The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-08
THE RIGHTEOUS CITY
ABLE SERMON BY REV. E. E.
 CODES AT ST. JOHNS.
The Measuring of e City, How Shall It Be Donee--value of Civic
 Righteousness.

H "Ciyic Righteousness" was the theme of Rev. E. D. Cobbs in his sermon de- livered Sunday morning at St. Johns Episcopal Church.
 His sermon was as follows:
 Zachariah ii:l-2: .'I lifted up mine eyes again. and looked and beheld man with a measuring line in his hand.
 ..Then said I, whither goest thouf And he said unto me, to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof and what is the length thereof"
 Isaiah 2S part, verse 17:
 "Judgment also will lay tp the line and righteousness to the plumnet."
 These graphic words from the third vis- ion of Zacharfah give us the picture which the prophet saw in vision. A young man going out with a measuring line to define the limits of the new city and he Is prescribing the greatness of the flu ture city by the narrow attachments of the old city,
 And the second group of words is from an outbreak of fierce denunciation in which Isaiah calls in judgment the poll ticians and rulers of his people. Be- cause ye have said, we have entered into a covenant with death and with hell have we made an agreement" Therefore I will set judgment for the line and righteousness to the plummet
 Whatever may be the historical asso- ciation and setting of these two texts. the picture Is very clear and the mean ing is very certain. w.len they are thrown together and brought to our considera- ton.
 The vision of the young man measuring the limits of the city is rich in signifi- canoe. The city being put to the test of the measuring line is one of the most striking figures in holy scriptures. and when we add the strong. vivid words or Isaiah to this vision of Zachariah. do you not see C1eary what our subject is for this morning?
 "whither goest thou gro measure Je- rusalem; to see what is the breadth there of, and what is the length thereof. Judg- ment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet."
 The measuring of the city is no un- common vision even in our day. From many etandpoints and with manifold in- terests men are seen measuring the city Sometimes we measure the city with the measuring line Of progress and achiev- ment, in terms of its enterprise, its de- velopment, its great plants and facto- ries. How Is 1t keeping pace with the great industrial commercial movement of its geneartion? Is the city alive and COHSCiOuS Ol ltS Ndbt POSShDAA1Cc OA e-A- vancement and wealth wh.Sn await only to be called into action at the will and determination of it's citizens? Again, we measure the city with the measuring line of social and family life. In terms of its capacity and desire to satisfy the social instinct in man. Is the city Q pleasant place to live in, has it any attractions to offer, and inducements to hold out to us, as place, where not | only the desire for commercial gain may | be satisfied, but also where the higher yearning for companionship and social | fellowship and friendship may be de- veloped? Is it place for man to make not only his money, but also his home? | From the standpoint of mans relation ship to other men, what Is the measure of the city7
 And yet, once again. we measure the city with the measuring line of intellect ual and educational attainments. In terms of It's opportunities and advant- ages for the training and development of | the human mind.
 | Is the city rich in knowledge rich in minds of superior attainments? Does it offer occasions of inspiration when it's common mind may be led out by some l greater mind into any of the vast, in- | finite fields of privilege and research? Does the city nourish and develop and | minister to the splendid latent possibili- ties in every human soul? Does the city love knowledge for the sake of knowl- | edge? Does it believe in education not because 1t may bring wealth or happi- | ness, but because it feels that the spirit of true wisdom is not far from the spirit | of Godliness, the spirit that searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God? Does | the city stand simply for commercial enterprise and success? Is 1t given over to pleasure and luxury and frivolity? And now, at length, we have come to final measurement of the city. The measuring line of commercial success, the measuring line of educational advance ment and yet once again the man goeth out to measure the city. with steadier l step and a sterner face, to see what is the breadth thereof, and in his hands he holds the measuring line of judgment, and the plummet if righteousness. And the city is measured in the terms of | its moral life, and that life is laid to the l measuring line of judgment, and is tested | by the plummet of righteousness. Put | ting myself In full sympathy and in earn
 est cooperation with the movement throughout our city among the Protestant | ministers, for an awalxing of the public
 conscience of our men and women to a
 sense of an impeding danger and present l corruption, I want to measure with you
 our own city with the measuring line
 of judgment and with the plummet oi l righteousness.
 | I often think how strange and irregu-
 lar would be the limits of our city if we | could but see where the measuring line
 of judgment divides, and where the plum
 met of righteousness falls. Who could
 follow the intricate windings of that
 judgment line. dividing street from street
 house from house; cutting brother away
 from brother, mother from child, hus
 band from wife.
 Judgment will I lay to the line ana
 righteousness to the plummet."
 And yet there are certain places wher
 we can see plainly that the measuring
 line of our city must be brought to Judg
 ment and where the plummet ol
 righteousness must fall from heaven. , First the spirit of lawlessness ana
 anarchy. the utter defiance and the opeI
 contempt for the laws of the State and
 the ordinances of the city. What do
 mean?
 1 mean now the violation of the Sun
 day laws, and first of the Sunday sale | of liquors.
 ] am not concerned with the causes, it matters little whether 1t be an unwill-