Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-20

transformations The diamond is only crys-
tallizaron of coal Carbonate of lime rises till
it becomes calcite or aragonite Red oxide OF
copper crystallizes into cubes and octahe-
drons. Those crystals which adorn our persons
and our homes and our museums have only
beeu resurrecteS from forms that were far
from lustrOus. Scientists Tor ages have Deen
examining these wonderful transformations.
But tell you in the Gospel OF the Son oil Goo
there is more wonderful transformation. Over
souls bv 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"
Now, have no liking for those people who
are always enlarging in Christian meetings
about their early dissipation. Do not go 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
Christian workers seems to be their early
crimes and designations The number of pock-
cts 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 highest up.
Out of internal serfdom into eternal liberty.
Out of darkness into light From coal to the
solitaire. THE crystal cannot equal il"
But my friends, the chief Transforming
power of the gospel will not be seen in this
world and not until heaven breaks upon the
you will see the crystals. oh, what a masnlh-
cent setting for these jewels of eternity L
sometimes hear people representing heaven In
a way that is far from attractive to me. 1t
seems almost vulgar heaven as they repre-
sent it with great blotches of color and bands
of music making deafening racket.
Not the Doctrine You Want.
oh" says someone, sit is Just the doctrine 1
want; God 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 to crystallization, but your heart
resists. The trouble with you, my brother, is
the coal wants to stay coal. l do not ask you
TO throw open the door and let Christ in.
only ask that you stop bolting 1t and barring
it. Oh, nv friends, we will have to get rid of
our sins. will have to get rid of my sins and
you will have TO get rid of your sins. What
will we do with our sins among the three crys-
tails? The crystal atmosphere would display
our pollution. The crystal river would be be-
fouled with our touch. The crystal sea would
whelm with its glstening SURGE Trans
formation now or no transformation at all.
Give sin full chance in your heart and the
transformation will be downward instead of
upward
Instead of a crystal it will be a cinder In
the days of Carthage Christian girl was con-
demned to die for her faith, and boat was
bedaubed with tar and pitch and filled with
combustibles and set on fire and the Christian
girl was placed in the boat. and the wind was
off shore and the boat fOated away with its
precious treasure. No one can doubt that
boat landed at the shore OF heaven. Sin wants
TO put you in fiery boat aud shove you off in
an opposite direction-off from peace, of from
God, off from heaven, everlastingly of; and the
port toward which you would sail would be
port of darkness. and the guns that would greet
you would be the guns of despair and the flags
that would wave at your arrival would be the
black flags of death. o, my brother. you must
either kill sin or sin will kill you. 1t is no
wild exaggeration when / say that any man or
woman that wants to be saved may be saved.
Tremendous choice! A thousand people are
choosing this moment between salvation and
destruction, between light and darkness,
between heaven and hell, between charred
ruin and glorious capitalization.