Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1891-04-25
eye saIvc cures our blindness then we
find that religion is transparent.

Sinai, the mountain of tho law; Pisgall,
the mountain of prospect; Olivet, the
mountain of instruction.; Calvary, the
mountain of sacrifice. al the rivers
of the Bible come out-Hidekel, or the
river of paradisaical beauty; Jordan,
or the river of holy chrism; Cllerith,
or the river of prophetic supply; Nile,
pr 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 crucitix-
ion agony and now with Judgment
terror, and Christ appears in some OF
Ills two hundred and fifty six titles, us
far as c;rl count thern-tlle bread,
the rock. the captain, the commander,
the conqueror. the star, and Oil and
beyond any capacity of mine to ro-
hoarse them. Transparent rclision
TIE BEAUTY or sRELIGIoN.
Tho providence that seemed dark be
fore becomes pellucid Now you find
God is rot trying to put you down.
Vow you understand why you lost that
Child and why you lost your property;
it WIS to prepare you for eternal treas
u<es. And why sickness calne, it be-
ing the precursor of immortal juvcnes-
ccnce. And now you understand Why
they lied about you and tried to drive
you hitier nnd thitilcr. 1t was 10 put
you in the glorious company OF such
men us Ignatils. who when he went
out to be destroyed by the lions said,
II AMI the wheat. and the teeth of the
wild beasts must first grind me before
can become pure bread for Jesus
Christ" the company of such men
rs Polycarp, who when standing in
the midst of the ampllitlleatcr wait
ing for the lions to come out of
their cave and destroy him, and the
peoplcin the galleries jccring and shout
ing, ''The lions for Polycarp," replied,
'I.et them come on, and then stoop
ing down toward the cave where the
wild beasts were roaring to get out,
"Ict them come on" Ah. yes. it is
persecution to put you in glorious com
pany; nnd while there arc 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 unrave and explain ard in
tcrrret and illuuine and irradiate. job
was right 1t is ag!orious transparency.
"The crystal cannot equal it.
remark again that religion SURPRISES
the crystal in its beauty. That lump
of crystal is put under the lnagnifying
glass Of the crystallographer, end lie
sees in it Understandable bcauty-saow-
DRIFT and splintcrs of boar frost and
corals and wrcatlls 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 rep
resents that religion as the daybrcak,
is die apple blossoms; as the gIittcr;of
u 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 a
cross but twenty seven times, while it
mentions q crown eighty ti,nes2 Ask
that old man what lie thinks of rclig-
ion. lie las been 4 close observer.
He has been culturing an aesthetic taste.
He has seen the sunriSes of a half cent
ury. He has been an early riser. lie
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, 1T is the most bcauti-
full thing 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 a great
protuberance on one side of his nat
ure. but makes that love in harmony
with his justicc-a love that will accept
all those who como to Him, and Il JUS
tice that will by no means clear the
guilty. Beautiful religion in the senti-
merit it ilnplantsl Beautiful religion
in the hope it kindles! Beautiful relig-
ion in the fact that it proposes to gar
land and cnt.lronc and elnparadise an
immortal spirit. Solomon says it is a
lily. Paul says it is crown. The
Apocalypse says it is q fountain kissed
of the sun. Ezekiel says it is Il foliased
cedar. Christ says it is bridegroom
come to fetch home bride. While
Job in the text takes up whole vase
of precious stone-the topaz and the
sapphire and the chrysoprasus-and no
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 cxclaims, 1.-THE crystal cannot
equal it.
Oh, it is not a stale religion, it is not
stupid religion, it is not tootllcss
bag, as some seem to have represented
it; it is not Meg Merrilies, with sbriv-
eled arm, come to scare the world. 1t
is the fairest daughter of God, heircss
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 como, and whosoever
will, let him come. Doyou agree with
Solomon and say it is lily2 Then
pluck it and wear it over your heart.
DO you agree with Paul and say it is
q crown2 Then let this hour be your
Do YOU acrce with the