The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-02-22


appeared in purple vellum, which may
still be found in some OF the ma
tional libraries OF Europe Plutarch
speaks Of some purp.e which kept It's
beauty for one hundred and ninety
years. But, after awhile, the purple
became easier to get, and that which
had been sign of imperial authority
when worn in robes, was adopted by
many people, and 80 an emperor, jealous
Of this appropriation Of the purple, made
q law that any one except royalty
wearing purple should be put to death
Then, as II to punish the world for that
outrage of exclusiveness, God obliter-
nted the color from the earth, as much
rs to say, ''If all cannot have 1t, none
can have it" But. though God has de-
prived the race of that shell-ash which
afforded the purple there are shells
enough left TO make us glad and wor-
shipful. o, the enhancement Of hue
and shape still left al up and down the
beaches OF all the continents! These
creatures of the sea have what roofs
of enamolled porcelain! They dwell
under what pavilions blue as the sky
and fiery as sunset and mysteri-
Gus as an auroral And am not right
in leading you, for few moments,
through this mighty realm Of God SO
neglected by human eye and human
footstep? 1t is said that the harp and
flute were invented from the fact that
In Egypt, the Nile overfowed its banks,
and when the waters retreated, tor
toises were left by the million on the
lands and these tortoises died, and
soon nothing was left but the cartilages
and gristle of these creatures which
frightened under the heat into musical
strings that when touched by the wind
or the foot of man, vibrated, making
sweet sounds, and so the world took the
hint and fashioned the harp; and am
not right in trying to make music out
Of the shells, and lifting them as a
harp, from which to thrum the jubilant
praises of the Lord and the pathetic
strains of human condolenceP
But | find the climax Of this con-
chology of the Bible in the pearl, which
has this distinction above all other
gems that it requires no human hand
to bring out its beauties Job speaks
of 1t and its sheen is in Christ's sermon,
and the Bible, which opens with the
onycha of my text closes with the
pearl. OF such value is this crustaceous
product, l do not wonder that, for the
exclusive right Of fishing for 1t on the
shores Of Ceylon, man paid to the En-
glish government 5000, 900 for one sea-
SON So exquisite is the pearl, that
do not wonder that Pliny thought 1t
was made out Of drop Of dew, the
creature rising to the surface to take 1t,
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 If you know how much It
costs to get It Boats with divers sail
out from the island of Ceylon, ten divers
to each boat. Thirteen men guide and
manage the boat Down into the dan
gerous depths, amid sharks that swirl
around them, plunge the divers, while
CO., 900 people anxiously gaze on. After
three or four minutes absence from the
air, the diver ascends, nine-tenths stran-
gulated and blood rushing from ears
and nostrils, and flinging his pearly
treasure on the sand, falls into uncon-
seriousness. o, II is an awful exposure
and strain and peril to fish for pearls,
and yet they do so, and is 1t not won
der that to get that which the Bible
calls the Pearl of Great Price, worth
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 had found one Pearl OF
Great Price, went and sold all that he
had and bought it."
But what thrills me with suggestive
ness Is the material out Of which all
pearls are made. They are fashioned
from the wound Of the shell-fsh. The
exuda tion from the wound is fixed and
hardened and enlarged into pearl.
The ruptured vessels of the water ami
NAL fashioned the gem that now adornt
finger or earring, or sword hilt, oil
kings crown. So, out Of the wounds
of earth will come the pearls OF heaven
Out OF the wound of conviction the
pearl Of pardon. Out Of the wound oi
bereavement the pearl of solace. Out Of
the wound Of loss the pearl Of gain. Out
of the deep wound of the grave the pear
Of resurrection joy. Out of the wounds
of Saviour's life and a Saviouri
death, the rich, the radiant the ever
lasting pearl of heavenly gladness
"And the twelve gates were twelve
pearls" Take the consolation, all "
who have been hurt whether hurt In
body, or hurt in mind, or hurt in soul
Get your troubles sanctified. II You
suffer with Christ on earth, you will
reign with Him in glory. The tears o.
earth are the crystals Of Heaven
EVERY several gate was one Of pearl.
Tho Trend OF Our Age.
| The trend of our age in theology, al
II