Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-20

tried to drive you hither and thither 1t
was to put you in the glorious company Of
such men as Ignatius, who, when he went
out to be destroyed by the lions, said:
81 am the wheat, and the teeth of the
wild beasts must first grind me before
can become pure bread for Jesus
Christ;" or the company Of such men as
Polycafp, vino, when standing In the midst
Of the amphitheater waiting for the lions
to come out of their cave and destroy him,
and the people in the galleries jeering and
shouting, "The lions for Polycarp," re-
piled, "Iet them come on" and then stoop-
ing down toward the cave where the wild
beasts were roaring to get out, Let them
come on" All, yes, it is persecution to put
you in glorious company; and while there
are many things that you will have to
postpone to the future world for explana-
ton, l tell you that it is the whole tendency
of your religion to unravel and explain
and interpret and illumine and irradiate
Job was right It is a glorious transpar-
ency "The crystal cannot equal it,"
/ remark again that religion surpasses
the crystal in its beauty. That lump of
crystal is put under the magnifying glass
Of the crystallographer, and he sees in it in
describable beauty-snowdrift and splint-
ers of hoar frost and corals and wreaths
and stars and crowns and castellations of
conspicuous beauty. The fact is that
crystal is so beautiful that can think of
but one thing in all the universe that is so
beautiful, and that is the religion of the
Bible. No wonder this Bible represents
that religion as the day break, as the apple
blossoms, as the glitter of kings ban
Quet. 1t is the Joy of the whole earth.
TOO MUCH TALK OF THE CROSS.
People talk too much about their cross
and not enough about their crown. Do
you know the Bible mentions a cross but
twenty-seven times, while it mentions
crown eighty times2 Ask that old man
what he thinks of religion. He has been
close observer. He has been culturing an
aesthetic taste. He has seen the sunrises OF
half century. He has been an early riser.
He has been an admirer of canoes and
corals and all kinds of beautiful things.
Ask him what he thinks of religion, and he
will tell you, at is the most beautiful
thing | ever saw" "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 that love in harmony with his
Justice "a love that will accept all
those who come TO him, and a justice that
will by no means clear the guilty. Beauti-
full religion in the sentiment it implantsl
Beautiful religion in the hope it kindlesl
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 a fountain kissed of
the sun. Ezekiel says IL is foliaged cedar.
Christ gays it is bridegroom come to fetch
home bride While job in the text takes
up 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 ne exclaims, "The crystal cannot
equal It,"
Oh, it is not a stale religion, it Is not a
stupid religion, it is not toothless hag,
as some seem TO have represented it; it is
not a Meg Merriles with shriveled 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 whose
Solomon and say it is n lilyl Then pluck
it and wear it over your heart. Do you
agree with Paul aud say 1t is a crown?
Then let this hour be your coronation. Do
you agree with the Apocalypse and say
| It Is a springing fountainp Then come
and slalle 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 20 fetch home brideS
Then strike hands with your Lord the
King while pronounce you everlastingly
one. Or II you think with job that 1t is a
Jewel, then put it on your hand like ring,
ON your neck like a 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 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
resurreoted 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-
! ton. Over souls by reason of sin black as
coal aud hard as iron God by his comfort
ing grace stoops and says, "They shall be
mine in the day when l make up my
JEWELS
"What," say you, twill God wear jewel
ryp II he wanted ii he could make the
stars Of heaven his belt and have the even
ing cloud for the sandals OF his feet, but
he does not want that adornment, He
will not have that iewelry, When GOD
wants jewelry he comes down and digs II
out OF the depths and darkness of sin
These souls are all crystallizations o
merry. He puts them on, and he wear
them in the presence OF the whole universe
He wears them on the hand that wa
nailed, over the heart that was pierced, OF
the temples that were stung. "fhey shal
be mine" saith the Lord, lin the day whel
make up my jewels" Wonderful trans
formationl "The crystal cannot equal it,
: There she Is, waif OF the street, but sh
, shall be a sister OF charity, There he is,
sot IN the ditch, bat he shall preach th
I gospel There, behind the bars OF prison
hut he shall reign with Christ forever
d Where sin ahoWnded grace shall muc
/; more abound The carbon becomes th
!; solitaire "fhe crystal cannot equal it,"
I; DO NOT co INro PARTICULARS.
. Now, | have no liking for those peopl
Z who are always enlarging Ia Christia
r meetings about their early dissipation, u
g not 20 into che particulars my hrothor
). Signply say you were sick, but make n
u display of your uloers. The chief stock
a trade % some ministers aud Christia
A workers seems 10 ha their early crimes an