The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-05-27
Sermon Of Bishop Simpson.
DELIVERED IN MUSIC HALL, CINC1NNA
tt. OHIO. MAY 9TH, 1880.

set Judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wal
In these days we often hear it sal,
that Christianity is failure, and OF
this theme many pens have been EN-
ployed and many addresses have beer
made. As if foreseeing this state O
mind $500 years ago, the prophe
took up his harp and sang these swee
notes, saying: ''He shall not fail no
be discouraged That these words
apply to the Lord Jesus Christ il
shown in the fact that they were
quoted in reference to His ministry
when, after having performed mira.
cles, the Jews took council against
Him: Behold my servant whom ]
have chosen: my beloved, and in whom
| am well pleased" And this express
sion was given of God to the Savior at
the commencement of His reign, and
i'll His public baptism, and repeated
near the close Of that ministry on the
Mount of TRANSPORTATION. The pur-
pose of Christ is. the conquest of the
world, and in carrying out this great
work He is not to fail, or be discour-
aged until He hath set Judgment in
the earth-that is, until the system of
truth which He teaches is everywhere
understood, and men everywhere shall
understand and remember the great
lessons Of truth and holiness. The
universally of His Kingdom is. ex-
pressed in the phrase, Until He hath
set Judgment in the earth, in all the
then inhabitable globe. And looking
beyond to the unknown the express
sion is, "And the isles shall wait for
His law" or, in other words, that the
progress of Cbrist's Kingdom should
be continually onward, until it should
prevail over all the known kingdoms
Of the earth, and the undiscovered por-
tions of it also should receive His law.
The work which He proposes to do is
a mighty one. He is carrying on His
great purposes, though He himself sits
on the right hand Of the Majesty on
High-for prophecy said of Him that
He should sit at the right hand. and
His enemies should be made His foot
[ am not surprised, however, that
men should say that the purpose must
be failure, for in the first place the
aim is SO great, the project is so vast,
that it seems to men impossible.
There have been great kingdoms set
up on this earth of ours, but there was
never a kingdom which reached to
earth's remotest bounds. And there
have been conquerors who dreamt of
universal Empire, but their conquests
to but a small part Of the
earth's area, and as they extended
their conquests their Kingdoms became
weaker, until finally they fell to
pieces, partly from the diversity of in
terests and the divergence of views.
and the inability to combine under
one Government peoples of varied
opinions, thoughts and languages.
But this purpose is expressed to be
not only to found kingdom which
should be like the kingdom of Alex
ander, or like the kingdom of Rome
in its glory, but kingdom embracing
all lands, taking in its vast sweep au-
bhority over all Nations, and not only
for time, but enduring forever.
Such project seems to men impossi-
bic, We speak Of our own territory,
and sometimes patriots have feared |
that it might become too vast to re-
main under one form Of government;
out what a little patch comparatively |
on the earth's globe do these United |
States occupy? Think Of the outlying
regions! England is vast Govern
nent to-day, laying her hand on parts
If Asia and Africa and on the islands
IF the sea, but how small part of
5he earth's area does even she occupy!
Again, men think Christianity must
De a failure because the agencies seem
% them inadequate. The old Greek :
philosophers thought when men pro-
posed to change the thoughts of the
world, or the habits or worship of the
world, by telling the story of the life,
leath and resurrection of Christ, that |
t was simply foolishness, and they
said it was impossible. Men say there
S no adequate agency. If the earth |
S to be conquered they look for the
sword for vast armies. But Christ !
sent forth His disciples to conquer the
world and preach the Gospel to every
creature
Then again men say Christianity is
/ failure, because it has not accom-
plished its work while eighteen cen
5uries have passed away. They tell US
fifty generations have risen and gone
1own, and as yet not half of the pop |
llation of the earth has been reached.
And how can it be that the eart'l /
is to be conquered if in eighteen CEN
tur1es so little comparatively of the /
work has been done? Then again,
they tell us that Christianity is likely /
to be a failure, because, they say, there
IS conflict between science and reli- |
gion. They tell us that the advance
Of science is showing errors in the ac-
counts of the Bible, and that the views
we hold can not be held, as the light |
Of science continues to shed its rays
over the human mind; that the sys-
tenn of Christianity has served its day, .
and we must look after something
grander and nobler and stronger to .
hold the attention of the human mind. |
But let US look at the subject. It is a
favorite expression of these men who
fancy that Christianity is failure,
that in the order of this world there /
shall be the survival Of the fttest;
that the weaker shall pass away and .
the stronger shall remain, and they /
depict the future glories of our race
under the triumphs of science Now,
then, if we contrast Christianity with |
other forms of religion, wherein shall
we find it is a failure? Compare it
with Paganism. / speak not now of .
the low, degrading Paganism we find
among the Indians of our Continent |
or the Africans of yonder land, I speak