according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."
Sermon preached by the Rev. W. LIH. Price, in Holy Trinity Cathedral on Bunday, February 20.
The first Christians were, for the most part, of Jewish race, and were therefore steeped in the literature of the Old Testament. The phrases of the old propbeta came readily to their lips. The New Testament writings contain frequent quotations from the old scriptures and are redolent. with the' ideas and phraseology of Jewish literature.
At @ time of: national decay and disaster Isaiah had encouraged his compatriots by a message from God—"Behold I create new heavens and 8 new earth, and the former shall not be remembered or come into mind." Centuries later St. John, an exile in the island of Patmos, in hidden to give to the Churches in Asia Minor an account of the revelation God has vouchsafed to him. Through the horrors of persecution and the seeming failure of the Church he sees that vision of the victorious Christ and His glorious Church. The words of the old prophecy ring in his eare—"I saw a new heaven and a new earth y-" Bt. Peter seems to describe! what should be the permanent attitude of all Christians amidst the riges and chances of this life—according to) His promise, look for new heavens and @ new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."" We are not to re-! gard the failures and shortcoming of contented acquiescence, to lose heart in times of upheaval and catastrophe. God has revealed His mighty power in the Past; we may confidently expect newer and fuller revelations in the future.
The uniqueness of Jewish religion consisted in ita positive conviction of the reality and power of Jehovah. To the heathen God was a mere name, an idea, an abetraction. Not so to the Jew. God had manifested Himself to them by many mighty acre, He had delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. He had brought them through the wilderness into the promised land. They had no doubt God had done these things. He had separated them from other nations, given
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.