Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-01-04
THE CITY OF GOD.
BY Rev Canon BrameId.

THE CITY OF GOD.
BY Rev Canon BrameId
We are not TO wait for Il holy city
hereafter; we are to build one up now
and here upon earth Now. look at
this for moment. Could there, do
you think. be anything more unlike "A
city of God than this city of ours at
the present time? There is much that
is good in it, for which | am thankful.
and ! would not ignore it on any ac-
count; but, O! the unspeakable evils.
Mahommedan in days gone by,
converted to Christianity, paid visit
TO Rome, the holy city of Christen-
dom. On his return he was asked to
give his impressions of what he saw.
Said he: "frs, / have been TO Rome,
and yet l am still Christian" What
an indictment.
1.-The holy city. new Jerusalem"
will be a city pure and sweet, whole
some and clean, full of light, and love,
and joy; its streets as streets of gold.
with white robed citizens, full OF ten
dernesS and unselishness and devo-
ton, worshiping God in heart and life,
and doing service every day for those
who are co-heirs of salvation. In the
new Jerusalem the officers are Peace
and the eXactors Righteousness. Vio-
lcnce is not heard i'll the land. nor
wasting nor destruction within its bOr-
ders; but its walls are called saliva
ton and its gates praise"
Is that a true picture of our city
to-day? Go through the streets and
markets and places of public resort
and see. Think of the temptations to
go wrong, the unfair dealing. the self
ishness. the degradation, the wicked
ness.
A holy city! a city of God! Why.
the thought of it makes one SILVER,
and say with the late Dean Farrar
that one can only marvel that the
hghtnings of God do not begin already
to flicker on the horizon of the city
that is like unto that.
What, then, let me earnestly ask.
are we doing? Standing with clasped
hands and uplifted eyes and crying.
20, my sweet home. Jerusalem, would
God l were in thee?" When shall I
fee away and be at rest? When shall
I leave a world of sin and sorrow and
reach the haven where | would be?
Is chat your supreme desire Wei.
then, let me tell you such a thing is
utterly unworthy of Christian men
and Christian women. Rest comes
Of nj I
men-and every man and woman. too
to come TO the help of the Lord
against the mighty.
In Gods name try. to realize the
greatness of your responsibility. Crap
pie with evil wherever you find it.
Use your best influence to help to
make the lives of the people sweet
and wholesome, their burdens more
easily to be borne. and IT. faintest
desire they may have not t. be led
into temptation but delivereG from
evil more vigorous, made moIa effec-
tive, and day by day more successful.
So will you be acting as Christian men
and Christian women. So will sou be
Fastening the coming of t.iat day
when it may be truly said, &c, the
tabernacle of God is with Men
Thus in the only true sense will you
be looking for and Fastening INTO ihe
coming of the great city of God that
in to be. when at last in all is beauty
and in all its glory Jerusalem the
Golden" shall be the dwelling place Of
the saints
"A lovely city in a lovely land.
Whose citizens are lovely, aAd whose
King
Is very Love, to whom all angels sing.
And thther thou, beloved. and thither
May set our hearts, and set our face,
and 90,
Faint yet pursuing, home On tireless
feet"