The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-06

cedar. Christ says it is a bridegroom come
to fetch home bride. While Job in the
text takes up o whole vase Of precious stones
the topaz, and the sapphire, and the
chrysoprasus-and he takes out Of this beau
tiful vase just one crystal, and holds it up
until it CLEANS in the warm light of the east
ern sly, and he exclaims The crystal can
not equal it,"
Oh, it is not stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, it is not a toothless bag, as
some seem to have represented it; it is not
, Meg Merriles with shriyeled arm come to
scare the world. 1t is the fairest daughter
of God. heiress of all His wealth. Her cheek
the morning sky; her voice the music Of the
south wind; her step the dance OF the sea.
Come and WOO her. The Spirit and the bride
say come, and whosoever will, let him come.
Do YOU agree with Solomon and say it is
lily? Then pluck it and wear 1t over your
heart. Do you agree with Paul and say it is
q crown? Then let this hour be your coro
nation. Do you agree with the Apocalypse
and say it is springing fountain? Then
come and slack the thirst of your soul. Do
YOU hslieve with Ezekiel and say it is
foliaged CEDAR Then come under Its shadow.
Do YOU believe with Christ and say it Is
bridegroom come to fetch home a bridel
Then strike hands with your Lord the King
while pronounce you everlastingly one. VI
if you think with Job that 1t Is jewel, then
put it on your hand like ring on your necl
like bead, on your forehead like star
while looking into the mirror Of Gods Word
it!% r." acknowledge tine crystal cannot eaoa
Again, religion is superior to the crystal
In its transformations. The diamond Is only
capitalization of coal: Carbonate Of lime
rises till it becomes calcte or aragonite. Red
oxide Of copper crysGallizes into cubes and
octohedrons Those crystals which adorp
our persons and our homes and our museums
have only been resurrected from forms that
were far from lustrous. Scientists for ages
have been examining these wonderful trans.
formations. But tell you in the gospel Of
the Son Of God there is q more wonderful
transformation. Over souls by reason Of sin
black as coal and hard as iron God by His
comforting grace stoops and says "They
shall be Mine in the day when l make up My
jewels
"What," gay you twill God wear jewel.
ry" If He wanted He could make the
stars OF heaven His belt and have the even
does not want that adornment He will not
have that jewelry. When God wants jewell
ry 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
holy universe. He wears them on the hand
that wes nailed, over the heart that was
pierced, on the temples that were stung.
''They shall be Nine" saith the Lord, 'fn
the day when make up..My Jewels" Won
derful transformation! 1.-The crystal cannot
equal it." There she is, waif of the
street, but she shall be sister Of charity.
There he is, a sot III the ditch, but he shall
preach the gospel. There, behind the bars
of prison. but he shall reign with Christ
forever. When sin abounded grace shall
much more abound. The carbon becomes
the solitaire. "The crystal cannot equal it,"
Now, have no liking for those people
ings about their early dissipation. Do
not 60 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 Chris
tian workers seems to be their early crimes
and designations. The number Of pockets you
picked and the number Of chickens you stole
make very poor prayer meeting rhetoric:
Besides that, it discourages other Christian
people who never got drunk Or stole anything.
But it is pleasant to know that those who
were farthest down have been brought high
est up. Out Of internal serfdom into eternal
liberty. Out Of darkness into light. From
coal to the solitaire. "rhe crystal cannot
equal it."
But, my friends the chief transforming
power of the gospel will not be seen In this
word, 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 setting for these jewels of etern-
ity! sometimes hear people representing
heaven in way that is far from attractive
to me. It seems almost vulgar heaven as
they represent it. with great blotches OF
color and bands of music making deafening
racket John represents heaven as exquisite
ly beautiful. Three crystals. In one place
be says, Her light was like precious stone,
clear as crystal" In another place he says
II saw O. pure river from under the throne,
Clear as crystal"
In another place he says, Before the
throne there was sea of glass clear as crys-
tal." Three crystals! John says crystal at
mosphere. That means health. Balm OF
eternal June. What weather after the
worlds east wind! No rack of storm clouds.
One breath Of that air will cure the worst
tubercle Crystal light on all the leaves.
Crystal light shilnmering on the topaz OF the
temples Crystal light tossing in the plumes
of the euuestrians Of heaven on white horses.
But ethe crystal cannot equal it," John
saws crystal river. That means joy. Deep
and ever rolling. Not one drop of ths
Thames or the Hudson or the Rhine to soil
it. Not one tear Of human sorrow to lmblt-
ter it. Crystal, the rain out OF which 1t was
made. Crystal, the bed over which it shall roll
and ripple Crystal, its infinite surface BIT
s'the crystal cannot equal it." John says
crystal sea, That means multitudinously
vast. Vast in rapture. Rapture vast az the
sea, deep as the sea, strong as the sea, ever
changing as the sea. Billows of light. Bill
lows of beauty, blue with skies that were
never clouded and green with depths that
were never fathomed Arctics and Antarc.
tics and Mediterraneans and Atlantics and
Pacifcs in crystalline magnifcence. Three
crystals-crystal light falling on crystal
river; crystal river rolling into crystal
sea. But 1.-THE crystal cannot equal 1t"
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 crystals% Yes, it may be-
it 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 it?'
you say. You will pay for it just as much
as the coal pays to become the diamond.
In other words, nothing. The same Almighty
power that makes the crystals Id the mount
aims will change your heart which is harder
than stone, for the promise is, " will take
away your stony heart and l will give you a
heart of hesh."
Con" says some one. ''it is just the doc.
trine want Col is to do everything, and
am to do nothing My brother, it is not
the doctrine you want. The coal makes no
resistance. 1t hears the resurrection voice
in the mountain, and it comes from crystal
lization, but your heart resists. The trouble
with you, my brother, is the coal wants to
stay coal. I do not want you to throw
open the door aud let Christ in. I only ask
that you stop bolting it and barring it. Oh,
my friends, we will have to get rid of our
sins. What will we do with our sins among
the three crystals? The crystal atmosphere
would display our pollution The crystal