The Red Cloud chief., 1891-05-01

cannot equal it"
Beautiful in its symmetry. When Il
presents Gods character IL 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 justice-a love hat will accept all
those who come TO Him, and q Justice
that will by no means clear the guilty.
Beautiful religion in the sentiment il
implants! Beautiful religion in the hope
itkindles. Beautiful religion in the fact
that il proposes TO garland and cnthrone
and ~emparadise an immortal spirit
Solomon says il is a lily. Paul says il is
a crown. The Apocalypse says it is a
fountain kissed Of the sun. Ezekiel
says it is a foliaged cedar. Christ says
1t is a bridegroom come 20 fetch home a
bride While job in the text takes up
a whole vase of precious stones-the
topaz and the sapphire and the chryso-
prasus-and he takes ont of this
beautiful vase just one crystal and
holds IL up until il CLEANS in the warm
light Of the eastern sky, and he ex-
claims: The crystal cannot equal it"
O., il Is not a stale religion, il is not a
stupid religion, il is not a toothless hag,
as some seem To have represented it; II
is not a Meg Merrilies with shriyelled
arm come 10 scare the world IL 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 WOO her. The Spirit and the
Bride say come, and whatsoever will, let
him come.
DO you believe with Christ and say it
is a bridegroom come TO fetch home a
bride? Then strike hands with your
Lord the King while ] pronounce you
everlastingly one. Or IL you think with
job that il is a jewel, then put il on
your hand like a ring, on your neck
like a bead. on you forehead like a star.
while looking into the mirror Of Gods
Word you acknowledge 1.-The crystal
cannot equal it"
Again, religion is superior TO the
crystal in It's transformations The
diamond is only a capitalization OF
coal. Those crystals which adorn our
persons and our homes and our mu-
scums have only been resurrected from
forms thai were far from lustrous.
Scientists for ages have been examin-
ing these wonderful transformations
But tell you in the Gospel Of the Son
of God there is a more wonderful trans
formation Over souls by reason Of sin
black as coal and hard as iron, God by
his comforting grace stoops and says:
| s.TL.- hill l.. A,.a .. e.. H. ,k.n 4
make up My jewels"
What" say you, twill God wear
jewelry?" IL He wanted 1t, He could
make the stars of heaven His belt and
havc the evening cloud for the sandals
of his feet; but He does not want that
adornment He will not have that Jew
elry. When God wants jcwclry He
comes down and digs il ont Of the
depths and darkness of sin. These
souls are all crystallizations of mercy.
lie 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, on
the temples hat were stung. They
shall be Mine" saith the Lord, lin the
day when / make up My jewels"
Wonderful transformation THE
crystal canno equal it." There she is,
a waif Of the street; but she shall Toe
a sister of charity. There he is, n sot
in the ditch; but ne shall preach the
gospel. There, behind the bars of a
prison, but he shall reign with Christ
~forever. Where sin abounded grace
shall much more abound. The carbon
becomes the solitaire. THE crystal
cannot equal it"
Now. | have no liking for those peo-
pie who are always charging in Chris
tian meetings about their early dissipa-
ton. DO not go into particulars, my
brothers. Simply say you were sick,
but make no display of your ulcers.
The chief stock in trade of some minis
tcrs and Christian workers seems to he
their early crimes and designations.
The number OF pockets you picked and
the number of chickens you stole make
very poor prayer meeting rhetoric. Be-
sides that it discouragcs other Christian
people who never got drunk or stole
anything. But il is pleasant TO know
that those who were farthest down
have been brought highest mp. Out of
Internal scrfdom into eternal liberty.
Out of darkness into light From coal
Ia the solitaire. The crystal can not
equal it"
But, my friends, the chief transform
ing power of the gospel will not be
seen in this world and not until Heaven
breaks upon the soul. When that light
falls upon the soul hen You will see
crystals. q, what a magnificent set
ting for these Jewels of eternity! ]
sometimes near people representing
heaven in a way that is far from at
t~ractivc To me. IL seems almost a vul-
gar heaven as they represent it with
great blotchcS of color and bands of
music making n deafcning racket
John represents Heaven as exquisite
ly beautiful Three crystals. In one
place he says: Her light was like a
precious stone, clear as crystal" In
another place he SAYS: II saw n pure
river from under the throne. clear as
crystal" In another place he says:
Before the throne there was n sea OF
glass clear rs crystal" Three CRYSTALS.
John says crystal atmosphere. That
means health. Balm OF eternal June.
What weather after the worlds east
wind, No rack of storm clouds One
breath of that air will cure the worst
,ubcrcle. Crystal light on all the leaves
Crystal light shimmering O the topaz
of the temples Crystal light tossing in
the plumes Of the eques;rians of Heaven
on white horses But The crystal can
not equal it"
John says crystal river. That means
JOY. Deep and ever rolling. Not one
drop of the Thames or the Hudson or
the Rhine 10 soil IL Not one tear of
human sorrow To embittcr it Crys-
tai. the rain out of which IL was
made Crystal, the bed over which il
shall roll and ripple. Crystal its inf
mite surface. But 'the crystal a not
equal it"
John SAYS crystal sea- That LEI
multitudinously vast Vast in rapture
Rapture vast as the sea deep as the
sea strong ~ the sea. ever changing as