The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-14
MANAGES SERMON.
1.-THE WORLD AS 1T WILL Be"
99'iF SUNDAYS SUBJECT.
Text: II. Peter 3: ia New Earth,
Wherein Dwe,leth Righteousness
Story Of the New Earth as 1t WIZ
Be in Centuries to Come.

Wherein Dwelleth Righteousness-
Bo In Centuries to Come.
Down In the struggle to make the
world better and happier we sometimes
get depressed with the obstacles to he
overcome and the work to be accom-
plished. Will it not be tonic and IN
inspiration to look at the world as it
will be when it has been brought back
10 paradisaical condition? So let us for
few moments transport ourselves
into the future and put ourselves for
ward in the centuries, and see The
world in it's rescued and perfected
state, as we will see it If in those times
we are permitted to revisit this
planet. as | am sure we will. We all
want to see the world after it has been
thoroughly gospelized and all wrongs
have been righted. We will want to
come back, and we will come back,
t., look upon the refulgent consumma-
ton toward which we have been on
larger or smaller seal, toiling. Hav-
Ing heard the opening of the orchestra,
on whose strings some discords trav-
e1ed, we will want to hear the last
triumphant bar of the perfected ora
torio. Having seen the picture as the
painter drew the first outlines on the
canvas, we will want to see it when it
If as complete as Reuben's Descent
from the Cross" or Michael Angeles
Last Judgment" Having seen the
world under the CLEAN of the star of
!. Bethlehem. we will want to see it
when, under the full shining of the
Sun of Righteousness, the towers shall
strike twelve at noon.
There will be nothing in that coming
century of the worlds perfection to
hinder our terrestrial visit. Our power
and velocity of locomotion will have
improved infinitely. 1t will not take us
Z long to come here, however far off in
Gods universe heaven may be. The
Bible declares that such visitation is
going on now. Are they not all min
istering spirits sent forth to minister
to those who shall be heirs of saliva
tion?" Surely, the gates of heaven
will not be bolted, after the world is
Edenized, SO as to hinder the redeemed
from descending for tour of inspec-
ton and congratulation and triumph.
You know with what interest we
look upon ruins-ruins of Kenilworth
castle, ruins of Melrose abbey, ruins of
Rome, ruins of Pompeii. So this world
in ruins is an enchantment to look
at, but we want to see it when rebuilt,
repillared, recovered. realtered. re-
dedicated. The exact date of the
worlds restoration l cannot foretell.
It may be that through mighty awak-
enings it may take place in the middle
Of the nearby twentieth century. It
may be at the opening of the twenty
first century, but it would not be sur
prising il it took more than 100 years
to correct the ravages of sin which
have ragged for 5000 years. The chief
missionary and evangelistic enterprises
were started in this century, and be
not dismayed If it takes a couple Of
centuries to overcome evils that have
had full swing for sixty centuries
.sesAV III ASSPOAoiO1AAkJ Al oaylA6 OA
what page of the earthly calendar it
will roll in, but Gods eternal veracity
is sworn to 1t that it will roll in; and
as the redeemed in heaven do as they
please, and have all the facilities of
transit from world to world, you and
I. my nearer or reader, will come and
look at what my text calls "a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteous
ness"
l imagine that we are descending at
that period of the worlds complete
gospelization. There will be no peril
in such descent. Great heights and
depths have no alarm for glorified
spirits. We can come down through
chasms between worlds without
growing dizzy, and across the
spaces of half universe without los
ing our way. Down and farther down
we come. AS we approach this world
1--WE breathe the perfume of illimitable
gardens. liberalization that in the CEN
turtles past was here and there walled
in, lest reckless and dishonest pluck
or despoil 1t, surges its pillows of color
across the fields and up the hillsides.
and that which was desert blossoms
as the rose. All the foreheads of crag
crowned with flowers; the feet of the
mountains slippered with flowers. Oh!
this perfume of the continents, this
aroma of the hemispheres! AS we ap-
proach nearer we hear songs and
4 laughter and hosannas, but not one
groan of distress, not one sob of be-
reavement. not one clank of chain.
Alighted on the redeemed earth, we
are first acosted by the spirit of the
twenty-first century, who proposes to
guide and show us all that we desire
to see. Without his guidance we would
lose our way, for the world is so much
changed from the time when we lived
In 1t. First of all. he points out to us
a group of abandoned buildings. We
ask this spirit of the twenty-first CEN
fury, What are those structures whose
walls are falling down. and whose
gates are rusted on the hinges?" Our
escort tells us: "Those were once
penitentiaries filled with offenders, but
the crime Of the world has died out.
Theft and arson and violence have
quilted the earth. People have all they
want. and why should they appropriate
the property Of others, even II they
had the desire? The marauders, the
assassins. the buccaneers. the Herods.