Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-04-24

teeth of the wild beasts must first grind
me before can become pure bread for
Jesus Christi or the company of such
men as Polycarp, who when standing in
the midst of the amphtheater waiting
for the lions to come out OF their cave
and destroy him, and the people in the
galleries jeering and shouting. ''The
lions for Polycarp,' replied, "Let them
come on and then STOPPING down
toward the cave where the wild beasts
We're roaring to get out, "Let them come /
on" All, yes, it is persecution to put
in glorious company: and while there are
many things that you will have to post
pone to the future world for explanation,
| tell you that it is the whole tendency |
of your religion to unravcl and explain
and interprctc and illuminc and IRA
date Job was right. 1t is a glorious
transparency. 1.-The crystal cannot
equal it,
[ remark again that religion surpasscs
the crystal in it's beauty. That lump of
crystal is put under the magnifying
glass of the crystallographer, and he
sees in it indcscribable beauty-snow-
drift and splinters of hoar frost and
corals and wrcaths and stars and crowns
and castcllations of conspicuous beauty.
The fact is that crystal is so beautiful
that can think of but one thing in all
the universe that is so beautiful, and
that is the religion of the Bible. No
wonder this Bible represents that re-
ligion as the daybreak, as the apple
blossoms, as the glitter of q kings BAN
quet. 1t is the Joy of the whole earth.
People talk too much about their cross
, and not enough about their crown. Do
YOU know the Bible mentions a cross but
twenty-seven times, while it mentions a
} crown eighty timcs3 Ask that old man
what he thinks of religion. He has been
close observer. He has been culturing
: an aesthetic TASTE He has seen the sun
: rises of half century. He has been an
i early riser. He has been an admfrer of
4 canoes and corals and all kinds of beau
S tiful things. Ask him what he thinks
X of religion, and he will tell you, cit is
n the most beautiful thing l ever saw. !"
s "The crystal cannot equal it,
y Beautiful in it's symmetry. When it
II presents Gods character it does not pre-
II sent Him as having love like a great pro,
u tuberance on one side OF His nature, but
e makes that love in harmony with His
is justice-a love that will accept all those
7. who come to Him, and justice that viii
W by no means clear the guilty. Beautiful
Il religion in the sentiment it lmplants
t. Beautiful religion in the hope it kindlcs
IS Beautiful religion in the fact that it pro
ID poses to garland and enthrone and en-
H. paradise an immortal spirit. Solomon
Sc saws it is a lily. Paul says it is a crown
or The Apocalypse says it is fountai
u. kissed of the sun. Ezekiel says it is
ut foliaged cedar. Christ says it is bride
a groom come to fetch home a bride
e: While Job in the text takes up Who'll
no vase of precious stones-the topaz, an
| the sapphire, and the chrysoprasus-an
| he takes out of this beautiful vase ju
st. one crystal, and holds it up until
En- CLEANS in the warm light of the easter
,ct Sky, and he exclaims, "The crystal CO
of not equal it,
Tvs Oh, it is not stale religion, it is not
he stupid religion, it is not toothless ma
lst as some seem to have represented it; it
it'll not Meg Merriles with shrivcled al
be- come to scare the world. 1t is the ia
did est daughter of God, heircss OF all /
the wealth. Her check the morning ST
ing her voice the music OF the south VIII
MIS- her step the dance OF the sea. 20
md and WOO her. The Spirit and the br
ore. say come and whosoevcr will, let i
lied come. do you agree with solomon
,rk- say it is IL lily? Then pluck it and WI
ellis it over your heart. DO you agree w
ght Paul and say it is y crown? Then
ian this hour be your coronation. DO
18th agree with the Apocalypse and say 1t
net a springing fountain? Then come a
var Stake the thirst of your soul. Do you
DDS lieve with Ezekiel and say it is a foliae
life ccdaro Then come under it's shade
Inv. Do YOU believe with Christ and say it
not n BRIDEGROOM come to fetch home
bride? Then strike hands with yo
,er- Lord the King while l pronounce
We everlastngly one. Or if you think w
was Job that it is jewel, then put it On "
cen hand like ring, on your neck INK
rus. bead on Your forehead like star, wi
the looking into the mirror OF God's WV
fc- you acknowledge ''the crystal can
600 equal it.
low Again, religion is superior to the or
A tai in its transformations. The diane
hat is only a crystallization of coal. Carb
we ate of lime rises till it becomes calcite
in aragonite Red oxide of copper CT
and tallizes into cubes and octohedro
the Those CRYSTALS which adorn our pers
cry. and our homes and our museums HI
rvs only been rcsurrccted from forms
ron were far from lnstrous. Scientists
he ages have been examining those wont
of full transformations. But l tell you
ows the gospel of the Son Of God there !
mort wonderful transformation. U
It in souls by reason of sin black as coal
is a hard as iron God by his comforting gr
to stoops and says, "They shall be min
his the day when l make up my jewels.
and "What," say you, ''will God wear j
+ of elry?" If He wanted it He could m
re- the stars of Heaven His belt and h
1t the evening cloud for the sandals OF
ural feet, but He does not want that ade
be- ment. He will not have that jew
ned. When God wants jcwelry He comes az
the and digs it out Of the depths and d;
v to ness of sin. These souls are all crys
lom, lizations of mercy. He puts them on
ned. He wears them in the presence OF
ness whole universe. He wears them on
emit hand that was nailed, over the III
the that was pierced, on the temples
mai, were stung. ''They shall be mil
the saith the Lord, ''in the day when III
mt up nv Jewels" Wonderful transfer
tain ton! ''rhe crystal cannot equal
Bible There she is, waif of the street,
ARA she shall be sister of charity. III
n of he is, sot in the ditch, but he
r of preach the gospel. There, behind