Connecticut western news., 1891-04-22

comes caIclte of aragonite. Red oxide of copper crystallizes into cubes and octahedrons. Those crystals which adorn our persons, and our homes, and our museums have only been resur- rected from forms that were far from lustrous. Scientists for ages have been examining these wonderful transforma- tions. But tell you in the gospel of the Son of God there is more wonder full transformation. Over souls, by req son of sin black as coal and hand as iron, God by his comforting grace stoops and says, They shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels"
 What" say you, Twill God wear jewelry9" If he wanted it he could make the stars of heaven his belt and have the evening cloud for the sandals of his feet, but he does not want that jewelry. When God wants jewelry he comes down and digs it out of, the depths and darkness of sin. These souls are all crystallizations of mercy. He puts them on and he wears them in the presence of the whole universe. He wears them on the hand that was nailed, over the heart that was pierced, on the temples that were stung. 'They shall be mine," saith the Lord, ''in the day when Imake up my jewels. !" Won derful transformation! '"The crystal ! cannot equal it." There she is, waif of the street; but she shall be sister of charity. There he is, a sot in the ! ditch; but he shall preach the gospel There, behind the bars of prison, but he shall reign with Christ forever. Where sin abounded grace shall much more abound The carbon becomes the solitaire '''The crystal cannot equal it." -aas. Now, have no liking for those peo pie who are always enlarging in Chris tian meetings about their early dissipa ton. Do not go into the particulars, my brothers Simply say you were | sick, but make no display of your ulcers. The chief stock in trade of some ministers and Christian workers seems to be their early crimes and dis sipations The number of pockets you 1 picked and the number of chickens you stole make very poor prayer meet ing rhetoric. Besides that, it dis courages other Christian people who ] never got drunk or stole anything. But 1 it is pleasant to know that those who were farthest down have been brought highest up. Out of internal serfdom 1 into eternal liberty. Out of darkness into light. From coal to the solitaire. 'The crystal cannot equal it."
 THE JEWELS OF ETERNITY.
 But, my friends, the chief transform ing power of the Gospel will not be seen l in this world, and not until heaven breaks upon the soul. When that light falls upon the soul then you will see the crystals Oh, what a magnificent set ting for these jewels of eternityl 1 sometimes hear people represen ting heaven in a way that is far from at l tractive to me. It seems almost Q vul gar heaven as they represent it, with great blotches of color and bands of music making deafening racket. John represents heaven as exqnisitely beauti- full. Three crystals. In one place he says, "Her light was like precious stone, clear as crystal" In another place he says, "I saw pure river from under the throne, clear as crystal"
 In another place he says, Before the throne there was sea of glass clear as crystal" Three crystals! John says crystal atmosphere. That means health. Balm of eternal June. What weather after the worlds east wind! No rack of storm cloud. One breath of that air will cure tho worst tubercle. Crys- tai light on all the leaves. Crystal light shimmering on the topaz of the temples. Crystal light tossing in the plumes of the equestrians of heaven on white, horses. But ''the crystal cannot equal it." John says crystal river. That means joy. Deep and ever rolling. Not one drop of the Thames or the Hud- son or the Rhine to soil it. Not one tear of human sorrow to imbitter it. Crystal, the rain out of which it was made. Crystal, the bed over which it shall roll and ripple. Crystal, its int1- mite surface. But 'the crystal cannot equal it." John says crystal sea- That means multitudinously vast. Vast in rapture Rapture vast as the sea, deep as the sea, strong as the sea, ever chang ing as the sea. Pillows of light. Bn lows of beauty, blue with skies that were never clouded, and green with depths that were never fathomed. Arctics and Antarctic; and Mediter
 raneans and Atlantics and Pacif1cs in crystalline magniicence. Three crys- tals. Crystal light falling on crystal river Crystal river rolling into crys- tal sea. But the 'crystal cannot equal it"
 "Oh," says some one, putting his hand over his eyes, ''can it be that l who have been in so much sin and trouble will ever come to those crystalsS' Yes, it may belt will be. Heaven we must have, whatever else we have or have not, and we come here to get it.
 "How much must I pay for itg'' you say. You will pay for it just as much as the coal pays to become the dia- mond. In other words, nothing. The same Almighty power that makes the crystal in the mountain will change your heart, which is harder than stone,
 for the promise is, ''I will take away your stony heart and will give you a
 heart of fesh.''
 STOP BATTING THE DOOR.
 ''Oh," says some one, ''it is just the
 doctrine want; God is to do every
 thing and I am to do nothing" My ! sa oA %hc >,,%