssint>. bu 1t will be
the earth still. There shall be no more sea
or storm. or disease. or death. The CROSSINGS:
of the earth, as Of Our mortal bodies, shall bt
purified and changed.
The speaker dwelt on the unscriptural anG
faneiful idea OF heaven as populary enter
tanned. He commended that the shadowI
nothinguess Of heaven, in which spirit
foated in ether, suspended on nothing, an(
anchored to the throne of God, enjoying ;
series OF raptlrous sensations OF which ",
could dream, but which VIZ could not under
stand, and with which we could not Symrl
1lize, was rcpugnant alike 10 reason and Il
the word OF God. His purpose, rs expressed
was to learn what the Scriptures teach OF
Heaven, its locality, vnd the life Of the IT.
deemed in that abode. His idraS may strike
some Us novel and speculative, but those who
heard the sermon will be likely To admit that
il is difficult to escape his logic and his i'll
tarprrtati0n Of the various texts quoted III
support OF his position. The sermon ought
10 be published, and have IN extended rircl-
lation.- CN!an.btd IS. c. Union.