Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-04-20

wild beasts must first grind me before
| can become pure bread for Jesus
Christi" the company Of such men
as Polycarp, who when standing in
the midst of the amphitheater wait
ing for the lions to come out Oh
their cave and destroy him, and the
peoplein the galleries jeering and shout
ing, 1.-The lions for Polycarp," replied,
LET them come on, and then stoop-
ing down toward the cave where the
wild beasts were roaring to get out,
LET them come on" All, yes, it is
persecution to put you in glorious com
pany; and while there are many things
that you will have to postpone to the
future world for explanation, tell you
that it is the whole tendency of your
religion to unravel and explain and in
terpret and ilIumine and irradiate. Job
was right 1t is glorious transparency.
/ The crystal cannot equal it.
remark again hat religion surpasses
: the crystal in its beauty. That lump
Of crystal is put under the magnifying
( glass of the :rystallographer, and he
( sees in it indescribable beauty
/ drift and spIiuters of hoar frost and
/ corals and wr2aths and stars and
crowns and castelations of conspicuous
/ beauty The fact is that crystal is so
beautiful that can think of but one
thing in all the universe that is so
beautiful, and that is the religion of
the Bible 40 wonder this Bible rep
resents that religion as the daybreak,
Il, L. l. c
a kings banquet. 1t is the joy of the
whole earth.
TALK MORE OF THE CROWN.
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
mentions a crown eighty times? Ask
that old man what he thinks of relig
ion He has been a close observer.
He has been culturing an aesthetic taste.
He has seen the surrises of a half cent
ury. He has been an early riser. He
has been an admirer of canoes and
corals and all kinds of beautiful things.
Ask him W hat he thinks of religion, and
he will tell you, 1T is the most beauti
full thing l ever saw" '"The crystal
cannot 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 nat
ure but makes that love in harmony
with his justice-a love that will accept
all those who come to Him, and JUS
tice that will by no means clear the
guilty. Beautiful religion in the senti-
ment it implants! Beautiful religion
in the hope it kindlesl Beautiful relig-
ion in the fact that it proposes to gar
land and enthrOne and emparadise an
immortal spirit. Solomon says it is a
lily. Paul says it is a crown. The
Apocalypse says it is q fountain kissed
of the sun. Ezekiel says it is a foliaSed
cedar Christ says it is a bridegroom
come to fetch home a bride. While
Job in the text takes up a whole vase
Of precious stone-the topaz and the
sapphire and the chrysoprasus- 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 exclaiIns, 1.-The crystal cannot
equal it. >
Oh, it is not a stale religion, it is not
Il stupid religion, it is not q toothless
hag. as some seem to have represented
it; it is not Meg Merrilies, with shriv-
eled arm, come to scare the world. 1t
is the fairest 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 tho bride say come, and whatsoever
will, let him come Doyou agree with
Solomon and say it is Il 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 come and Stake the
thirst of your soul. Do you believe
with Ezekiel and say it is a foliaged
cedar? Then come under its shadow.
Do you believe with Christ and say it
is 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 jewel, then put it
on your hand like ring, on your neck
like a bead, on your forehead like a
star, while looking into the mirror of
Gods word you acknowledge 1.-The
crystal cannot equal it."
RELIGIONS TRANSPORTATION.