The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-04-25

a crown. The Apocalypse says it is a
fountain kissed of the sun. Ezekiel
says it is n foliaged cedar. Christ says
it is a bridegroom come to fetch home a
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 1t up until it CLEANS in the warm
light of the eastern sky, and he eX-
claims: '"rhe crystal cannot equal it. y
o, 1t is not a stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, it is not a toothless nag,
as some seem to have represented it; it
is not a Meg Merrilies with shrivelled
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 whatsoever will, let
him come.
Do you believe with Christ and say it
is u bridegroom come to fetch home a
bride? Then strike hands. with your
Lord the King while l pronounce you
everlastingly one Or if you think with
Job that it il n jewel, then put it on
your hand like u ring, on your neck
like a bead, on you forehead like a star,
while looking into the mirror of Gods
Word you acknowledge 1.-THE crystal
canno equal It."
Again, religion is superior to the
crystal in its transformations. The
diamond is only a capitalization OF
coal. Those crystals which adorn our
persons and our homes and our mu,
seums have only been resurrected from
forms that were far from lustrous.
Scientists for ages have been examin-
ing these wonderful transformations.
But l tell You in the Gospel of the Son
of God there is a more wonderful trans.
formation. 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 !
make up My jewels"
"What," say you, twill God wear
jewelry?" 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
| dSOI IlC WILL lloU nave UIldb Jew
elry. 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 Mime" saith the Lord, Sin the
day when l make up My jewels"
Wonderful transformation 1.-The
crystal cannot equal it." There she is,
a waif of the street; but she shall be
a sister of charity. There he is, a sol
in the ditch; but he shall preach the
gospel. There, behind the bars of q
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."
Now, l have nc liking for those peo-
pie who are always enlarging in Chris
tian meetings about their early dissipa-
ton. Do not go into particulars, my
brothers. Simply say you were sick,
but make no display of your ulcers.
The chief stock in trade of some minis.
ters and Christian 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. Be-
sides 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 highest up. Out Of
Internal serfdom into eternal liberty.
Out of darkness into light. From coal
to the solitaire. THE crystal can not
equal it"
But, my friends, the chief transform
ing power of the gospel will not be
seen in this world and not until Heaven
breaks upon the soul. When that light
falls upon the soul then you will see
crystals. o, what a magnificent set
ting for these jewels of eternity! /
sometimes hear people representing
heaven in a way that is far from ut
tractive to me. 1t seems almost O vul-
gar heaven as they represent it with
great blotches Of color and bands OF
music making a deafening racket
John represents Heaven as exquisite.
ly beautiful. Three crystals. In one
place he says: "Her light was like a
precious stone, clear as crystal" In
another place he says: 81 saw a pure
river from under the throne, clear as
crystal" In another place he says:
Before the throne there was a 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
windl No rack of storm clouds. One
breath of that air will cure the worst
tubercle. Crystal light Oh 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 can
not equal it."
John says crystal river. That means
Joy. Deep and ever rolling. Not one
drop of the Thames or the Hudson or
the Rhine to soil it Not one tear OF
human sorrow to embitter it. Crys'
tai, the rain out of which it was
made. Crystal, the bed over which II
shall roll and ripple. Crystal, its inf.
mite surface. But 1.-The crystal can moi
equal it."
John says crystal sea. That means
simultaneously vast. Vast in rapture.
Rapture vast as the sea, deep as the
sea, strong as the sea, ever changing as
the sea. Billows of light Billows OF
beauty, blue with skies that were never
clouded and green with depths that
were never fathomed. Arctics and
Antarctics and Mediterraneans and At
lantics and Pacifics in crystalline mag
~nifcence. Three crystals. Crystal
light falling on a crystal river rolling
into a crystal sea. But 'the crystal
cannot eqnal it."
CO." says ONE one, putting his hand
over his eyes, 'ca it be that l, who
have been in SO much sin and trouble,
will aver come to those crystals?" Yes
it may bet will be. Heaven we mus
have, whatever else we have or HAYS
not, and we come here to get it. "How
much must l pay for it?" you say. You
will pay for it just as much as the Goa.
pays to become the diamond. In Other
words, nothing. The same Almighty
power hat makes the crystal in the
mountain will change your heart
which Is harder than stone, for tbs
promise is: II will take away your stony
heart and l will give you a heart o.
flesh"
80" says some one, at is just the
doctrine l want; God is to do everything
and am to do nothing" My brother
it is not the doctrine you want. Tht
coal makes no resistance. 1t hears the