The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-07-04
Pastor Cruzan's Sermon.

THE IND THE WORLD AND THE JUDGMENT.
On Sunday evening last, Pastor Cruzan delivered
discourse on The End of the World and the
Judgment to an unusually large audience. The
following is a brief abstract Of the discourse:
We have in the 2ith and 18th Chapters of Mat
thews Gospel Christs answer in full to three plain
questions: I. When shall jerusalem be destroyed
> What shall be the signs of Christi comingy and
3. The end of the world? His answer in simple
sentence is: "Nerily say unto you, this genera
ton shall not pass away till all these things be
fulfilled And they were all fulfilled during the
lifetime of some men then living. In less than
40 years from that private conference on the Mt.
Of Olives Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed
by the Romans under Titus Titus gave orders to
spare the temple, but the word of Christ was more
powerful than the command of the Roman con-
queror. Christ to the world again. in The per
son Of the Holy Ghost, only short time after that
conference.
But Jesus also told the disciples that their gen
orati0n should not only the destruction of Jcru
salem, and His second coming, but, according TO
our English Bibles, d" the end of the world, also
Our English word IS world has two meanings, viz:
the material world, or universe and the state of
things on the earth. We say God made the
world meaning the material universe. We say
Of a young man Just through college, q" Now he
goes into the wOTldn meaning that now he takes
his place in business and society. Tho Greek Ian
guago avoids this equlvOcsl use of words II has
two different words for these two different mean
lngs: kOsmos means the material earth or uni
verse, and "aion - means the age, or state Of
things, on the earth. And Christ and His Apostles
very careful IN the right use Of these words.
But our English translators made no distinction
between these widely different words, surrendered
both " kOsmOs" and " aiUn " by our ambiguous
word world Jesus never speaks of tine destruc-
tiOn Of the "kOsmOs," this material world, but
always Of the destruction of the aion,' the age,
order, or state OF things then existing. The dis
ciples II the third verse of the 2ith chapter of
Matthew Gospel, do not ask him, When shall
the end of this kOsmOs learth) bef' but When
shall the end Of this aiOn' iagel be!' and Jesus
plain answer was, In this generation" What
did Jesus UUanI Why, that He was coming, not
yisibly IN bodily form but spiritually, and in the
power Of His truth TO Judge the Jewish nation.
The Jewlah world :. G., age, dispensation, was
to come to an ind: the Christian 3" world :. age
OF dispensation was to take its place Judaism
was 10 give place to Christ's Kingdom. And this
is what did take place: At the destruction Of Ie-
rusalem, not only the Jewish nation, but Judaism,
persisted. The Mosaic theOcracy went down be
fore the iron power Of Rome. And Christ's King
dom took its place. Christ knew what he was
talking about. and told the truth, when He said
that the world, or age, in when tic disciples
lived should end in their day.
" Is there, then, 10 be no distinction of this ma
terial wOrldE' ] do not know. / am not wise
above what Is written. do know that Jesus no.
where even hints at any such event, / know of
but one passage in the New Testament which
seems plainly TO assert any such calamity, viz, >
Peter, chapter; The world that then was in the
time Of Noah being overlooked with water, per-
ished: But the heavens and the
earth which now are are reserved un-
to fire against the day of Judgment and ungOdly
men, The Heavens shall pass away with great
noise, and the elements shall melt with fervcut
heat; the earth also and tue works therein shall be
burned up Here the Greek word translated
" earth Is kOsmJs.' Are We to take this highly
wrought language literally! ! think not. Peter
makes the destruction Of the earth Mt the Del
uge i type Of this coming destruction. But the
earth not destroyed in the time of Noah it was
only cleansed of sin. So that all that he means
awaits 1t in the futureE DIR. Hodge, Of Princeton,
says: The destruction fUrctold by Peter is not
Elsewhere in the Scripture 1t is
called regeneration, u restoration, and de
lTveration from the bondage of corruption. That
there may be some great material changes await
ing cur earth in the future is not improbable.
Mighty changes have been wrought in the past;
why not IN the future! But the great change
needed, and which believe is meant by the pas
sagcs generally quoted to prove the destruction Of
the material universe, is moral and spiritual re
not Of the earth but Of the teeming
millions upon it. That mighty change is yet
largely future.
Connected with this idea Of the destruction of |
the world, is also that Of general judgment day
Is there 10 be such day! Yes and no. Yes, for |
it Is written, " Every one Of us shall give
count of himself TO God No, If the term gen |
literally TO be seated ON great white throne, and
all the billions who have peOpled this earth in the
ages past, ami in the ages to come TO be gath
cred IN a seethlng mass before HIM, and books are
to be opened. and each one, good and bad, is TO |
' have a trial. and have judgment passed upon |
himl 1t would take a very long day to do that! |
This bald liberalism used to be orthodox: it is so
no longer. As death leaves Us so eternity hnds US.
The grave opens inward upon the judgment Scat |
If Christ. And the books - are opened-the |
book Of each ones life, his real character, and |
zach one is Judged out Of the things which his
Ivu hand has written in that book" And there,
Is here, the good and the bad are separated, by
mutual ropulsion. The "great gulf " that separ-
ties them is IN their own souls. " But YOU say
81. %. Il. - L. - M
gathered al nations" Yes. and silently certain
y, day by day. and age by age. " all nations pass
through the grave, and one by one, they stand be
ore the Searcher Of hearts. We in our turn shall
taud IN his presence. God grant that We may 50
i've that We shall stand there in hope and not in
despair.