The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-04-28

and destroy him, and the people in the
galleries jeering and shouting, 1.-The
hons for Poiycarp," replied: .tLet them
come on,o and then shopping down to-
ward the cave where the wild beasts were
roaring TO get out, "Let them come on.n
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,
j tell you that it is the whole tendency
of your religion to unrayel and explain
and interpret and illumine and irradiate.
job was right. It is a glorious trans
parency. THE crystal connot equal
it.U
/ 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 Understandable beauty-snowdrift and
splinters OF hoar-frost and corals and
wreaths and stars and crowns and cas-
relations of conspicuous beauty. The
fact is that crystal is so beautiful that
can think of but one thing in all the uni
verse that is SO beautiful, and that is
the religion of tho Bible. No wonder
this Bible represents that religion as the
day-break, as the applc-blossoms. as the
glitter OF kings banquet. tits the Joy
of the whole earth.
People talk too much about their cross
n o 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
oil man what he thinks of religion. He
has been a close observer. He has been
culturing an aesthetic taste. He has seen
| tho SIN ricaS of N hale n nopt,ry ITn
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.
ut is the most beautiful thing I ever
saw" 1.-THE crystal cannot equal it,"
Be iutilnl in its symmetry. When it
presents Gods character it does not
present Him as having love like a great
protuberance on one side of his nature,
but makes that love in harmony with his
iustice-a love that will accept all those
who come to him, and ajustice that will
by no means clear the guilty. Beautiful
religion, in the sentiment it implants!
Beautiful religion in the hope it kindles!
beautiful religion in the fact that it pro-
poses to garland and enthrone and en-
paradise an immortal spirit. Solomon
says tits a lily. Paul says ills a crown.
The Apocalypse says it is a fountain
kissed of the sun. Ezekiel says it is q
foliaged cedar. Christ says it is q BRIDE
groom come to fetch home q bride.
While job in the text takes up O whole
vase of precious stones-the topaz and
the sapphire and the chrysoprasus-and
ne takes out of this beautiful vase Just
n crystal and holds it up until it
CLEANS in the warm light of the eastern
Sky, and he cXclaims, 1.-THE crystal cam
not equal it,"
Oh, ii is not a stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, il is not a toothless bag
as some seem to have represented it; 1T is
not a Meg Merriles with shrlvelled arm
come to scare the world. Tits the fairest
daughter ofGod; heiress of all his wealth.
Her check the morning sky; her voice
the dance of the sea. Come aud WOO
her. The Spirit and the Bible say come,
and whatsoever will let him come. Do
you agree with Solomon and say it is q
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 a %springing fountain? Then me
and Stake the thirst of your soul. Do
| you believe with Ezekiel and say it is q
foliaged cedar? Then come under Its
shadow. Do you believe with Christ
am! say it is a 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 is Il jewel, then put it on
your hand like a ring, on your neck like
a 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 crystalllzation of coal.
Carbonate of lime rises till it becomes
calcite or %aragonite. Red oxide Of
copper crystallizes into cubes and
octachcdrons. Those crystals which
adorn our persons and our homes and
our museums have only been resurrected
from forms that were far from lustrous.
Scientists for ages have been examining
theses wonderful transformations. But
l tell you in the Gospel of the Son Of
God there is q 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 1
make up my jewels"
"What," say You, twill God wear Jew
elry?" 1T he wanted it, he could mako
the stars of heaven his belt and have the
evening cloud Tor the sandals o. his feet;
but he does not, want that adornment.
He will not have that jewelry. When
God wants jewelry He comes down and
digs 1t 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. lie 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 I make
up my jewels" Wonderful transform a.
ton! Tile crystal cannot equal 1T"
There she is, q waif of the street; but
she shall b, a sister of charity. There
he is, n 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 I'd
grace shall much more abound. The
carbon becomes the solitaire. 'The
crystal cannot equalit."
Now, L have no liking for those people
who are always charging in Christian
meetings about :heir early dissipation.
IL