The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-30
OF THE SEER
IS REDEEMED WORLD
Dr. Cooper breaches Last of His Series of Sermons Christian
Ideals Central Methodist Church.

Rev. w. a. Cooper, of Central Meth
odist church, last night preached the
last of the series on Christian Ideals.
The special subject being ''The Chris
tan Ideal Of Society or the Redeemed
World" He took for his text the vision
of the seer as found in the twenty
first chapter of Revelation.
Before preaching upon this special
subject he reviewed briefly what had
gone before.
Now" said Mr.. Cooper. 1--WE may
come to the end, and see the vision of
the seed--the redeemed city coming
down out OF heaven. But / would warn
you this Is not history, this Is a vision.
Cities do not come into this world
builded and complete. Neither does an
ideal society. / would not have you
see IL come in some far-off, shadowy
millennium. but now IN the nearby pres
cnt. It is coming but not as If the
earth was fiat and the blue sky was
super-imposed canopy. 1t is coming
through the "foolishness of preaching"
through education. through the estab-
1ishmeft of right relations between
God and men, and men and men. This
ideal State was the dream of the
prophets, and the answer to our pray
er thy kingdom come, thy will be
done in earth as 1t Is in heaven" 1t
is the message of the Christ when he
safo "the kingdom Of God Is at hand"
Christ Ii the Light.
I'm the city-the redeemed world
there Is no temple but Christ himself
is the light thereof. Religion Is eman-
cfpated from dead forms and barren
ceremonies. but his life is the light of
men. His life Of purity. OF unselfish
service and sacrifice is the inspiration
OF other men to serve and struggle.
and die for righteousness and truth
The spirit of the living Christ ami
mates the lives and laws. and Gus
toms and institutions of men. That
as Jesus socialzed his energies SO he
inspires his followers to sociafize their
energies. Thus Jesus as a Saviour
means more than forgiveness. He
means life. abundant life. AS Re-
deemer He Is more than deliverance.
He is power.
1.-The city that was seen in the WIS.,
ion was our square and everything in
the Christian society Is on the square
1t Is dominated by the spirit of justice.
Its law is do unto others as We would
that others would do unto YOU and
the principle that operates Is Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as myself
Humanity Is bound together by being
bound to Christ and no man liveth
unto himself The prayer of Christ
is answered and all are made one in
Him.
Here. then Is the vision of an IDEAL
society from which all injustice, greed.
warning selfishness and class hatred
are banished; a society founded on
right and not on might. Where the
despotism of the king or the capital
list. or the ruling class, Is unknown.
Where education has become uni
versal and the knowledge Of the Lord
covers the earth as the water covers
the sea- where wealth is so equftably
distributed that every man may sit
under his own vine and figtree.' Where
nothing unclean is allowed to enter
or to disturb, but whatsoever breaketh
one Of these least commandments and
shall teach men SO, he shall be called
least 1t Is society where the
strong bear the burdens OF the weak,
the learned instruct the ignoran. and
the INDECENT crippled, deformed and
feeble minded do not sing to the bot
tom.
There are no slums there. Men
md not money rules In this society nd
all nations and kings and peoples