The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-04-29

men as PolYcarp, who. wheC standing
n the midst of the amphithsatre waiting
for the Lions to come out Of their cave,
and destroy hin, and the people in the
galleries leering and shouting, ''The
hons for Polycarp," replied: Let them
come on" and then STOPPING down to-
ward the cave WI c e the wild beasts were
roaring to se: y, lie tfem corIe on"
All, yes, it is persecution to put you IN
glorious company; and while there are
many things that you will have to post
pone to the future world for explanation,
I tell YOU that it is the whole tendency
of your religion to unravel and explain
ami interpret and illumine and irradiate.
Job was right. It is glorious trans
parency. The crystal connot equal
it.''
I remark again that religion surpasses
the crystal in it's beauty. That lump OF
crystal is putunder the magnifylng glass
ofthe crystallographer and he sees IN
it indescribable beauty-snowdrltt and
splinters OF hoar-frost and corals and
wreaths and stars and crowns and cas-
.ellations Of conspicuous beauty. The
fact IS that crystal is so beautiful that I
can think Of but one thing in all the uni
verse 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 banquet. It's the JOY
of the whole earth.
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 men-
tons a crown eighty times? Ask that
old man what ne thinks Of religion. He
has been close observer. He has been
culturiug an aesthetic taste. He has seen
the sun rises Of half a century. He
has been an early riser. He has been an
admirer OF canoes and corals and all
KIDS ofbeautilul things. Ask him what
ne thinks of religion and he will tell you.
1T is the most beautiful thing I ever
saw" The crystal cannot equal It,"
Be .utiful in its syml l-etry. When it
presents Gods character it does not
present Him as having love like a great
protuberance on one side of his nature,
bat makes that love ia harmony with his
iustice-a love that will accept all those
who come to him, and a justice that will
by no means clear the guilty. Beautiful
religion, in the sentiment it implants!
Beautiful religion in the hope it klndles!
Beautiful religion in the fact that it pro-
poses to garland and enthrone and en-
paradise an immortal spirit. Solomon
Says it is a ill.,. Paul says it is a crown.
The Apocalypse says it is fountain
kissed of the sun. Ezekiel says it IS q
foliaged cedar. Christ says it is BRIDE
groom come to fetch home a bride.
While Job in the text takes up whole
vase Of precious stones-the topaz and
the sapphire and the chrysoprasus-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, The crystal can
not equal it."
oh, it is not stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, it is not toothless hag
as some seem to haverepresented it; 1t is
not Meg Merriles with shrlvelled arm
come to scare the world. It's the falrest
daughter of God; heiress Of all his wealth.
Her cheek the morning sky; her voice
the dance Of the sea. Come and WOO
her. The Spirit and the Bible say ccme,
and whosoever will let him come. Do
you agree with Solomon and sav it is a
LILY? Then pluck it and wear it over
your heart. Do you agree with Paul and
say it is a crown? Then let this
hour be your coronation. Do you
agree with the Apocalypse and say
it is q springing fountain? Then come
and slake the thirst of your soul. Do
you believe with Ezekiel and say it is
foliaged cedar? Then come under Its
shadow. Do you believe with Christ
an say it is Bridegroom come to fetch
home bride? Then strike hands with
your Lord the King while pronounce
you everlastinsly one. Or if you think
with Job that it is jewel, then put it on
your hand like ring, on your neck like
bead, on your forehead like a star,
while You look into the mirror of Gods
word you acknowledge ''the crystal can
not equal it."
Again, religion is superior to the
crystal in its transformations. The
diamond is onlya crystallNation..of coal.
Carbonate Of lime rises till it becomes
calcite or aragonite. Red oxide of
copper crystallizes into cubes and
octachedrons. Those crystals which
adorn our persons and our homes and
our museums have only been resurrected
from forrls that were far from ,ustrous.
Scientists for ages have been examining
theses wonderful transformations. But
I tell you in the Gospel Of the Son Of
God there is a more wonderful transfor-
nation. 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 I
make up my jewels"
What" say you, will God wear jew
elry?" If he wanted it, he could make
the stars of heaven his eltand have the
evening cloud ;or the sandals Of his feet;
but he does not want that adornnent.
He will not have that jewelry. When
God wants jewelry He Gomez 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 fthe whole
universe. He wears them on the hand
that was nailed, over the heart that was
pierced, over the temples that were
stung. They shall be mine," saith
the Lord, ''in the day when 1 make
up my jewels" Wonderful transform a.
ton! The crystal cannot equal 1t"
There she is, waif of the street; but
she shall BE- sister Of charity. There
be is, sot in the ditch; but he shall
preach the Gospel. There, behind the
bars of a prison, but he shall reign with
Christ forever. Where sin abound,d
grace shall much more abound. The
carbon becomes the solitaire. ssThe