The Iola register., 1891-04-24

1
black as coal and hard as iron, God b
his comforting grace stoo2s and says
They shall be Mine in the day when
make up My jewels"
What, say you, twill God wear Jew
elry?" If He wanted it, He could max
the stars Of heaven His belt and hav
evening cloud for the sandals of Hi
feet; but He does not want that adorn
ment. He will not have that jewelry
When God wants jewelry He come
down and digs it out of the depths anC
darkness of sin. These souls are al
crystalizations of mercy. He puts then
on and He wears them in the presenc,
OF the whole universe. He wears then
on the hand that was nailed. over the
heart that was pierced, on the temple.
that were stung. They shall bt
Mine, saith the Lord, ''in the da,
when | make up My jewels" Wonder
ful transformation. THE crystal can
not equal it." There she is, a waif O
the street; but she shall be sister O.
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 become the
solitaire. The crystal cannot equal
it
Now, | have no liking FOR those peo-
pie who are always enlarging in Chris.
tian meetings about their early dissi-
patton. Do not 60 into the particulars,
my, brothers. Simply say you were
sick, but make no display of your
IllnnRc Tla ,I,,f =
some ministers and Christian workers
seems to be their early crimes and dis
slpations. 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 any thing. Bnt it is
pleasant to know that those who we're
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. THE
crystal cannot equal its
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 the
crystals. o, what magnificent setting
for these jewels of eternity! | some
times hear people representing heaven
in way that is far from attractive tc
me. 1t seems almost a vulgar heaven
as they represent it with great blotches
OF color and bands OF music making a
deafening racket. John represents
heaven as eXquisitely beautiful. Three
crystals. In one place he says: Her
light was like precious stone, clear as
crystal" In another place he says: 81
saw pure river from under the throne,
clear as crystal" In another place he
says: Before the throne there was
;eP of glass clear as erystaL" Three
crystals! John SAYS crystal atmosphere. :
That means health. Balm of eternal
Tune. What weather after the world's '
,ast wind. No rack of storm clouds. !
lne breath of that eit *ill cure the !,
worst tubercle. Crystal light on all the
caves. Crystal light shimmering on
lie topaz Of the temples. Crystal light
ossing in the plumes of the equestrians
If heaven on white horses. But ''the
'rystal can not equal it."
John says crystal river. That means
Oy. Deep and ever rolling. Not one
lrop of the Thames or the Hudson OF
he Rhine TO soil it. Not one tear OF
human sorrow TO embitter it. CRYSTAL.
'rvstal. the bed over which it shall roll
nd ripple. Crystal, its infinite surface.
But the crystal cannot equal it" John
ays crystal sea. That means multitu-
.inOusly vast. Vast in rapture. Rap
ure vast as the sea, deep as the sea.
trOng As the sea. ever changing as the
ca, Billows of light. BiliOws of beau
V. blue with clouds that were never
loudeG and green with depths that
'ere never fathOmed. Arctics and Ant
rcticS and Nediterraneans and Atlant-
,s and Pacifics in crystalline magnifi-
ence. Three crystals. Crystal light
llling on a crystal river. Crystal river
Olling into a crystal sea. But 'the
rystal can not equal it."
90 SAYS some one, putting his hand
yer his eyes, "can it be that [, who
ave been in so much sin and trouble,
i'll ever come to those crystals" Yes,
may ne-it will be. Heaven we must
ave. whatever else We have or have
o.. and we come here to get it. "HOw
luch must pay for it?' you say. You
i'll pay for il Just as much as the coal
avs to become the diamond. In other
Ords. nothing. The same Almighty
over that makes the crystal in the
lountain will change your heart. which
harder than stone. COR the promise is.
I will take away youl stony heart and
will give you heart OF flesh"
90" saws some one. ''it is Just the {
Octrine / want: God is todoeverything
nd l am to do nothing" My brother, '
is not the doctrine you want The :
ral makes no resistance. 1t hears the {
voice in the mountain and {
comes to crvstalization. but your {
cart resists. The trouble with YOU. {
V brother. is the coal wants to stay
'ai. I do not ask you to throw open
Ie door and let Christ in. l only ask Z
lat you stop bolting it and barring it. :
o. my friends. we will have to get l
d OF our sins, will have to get rid of :
V sins and YOU will have to get rid OF y
'ur sins. What will we do with our sins I
nong the three crystals? The atmos-
lere would display our pollution. The !
ystal river would be befoulel with our I
Qch. The crystal sea would whelm q
with It's glistening surge. Trans Z
rmation now or no transformation at i
|. Give sin full chance in your heart
d the transformation will be down ;
lrd instead of upward. Instead of q
a crystal it will be cinder. l
In the days of Carthage a Christian y
RI was condemned to die for her faith, y
d boat was bedaubed with tar and L
tch and filed with combustibles and :
on fire and the Christian girl was
aced in the boat, and the wind was off n
ore and tide boat hoated away with its G.
ecious treasure. No one can doubt :,
at the boat landed at the shore OF G.
aven. Sin wants to put YOU in a G
~ boat and shove you off in an oppo- G
e direction-off from Deaee. off from az