Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-04

that he neglects the Old Testament of
the fields nor reads the wisdom and
kindness and beauty of God written in
blossoms on the orchard, in sparkles on
the lake, in stars on the sky, in frost on
the meadows. The greatest jeweler of
all the earth is the frost. There isnoth-
ing more wonderful in all crystallog-
raphy Some morning in December
whole continent is found besprinkled
with diamonds, the result of one nights
work by this jeweler.
Do you make the depreciatory remark
that the frost is impermanent and will
list only two or three hours9 What of
thatP We 90 into London tower and
look at the crown jewels of England, but
we are in procession that the guards
keep moving on, and five minutes or less
are your only opportunity of looking at
those crown jewels, but at the crown
jewels bestarred of the frost in parks
and fields you may stand to look delib-
erately and for hours, and no one to tell
you to move on.
Oh, these regalias and diademS Of
beauty flung out Of heavenl Kings and
queens on celebrative days have come
riding through the streets throwing
handfuls of silver and gold among the
people, but the queen Of the winter
morning is the only queen rich enough
to throw pearls, and the king of frost
the only king rich enough to throw opals
and sapphires and diamonds. Homer
describes necklace of amber given to
Penelope, but the frost necklaces con-
tinent The carcanet of precious stones
given to Harmonic had pinions of orange
jasper and white moonstone and Indian
agate, but it was a misfortune to any
one who owned or inherited it, and its
history, generation after generation. was
a history of disaster. But the regalia Of
frost is the good fortune Of every morn
ing that owns it.
The imperial household of Louis XVI
could not afford the diamond necklace
which had been ordered for Queen Marie
Antoinette, and it was stolen and taken
apart and lost, but the necklace that the
frost puts on the wintry morning,
though made of as many brilliants as the
withered grass blades, is easily afforded
by divine opulence and is never lost,
but after its use in the coronation OF the
fields is taken back to heaven. o men
and women, accustomed to go into
ecstasy when in foreign travel you come
upon the historical gems OF nations,
whether the jewel be called the Noun
tain of Glory, or the Sea of Light. or the
Crown of the Moon, or the Eye Of Allah,
or the Star of Sarawak, or the Koh-i-
moor, implead you study the jewels
strewn all round your wintry home and
realize that "by the breath of God frost
is given!"
But 1 go step farther and speak OF
the frost as an evangelist, and text OF
Scripture is not of much use to me un-
less / can find the gospel in it. The Is
raelites in the wilderness breakfasted on
something that looked like frozen dew.
The mama fell on the dew, and the dew
eyaporated and left pulverized ma
terial, white and looking like frost
but it was mama, and of that they ate
So now this morning, mixed with th'
frozen dew of my text, there is mannf
on which we may breakfast our souls
You say the frost kills. Yes, it KILT
some things, but we have already seer
that it gives health and life to others
This gospel is the SAVIOR of life unto lif'
or of death unto death.
As the frost is mighty, the gospel II
mighty. AS the frost descends from
heaven, the gospel descends from heay
en-. BY the breath Of God frost Is given
By the breath of God the gospel is gwen
AS the frost purifes, so the grace OF Coo
nuri6es. AS the frost bestars the earth
SO grace bejewels the soul. AS the fros
prepares for food many things that 9th
erwise would be inedible, so the frost O
trial ripens and prepares food for TN
soul. In the tight grip OF the frost tn
hard shells of walnut and chestnut ant
hickory open, and the luxuries OF tn
woods come into our laps or upon ou
tables; SO the frost Of trial takes many
hard and prickly shell and crushes II un
I'll that which stung the soul nov
feeds 1t, &C.,. .l.o
once were enigmas, puzzles, rlddies an
impossible for you TO understand ou
the frosts of trouble after awhile expose
tbe full meaning to your soul. You saic
~ do not see why David keeps rollin
over in his Psalms the story OF now D
was pursued and prosecuted" he d'
scrihes himself as surrounded by bee
He saws. "They compassed me abor
like bees; yea, they compassed me aoou
lilo hees" You think what an exal
perating thing for him to exclaim, 'Ot
of the depths Of hell have ! cried uni
thee, o Lord! 49,. ..,a.
lamentation in his writings you thin
ha oyerdoes it. but after awhile fro'
comes upon You in the shape OF perSecl
tion. and you are stuck with TINS @ eel
sure and stuck with that aeiainsplol 40
"a stuck with some falsehood, aud III
Sn swarms are buzzing, buzzing abo'
"onr ears. and at last you unaerS'Au
, what David meant when be san sal.
'.Tbey compassed me about iike Dee pee
yea they coinpassed me about IKE pees s
: ! and you go down under nervous s PrGsIl San
t;on and feel that you are as iar 90"
as David when he cried, "out OF u
! depths Of hellF' - 49,. oh.n,srs III