Milford chronicle., 1891-04-24


come on" All, yes, it is persecution to put
you in glorious company; and while there
are many things that you will have 70
postpone to the future world for explana-
tion, tell you that it is the whole tendency
Of your religion to unraVel and explain
and interpret and illumine and irradiate.
Job was right, 1t is a glorious transpar-
ency '"The crystal cannot equal it."
/ remark again that religion SURPRISES
the crystal in its beauty. That lump OF
crystal is put under the magnifying glass
Of the crystallographer, and he sees in it in
deseribable beauty-snowdrift and splint-
ers Of hOar frost and corals and wreaths
and stars and crowns and OSCILLATIONS Of
conspicuous beauty. The fact is that
crystal is so beautiful that can think Of
but one thing in all the universe that is 50
beautiful, and that is the religion Of the
Bible. No wonder this Bible represents
that religion as the daybreak, as the apple
blossoms, as the glitter of a kings ban
quet. 1t is the joy Of the whole earth
TOO MUCH TALK OF THR CROSS.
People talk too much about their cross
and not enough about their crown. Do
you know the Bible mentions cross but
twenty-seven times, while it mentions a
crown eighty timesf Ask that old man
what he thinks Of religion. He has been a
close observer. He has been culturing an
aesthetic taste. He has seen the sunrises OF
a half century. He has been an early riser.
He has been an adnirer of canoes and
corals and all kinds of beautiful things.
Ask him what hethinks of religion, and he
will tell you, 1T is the most beautiful
thing 1 ever saw" 1.-THE crystal cannot
equal it,"
Beautiful in its symmetry When it
presents Gods character it does not pre-
sent him as having love like great pro-
( tuberance on one side Of his nature, but
makes chat love in harmony with his
justice "a love that will accept all
those who come to him, and justice that
will by no means clear the guilty. Beauti-
full religion in the sentiment it implantsl
Beautiful religion in the hope it kindlesi
Beautiful religion in the fact that it pro
poses to garland and enthrone and empar-
adise an immortal spirit. Solomon says
it is lily. Paul says it is a crown. The
Apocalypse says it is fountain kissed Of
the sun. Ezekiel says it is foliaged cedar.
Christ says it is a bridegroom come TO fetch
home bride. While Job in the text takes
up a whole vase of precious stones-the
topaz and the sapphire, and the chryso-
prasus-and he takes out of this beautiful
vase just one crystal, and holds it up until /
it CLEANS in the warm light of the eastern
sky, and he exclaims, 1.-THE crystal cannot |
equal it."
Oh, it is not a stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, it is not a tOOthless bag, !
as some seem to have represented it; it is /
not a Meg Merriles with shriveled arm 1
come to scare the world. It 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 whose
ever will, let him come Do you agree with
Solomon and say it is lily? Then pluck
it and wear it over your heart. Do you
agree with Paul and say it is crown?
Then let this hour be your coronation. Do
you agree with the Apocalypse and say
it is a springing fountain? Then come
and slake the thirst of your soul. Do you
believe with Ezekiel and say it is foil
aged cedar? Then come under its shadow.
Do you believe with Christ and say it is a
bridegroom come to fetch home bride?
Then strike hands with your Lord the
King while pronounce you everlastingly
one. Or if you think with Job that it is a
jewel, then put it on your hand like ring,
on your neck like bead, on your forehead
like star, while looking into the mirror
of Gods Word you acknowledge "the
crystal cannot equal it."
THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF RELIGION.
Again, religion is superior to the crystal
in its transformations. The diamond is
only a capitalization of coal Carbonate
of lime rises till it becomes calcite or ar
agonite. Red oxide of copper crystallizes
into cubes and octohedrons. Those crys-
tails which adorn our persons and our
homes and our museums have only been
from forms that were far from
lustrOus. Scientists for ages have been ex-
amining these wonderful transformations.
But tell You in the gospel of the Son Of
God there is a more wonderful transfOrma-
hon. Over souls by reason of sin black as
coal and hard as iron God by his comfort
ing grace stoOps and says, "They shall be
mine in the day when 1 make up my
Jewels" /
what" say you, twill God wear jewel &
~" If he wanted it he could make the
stars Of heaven his belt and have the even s
ng cloud for the sandals of his feet, but
he does not want that adornment. He ,
will not have that jewelry. When God {
wants jewelry he comes down and digs it
tut Of the depths and darkness of sin.
These souls are all crystallizations of i
mercy. He puts them on, and he wears (
IL AAo kANaIAA1l VI VIC " A1AI
lie wears them on the hand that WAS '
nailed, over the heart that was pierced, on y
he temples that were stung. "They shall t
Ie mine" saith the Lord, tin the day when i
make up my jewels" Wonderful trans S
ormationl "The crystal cannot equal it" a
There she is, a wait of the street, but she \
hall be sister Of charity. There he is, b
OF in the ditch, but he shall preach the c
,ospeL There, behind the bars of prison, a
nut he shall reign with Christ forever, ]
Where sin abounded grace shall much
more abound. The carbon becomes the
olitaire 1.-THE crystal cannot equal it,"
DO NOT GO INTO PARTICULARS. o
Now, have no liking for those people b
rho are always charging in Christian !,
meetings about their early dissipation. Do r
ot go into the particulars, my brothers. n
imply say you were sick, but make no a
isplay Of your ulcers. The chief stock in 4
rade Of some ministers and Christian !,
7orkers seems to be their early crimes and :,
issipations. The number of pockets you n
licked and the number Of chickens you 3,
5ole make very poor prayer meeting rhet- n
rio. Besides that, it discourages other
'hristian people who never got drunk or n
5ole anything. But it is pleasant to know +,
hat those who were farthest down have 10
cen brought highestnp. Out Of Internal h
srfdom into eternal liberty. Out Of dark Il
ess into light From coal 70 the solitaire D,
4 he crystal cannot equal it," &c
But, my friends, the chief transforming az
over Of the gospel will not be seen in this "
orld, aud not until heaven breaks upon 81
ne soul When that light falls upon the &C
lul then You will see the crystals Oh, 10
hat magnificent setting for these jewels le
eternity I sometimes hear people rep 70
isanting heaven IN a way that is far from st
.tractiYc to me. It seems almost avul2ar
saven as they represent it, with great 10
otches Of color and bands Of music max WI
g q deafening racket John represents m
saven as exquisitelY beautiful. Three by
ystals In Que place he says, "Her light vi
as like precious stone, clear as crystal" tn
] another place he says, 81 saw pure st,
yer from under the throne, clear as crys- la
II M
In another place he says, Before the N,