The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-04-23

things of God because they are spiritu-
ally disceTned. There is no trouble
with the crystal; the trouble is with
the eyes which try to look through IL
We pray for vision, Lord, that our
eyes might be opened When the
eye salve cures our blindness then we
find that religion is transparent.
1t is transparent Bible. All the
mountains of the Bible come out
Sinai, the mountain of the law; Pisgah,
the mountain of prospect; Olivet, the
mountain of instruction.; Calvary, the
mountain of sacrifice. All the rivers
of the Bible come out-Hidekel, or the
river OF paradisaical beauty; Jordan,
or the river of holy chrism; Cherith,
or the river of prophetic supply; Nile,
or the river of palaces, and the pure
river of life from under the throne,
clear as crystal. While reading this
Bible after our eyes have been touched
by grace we find it all transparent,
and the earth rocks, now with crucifix-
ion agony and now. with Judgment
atISA SiAkioo StPpS<LiS 1I1 SohC VI
his two hundred and fifty-six titles, as
far as I can count them-the bread,
the rock, the captain, the commander,
the conqueror, the star, and on and
beyond any capacity of mine to re-
hearse them. Transparent religion!
THE BEAUTY OF 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 WIS to prepare you for eternal treas
Exes And why sickness came, it be-
ing 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
II am the wheat, and the teeth of the
wild beasts s-Inust first grind me before
1 can become pure bread for Jesus
Christ" the company of such men
as Polycarp, who when standing in
the midst Of the amphitlheater wait
ing for the lions to come out o
their cave and destroy him, and tht
people in the galleries jeering and shOlt
ing, 1.-The lions for Polycarp," replied
Let them come on" and then stoop
ing down toward the cave where th'
wild beasts were roaring TO get out
''Let them come on" All, yes, it i
persecution to put you in. glorious 'com
pany; and while there.are many thing
that you will have to.potpone to th
future work. for explanation, I tell yo'
| that it is the whole tendency of you
| religion to unravel and explain and in
terpret and ilumine and irradiate. Jol
was right It is a glorious Transparency
1.-THE crystal cannot equal it,
Iremark again thatreligionsurpasse
| the crystal in its beauty. That lum]
of crystal is put under the magnifyin
glass of the crystallographer, and h
sees in it indescribable beauty-snoW
drift and spln1ters of hoar frost an
| corals and wreaths and stars an
| crowns and .castellations of conspicuou
beauty. The fact is that crystal is S
beautiful that l can think of but on
| thing in all the universe that is S
beautiful, and that is the religion {
| the Bible. No wonder this Bible rel
resents that religion as the daybreaE
as the apple blossoms, as the glitter {
kings banquet. tits the. joy of til
whole earth.
TALK MORE OF THE GROWN.
People talk too much about the
cross and not enough about .theircrow1
Do you know the Bible mentions
cross but twenty-seven Times, while
mentions a crown eighty times? AS
that old man whatlhe thinks of relil
ion. He has been close observe
He has been culturing an aesthetic tast
He has seenfthe sunsies of a. half cen
7ny. He has been. an, early riser. L
lrls been an admrer of canoes an
! ;oraIs anG. all!kindsof beautiful thing
Ask him what: he thinks of religion, az
he will tell you, "It is the most beau1
full thing / ever saw" 1.-The cryst
cannot equal it"
Beautiful in its symmetry. When
presents Gods character it does n
present Him asthaving love like gre
protubeTance OH one side of his na
ure, but makes that love in harmon
with his justice-a love that t'wiH acee
all those who come to Him, and a ju
tice that will by no means clear II
| guilty. Beautiful religion inrthe sen
ment it inlpantsl Beautiful religit
! in the hope it kindlesl Beautiful reI
ion in the fact that it proposes TO ga
! land and enthrone and emparasdiseI
Immortal spirit Solomon saysit is
| lily. Paul says it is a crown. II
Apocalypse says it is-a fountain kiss
of the sun. Ezekiel says it'isa foliag
: cedar Christ says it is a bgidegroo
come to fetch home a BRIDE. VIII
; Job In the text takes up whole va
of precious stone-the topaz and {
sapphire and the chrypprasus-and
takes out of this beautiful vase just O
crystal, and holds it.up until It gieal
in the warm light of the eastern sk
, and he exckaims, 1.-THE crystal cam
equal it"
Oh, it is not.a stale religion, 1t Is
! stupid religion it is not aitoofht
: hag, as some seem toulaye represent
1t; it is not Meg MerTilies, with 'sifs'
eled arm, come to.scare the. world
is the fairest daughter of God, heir
of all his wealih Herchaek the mol
> ing sky; her voice the music OF I
south wind; her step the-dance OF
sea. Come and WOO her. The.spi
and the bride say come. and-whooe'
: / will, let him come. Doyou agree VI
Solomon and say it is aElys Th
pluck it and wear it over your hea
! Do you agree with Paul and say Il
Tf,rr, Ie{ fbSs hnfyr ha yf