The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-21
"rHE 1R0ANING CRgATloN.n
a Sermon Preached by Hcr. Joseph Speor
attho second Presbyterian Church.

NAfNA' wv Wv y
Joseph spccr, the pastor, delivered an
excellent sermon, taking for his sub
lect The GroaninS Creation" lie
LOOK Tor MS text Romans Sth chapter,
nineteenth to twcnty-sccond verses:
FOR the earnest expectation OF tho
creature waitcth for the manifestation
OF the sons of God. For tho creature
was made subject 10 vanity, not WIZ
ingIy, hut by reason OF Him, who hath
subjected the same In hope, because
the creature itself also shall be delly-
cred from tho bondage ot Corruption In
to the glorious liberty OF thu children
or God. For we know that the whole
creation groaneth and traSulleth In
plln together until now"
In those words OF the Apostle Paul
there h n grand expression Of the now-
or OF man, through the renewing energy
OF the Holy Spirit.
The view which they present to the
eye OF faith, ~ broad and fur-reachIng,
The mind, startled by the spIcndor OF
the scene, Is conscious Of It's inability
10 grasp the full meaning " these
wonderful words"
We perceive two things. First, that
creation was made 10 suffer. through
mans sSlnfulncss. Second. that the
sln-slavery In which creation is bound,
shall be destroyed by man, redeemed
by Jesus Christ.
The revised version gives n clearer
expression Of this passage. than the
authorized version. 1t reads, For the
earnest expectations Of the Creation"
whiieth for the revealing OF the sons
OF God, md the word vanity as It Is
commonly understood. does not convey
the full meaning OF the apostle vanity,
rs defined by Wcbster's AN imitation
VI mind upon slight grounds. empty
Inspired by an over wecnIng con-
Ceit OF ones personal attachments, or
decorations. an excessive desire for no.
tice or approval" This suits the crea-
ture. with q false notion OF his per-
sonal beauty, and not usefulness, hut
uSoleSSnesS, but not the great creation
Of God in it's entirety. The creation"
was made subject to IhG s%lnlulness OF
man." (cursed be the ground for thy
sake not willingly By It's InSepera.
Bile connection with man, which causes
II to share In all the results OF evil or
good to man.
ut has been held by learned mon
that up 10 the time when man slnned,
every law OF nature wrought heuetl-
Ciently, and would have continued to
do So, but for Adams transgression OF
the Law OF God"
These are mere assertions. which l
cannot affirm, Or deny. | am not able
TO prove that the great ocean was new
,cr disturbed by storm, or the earth
IrOan' with the shock OF earthquakes,
until mar sinned. Yet these words OF
the Apostle Paul. plainly state that
creation was Involved in the fall OF
man, and that Creation waitcth for
The revealing Tf the Son Of Goi,in hope
that the creation itself nlso shall be
delivered from the bondage OF corrup-
ton into the liberty OF the glory Of the
children OF God"
The history Of the world fully sub
stantlnteS this declaration OF Paul.
Look At the history u nations aud the
lands Inhabited by them. "Challea.
once n great empire. long a desert
waste. Egypt, once a land OF learning
and fertility, nov n wilderness full of
bowling, derv!Shes, Palestine. the land
where tn. Lord Jesus Christ lived, ~
land flowing with milk and honey"
now 4 waste, where bleach the bones
Of murdered Christians. The CAM
paGna OF Rome, nee the falrest spot
In Europe. now n pestilence breeding
swamp. uver which hOvers the black
cloud OF death.
Pass on to the animal creation and
mark the wantOu destruction Of the
beasts OF the field. In our own land,
the Song bird sacrificed 10 the vanity
Of adornment, the noble beasts OF the
p~rairics Ia pleasure OF And man
himself growing under the lnhuman-
ity and selhshncSs OF his fellow man.
Think of the vast of human life,
sacrificed Oh tn altar OF war. to salts
~ the whims and funcies Of Jesput'S
ambitions. Back as far rs history goes
and up 10 the present moment. we hear
the wall of an innumerable multitude
OF souls crying, because OF Il despot's
ambition" The ruins OF Einevail and
Babylon the monuments OF Waterloo
and Selalr, BannOchburn1 and Bunker
Hill point back TO a dcspOtlc cruelty
which caused creation 10 sr0an and
travail In pain" up from the hills and
valleys OF Armenia FIST becoming one
large sepulchre, the grOanings OF n per-
secuted people reached the ears OF the
Sons OF God, The Christian nations
have heard the cry and Christian
America. rs well rs Christian England
and Germany, have answered, and with
n voice OF no uncertain sound, have
cried stop. DeYpot. the crescent nay
wave over this people. but h sword
must L. sheathcd," and as We strain
Il ears and catch the grooming Of the
creation under the pressure Of sin. we
are no longer startled by Paul's words,
we are aroused by them. and We turn
Our ears from the past TO catch the
sound which III from the future.
THE sound OF n going" the movement
OF n great army, the army OF the sons
OF God. which day by day Is gathering
strength and number. Paul lr.urd the
tramp, tramp, tramp OF this mighty
army. as out OF the gloom and dark
ness OF the future II swept. irresistible
onward. with the cross Of Jesus go
Ing on before" He heard the song OF
redemption, Onward Christian Sol
der" as 1t burst from the lips Of the
SOM OF God. He saw creation like n
conscious soul. lifting lts head to
catch the sound Of its cmancipatIOns.
lie saw the creatures stretch forth
their hands, that the shacklcs of sin
might he knocked OF. He heard tn.
cry Of the grooming creation, deliver
me from the bondage Of Win and cor
ruptiOn.'' and his soul cries out. in It's
ferYent anxiety. "rhc creation itself
shall lie delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty Of
the SOM OF God"
II Is nearly nineteen centuries since
this prophecy was made. and how ncnr
Is 1t to It's fuliillment? Look over the
history OF christianity and mark It's
progress, every step has been contest
ed. many and severe have been the
battles In which sin. crime and COR
ruptIOn have been engaged against
Righteousness, honesty and Justice. Nor
have these contests ceased: We stand
face to face \with them to-day. AS pro-
fcssed followers of Jesus Christ, as sons
of God, We nrc challenged IN every
hand. by giant evils. which are cor-
ruptIng and bur1enlnG our national
MS we'll as individual life. We have not