Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-04-25

coal. Carbonate of limo. rises till it be-
comes calcitc of aragonitc Red oxide
of copper crystallizes into cubes and
octahedrons. Those crystals which
adorn our persons, and our homes and
our museums lave only been rcsur-
rected from forms that were far from
lustrous. Scientists for ages have been
examining these wonderful transforms
tions. But tell you in the gospel of
the Son of God there is a more wonder
ful transformation. Over souls, by rca-
son of sin black rs 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. y
"What." say you, will God wear
jewelry?n If he wanted it he could
make the stars of heaven his belt and
! have the cveniny cloud for the sandals
! of his feet. but lie docs not want that
adornment. lie will not have that
jewelry. When God wants jewelry he
comes down and digs it out of the
depths and darkness of sin. These
sonls are all crystalizations Of mercy.
He puts them OH and heawears them
in the presence of the Whole universe.
| He wears them on the hand that was
nailed. over tie heart that WAS pierced,
on the temples that were stung. They
shall be mime" saith the Lord, lin tile
day wien make up my jewels Won
derful transformation THE crystal
cannot equal it, ' There size is, IL wlif
OF the street; but she .,all be Il sister
of charity. There he is, Il sot III the
ditch: but he shall preach the gospel.
There, behind the bars of Il prison, but
he shall reign with Christ forever.
Where sin nboundcd grace shall much
! more abound. The carbon becomes
the solitaire THE crystal cannot
equal it.
Now, have no liking for those peo
pie who arc always enlarginS in Chris
tian meetings about their early disspa-
ton. Do not 90 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 dis
sipations. The number of packets you
picked and the number of chickens
you stole make very poor prayer meet
ing rhetoric. Besides that. it dis
courases 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 scrfdoln
into eternal liberty. Out of darkness
into light. From coal to the solitaire.
1.-The crystal cannot equal it.
THE JEWELS OF ETERNITY.
But. my friends, the chief transform
ing power of the Gospel will not lie seen
in this world, and not until heaven
breaks upon the soul. When that light
falls upon the soul then you will sec the
crystals Oh. what q magnificent set
ting for these jewels of eternity!
sometimes llear people rcprcse'. ting
heaven in Il way that is far from at
tractve to me. 1t seems almost Il vul
car heaven as they represent it, with
great blotclics of color and bands Of
music. iilasi dcafening rIekcr. .Iohn
represents heaven us exqnisitely bcauti
full. Three crystals. In ono place he
says, "IIcr light WIS likc a precious
stone, clear as crystal In another
place he says, II saw Pure river from
under the throne, clear rs crystal.
In another place he says, Before the
throne there Was u sea of glass clear as
crystal" Three crystals! John says
crystal atmosphere That lnca:is health.
Balm of eternal june. What weather
after the worlds cast wind. No rack
of storm clouds. One breath of that
air will cure tho worst t,lbcrclo. C-ys
tai light on all tile leaves. Crystal
light shilnmering on the topaz of the
temples. Crystal light tossing in tho
plulpss of the equcstrians of heaven Oh
Whit: horses. But the crystal cannot
equal it. John says crystal river.
That means joy. Deep and ever rolling. |
Not one drop Of the Thames or the IIud-
son or the Rhine to soilit. Not one tear |!
of human sorrow to iInbitter it. |
Crystal, the rain out Of which it was
made. Crystal, the bed over which it
shall roll and ripple Crystal, its inti-
mite surface. But ''the crystal cannot
equal it. John says crystal sea. That
means multtudinously vast. Vast in
rapture Rapture vast rs the sea, deep
rs the sea, strong as the sea, ever chang !
ing as the sea- Billows of light Bill
lows of beauty, blue with skies that
were never clouded, and green with
depths that were never fathonled.
Arctics and Antarctics and Mediter-
raneans and Atlantics and Pacitics in
crystalline. magniliccnce. Three crys-
tails. Crystal light falling on crystal
river Crystal river rolling into a crys-
tai sea- But the crystal cannot equal
it."
ooh" saws some one. rnttine his
hand over his eyes, ''can it be that |
who have been in SO much sin and
trouble will ever como to those crystalsi"
Yes, it may bet will be. Heaven we
Irust have, whatever cls.. we have or
Lave not, and we come here tn get it.
GLOW much must pay for itT" you
say. You will pay for it just as much !
as the coal pays TO become the dia- !
lnond. In other words nothing. The |
same Almighty power that makes tie
crystal in the mountain will change
your heart, Which is l,arier than stone, |
for the promise is, 81 will take away
YOUR stony heart and will give you q |