The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-04-22

INC Dreau, Jne rock, Jne captain, bno
commander, the conqueror, the star and
on beyond any capacity of mine to re-
hearse 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 treasures.
And why sickness came; it being the
precursor Of immortal juvenescence.
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 Igna-
thus, who, when he went out to be de-
stroyed by the lions, said: II am the
wheat and the teeth Of the wild beasts
must first grind me before can become
pure bread for Jesus Christi" or the
company Of such men as Polycarp, who,
when standing in the midst Of the am
phitheatre waiting for the lions TO come
out of their cave and destroy him, and
the people in the galleries jeering and
shouting, "The lions for Polycarp," re-
Piled: "Let them come on" and then
STOPPING down toward the cave where
the wild beasts were roaring to get out,
"Let them come on" All, yes, It is the
persecution to put you in glorious COM
pany; and while there are many things
which you will have to postpone to the
future world for explanation, tell you
that 1t is the whole tendency Of your re-
Hgion to unravel and explain and in
terpret and illumine and irradiate. Job
was right. 1t is glorious transparency.
"The crystal cannot equal it."
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 1t indescribable beauty-snow-
drift and splinters of hoar frost and
corals and wreaths and stars and
crowns and oscillations 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. No wonder this Bible repre-
sents that religion as the daybreak, as
the apple-blossoms, as the glitter of a
kings banquet. 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
/ htTf ~ N,xx.Ae ,,,1,1a
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 sunrises 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
him what he thinks OF religion and he
will tell you, "Tt Is the most beautiful
thing ever saw" "The crystal cannot
equal it."
Beautiful in symmetry. When IL pre-
sents Gods character it does not pre-
sent Him as having love like great
protuberance on one side OF His nature,
but makes that love in harmony with
His justice-a love that will accept all
those who come TO Him, and Justice
that will by no means clear the guilty
Beautiful religion In the sentiment IL
plants! Beautiful religion in the hope
It kndles! Beautiful religion in the fact
that II proposes TO garland and enthrone
and empardise an immortal spirit. Sol
omon says it is lily. Paul says It is a
crown. The Apocalypse says It is a
fountain kissed Of the sun. Ezekiel
says II is a foliage cedar. Christ says IL
is bridegroom 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 chryso-
prasus--and he takes out Of this beauti-
full vase Just one crystal and holds II up
until IL CLEANS In the warm light OF the
eastern sky, and he exclaims, "The
crystal can not equal It."
o, II is not a stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, tits not toothless hag
as some seem to have represented II; II
is not Meg Merrilies with shriveled
arm come to scare the world II is the
fairest daughter OF God, heiress of all
his wealth. Her cheek the morning
sky; her voice the music Of the south
wind; her step the dance Of the sea.
Come and woe her. The Spirit and the
Bride say come, and whosoever will let
him come. Do you agree with Solomon
and say II is lily? Then pluck II, and
wear 1t over your heart Do you agree
with Paul and say it is crown? Then
let this hour be your coronation. Do
you agree with the Apocalypse, and say
It is a springing fountain2 Then come
and slake the thirst Of your soul Do
you believe with Ezekiel and say II is a
foliaged cedar? Then come under its
shadow. Do you believe with Christ
and say II is bridegroom come to fetch
home bride? Then strike hands with
your Lord the King while pronounce
you everlastingly one. Or II you think
with Job that II is q Jewel, then put II
on your hand like ring, on your neck
like bead, on your forehead like a
star, while looking into the mirror of
Gods word you acknowledge "the crys-
tai cannot equal It."
Again, religion Is superior to the crys-
tai In It's transformations The diamond
is only capitalization Of coal. Car
Donate Of lime rises till IL becomes cal
cite or aragonite. Red oxide Of copper
crystallizesi into cubes and octachedrons.
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 these won
derful transformations But tell you