Sharp County record., 1891-05-07


rocks, now with crucifxion agony and
now with judgment terror, and Christ
appears il some of His two hundred and
tfty-siX titles, as far as l can count
them-the bread, the rock, the captain,
the commander, the conqueror, the star,
and on and beyond any capacity of
mine to rehearse them. Transparent
religion!
The providence that seemed dark be-
fore becomes pellucid. Now you find
God is not trying to put you down.
Now you understand why you lost that
child and why you lost your property
it was to prepare you for eternal treas
ures And why sickness came; it being
the precursor of immortal juvenes-
cence. And now you understand why
they lied about you and 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 beast must first grind me before
am become pure bread for Jesus Christ;
or the company of such men as Poly
carp, who, when standing in the midst
of the amphitheater, waiting for the
lions to come out of their caves and de-
stroy him, and the people in the gal
leries jecring and shouting: "The lions
for Polycarp," replied: 'Let them come
on" and then, STOPPING down toward
the cave where the wild beasts were
roaring to get out; "Let them come on. y
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 eXplana-
ton, tell you that it is the whole ten
dency of your religion to unravel and
explain and interpret and illumine and
irradiate. Job was right. 1t is glori-
Gus Transparency. "The crystal can not
equal it."
I 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 indescribable beauty-snow-
drift and splinters 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 l 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 re-
ligion as the daybreak, as the apple
blossoms as the glitter of kings ban
quet. 1t is 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 cross
but twenty-seven times while it men
tions crown eighty times? Ask that
old man what he thinks of religion. He
has been a close observer. He has been
culturing an aesthetic taste. He has
seen the sunrise 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 kn
what he thinks of religion and he viii
tell you; ut is the most beautiful
thing ever saw" "The crystal can
not equal it,"
Beautiful in its symmetry! When it
presents Gods character it does not
present Him as having love like 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 a justice
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 proposes to garland
and enthrone and emparadise an inn
mortal spirit. Solomon says it is a lily.
Paul says it is a crown. The Apocalypse
says it is fountain kissed Of the SUM-
Ezekiel says it is foliaged cedar.
Christ says 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 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 ex-
claims; "rhe 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 have represented
it; it is not Meg Merrilies with shriv-
elcd arm come to scare the world. 1t
is the faircst daughter of God, heiress
of all His wealth, Her cheek the morn
ing 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 whosoever
will, let him come. Do you agree with
Solomon and say it is lily? Then
pluck it and wear 1t over your
heart, Do you agree with Paul
and say it is u crown? Then let this
hour be your coronation, Doyou agree
with the Apocalypse and say it is
springing fountain? Then come and
slake the thirst Of your soul, Do you
believe with Ezekiel and say It is
foliaged cedar? ri en- come under It's
shadow, Do you believe with Christ
and say 1t is bridegroom come 10 fetch
home bride? Then strike hands with
your Lord The King while pronounce