Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-03-03

of tina purple which kept his beauty for 100
wears. But after awhile the purple became
easier to get, and that which had been a
sign of imperial authority when worn In
robes was adopted by many people. and so
an emperor, jealous of this appropriation of
the purple. made law that any one except
ROYALTY wearing purple should be put to
death.
Then, az if to punish the world for that
outrage Of exclusiveness, God obliterated
the color from the earth, as much as to say.
"If all cannot have 1T, none shall have it,"
INT though God has deprived tho race Of
that shell6sh which afforded the purple
there ara shells enough left to make US glad
and worshipful. Oh. the enhancement Of
hue and shape still left all u2 and down the
benches of all the continents These creatures
NJ the sea have what roofs OF enameled por-
celainI Thew dwell under what pavilions
blue as the SKY and fiery as sunset and
mysterious as an auroral And am not
right in leading You for few moments
through this mighty realm OF Col SO neg
lected by human eye and human footstepf
1t is said that the harp and lutte were IN
vented from the fact that In Egypt the Nile
overHowed its banks. aud when the waters
retreated tortoises were lett py tne mi,iion
m ali the lands. md these tortoises died,
and soon nothing was lett but the cartilages
aud pristle of these creatures, which tight
ened under the heat into musical strings
that when touched by the wind or 1901 OK
man vibrated, making sweet SOUNDS, ana SO
the world took the hint and fashioned the
harm and am not right in trying to make
music ont of the shells and lifting them as
harm. from which to thrum the Juoilant
praises of the Lord and the pathetic strains
Of human condolenceY
But find the climax OF this concho!ogy OF
the Bible in the pearl, which has this dlstinc-
ton above all other gen1s-tnat IL requires
no human hand to bring out its beauties,
Job speaks of it, and its sheen is in Christs
sermon, and the Bible, which opens with the
onycha of my text closes with the pearl.
Of such value Is this crustaceous product
do not wonder that for the exclusive right
of fishing for il on the shores OF Ceylon a
man paid to the English Government $751;
600 for one season.
So exclusive is the pearl do not wonder
that Piiny thought it was made out OF
drop OF dew, the creature rising to the sur
face to take it and the chemistry OF nature
turning the liquid into solid. You will
see why the Bible makes so much OF the
pearl in its similitudes il you know how
much it costs to get 1t. Boats with DIVERS
sail out from the island Of Ceylou, ten
divers to each boat. Thirteen men
guide and manage the boat. down
! into the dangerous depths, amid
sharks that whirl around them, plunge the
divers, while 5000 people anxiously gaSs
on. After three or four minutes aosencs
from the air the diver ascends, nine-tenths
stranguiated and blood rushing from ears
and nosStis, and finging his pearly treasure
on the sand falls into Inconsistencies.
Oh. it is an awful exposure and strain and
peril 10 fish for pearls, and yet they do so,
and is it not wonder that to get that wnlco
the Bible calls the pearl of greatprsce, worta
more than all other pearls put together,
there should be SO little anxiety, so little
struggle. SO little enthusiasm? Would God
that we were all as wise as the merchantmen
Christ commended, who. when he MAJ
found one pearl of great price, went and
sold all that he had and bought It,"
But what thrills me with suggestlveness
ia the material out OF which all pearls are
made. They are fashioned from the wound
of the shellfsh. The exu5ation from taa9
wound is fixed and hardened and enlarged
into pearl. The ruptured vessels OF tue
water animals fashioned the gem that now
adorns FINGER or earring, or sword hilt or
kings crown. m
So out of the wounds Of earth will come
the psarls OF heaven. Out Of the wound OF
berea vement the pearl OF solace. Ous OF tne
wound Of loss the pearl OF gain. Out Of the
deep wound of tae grave the pearl Of resur-
rection joy. Out of the wounds su Is. Of Of a
Saviour's life and Savour's death tne rlcn'
tbs radiant, the everlasting pearl OF heaven
ly gladness. Tab,
"And the 10 gat es were u pearls. h aaxe
the consolation, all ye who have been hurt,
whether hurt In body. or hurt In MIND, or
burt Ia soul. Get your troubles sanctihed:
II Won suffer with Christ on earth, you Will
reign with Him in glory. The tears OF earth
are the CRYSTALS Of heaven. EVERY several
gate was Of one pearl"