Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-12

the Afternoon, purchasing the ransom oil a
ruined world.
Dive Ina all The seas, explore all the mines,
rrowbsr all the mountains view All tbs
crowned jewels NJ All tue emperors and find
me any gem that can so overwhelmingly
lymbolize that martyrdom as the ruby.
Mark you, there are many gems that are
somewhat like the ruby. So Is the corne-
linn, 30 !, the garnet, 30 is tue spinel, ~
Is the baias, 10 the gems brought from
among the gFayels Of Ceylon aud New south
Wales, but there is only one genuine ruby,
aud that comes from the mine Of Burmah.
And there IS only one Christ, and he comes
from heaven one Redeemer, one Ransom,
one Son Of God. only zone name given I'M
der heaven among men by which we can be
saved"
Ten thousand times ten thousand beauti-
MI limitations OF that ruby, but only one
ruby. Christ had no descendant. Christ
bad no counterpart. In the lifted up gran
dcur aud glory and love and sympathy OF
his character be- is the Incompatible, the
Infinite Onc-"the only wise God, our
Saviour" Let all hearts. all homes, all
times, all eternities bow low before himi
Let his Sauncr be lifted in all our soulBi
An ILLUSTRATING CONTRAST.
In olden times Scotland was disturbed by
frcebooters and pirates. 10 rid the seas
and ports Of these desperadoes tho hero
William Wallace fitted out merchant
vessel but filled 10 with armed men and
put out 20 sra Thn pirates, with their flag
inscribed Of deaths head, thinking they
would get nm easy prize, bore down upon
the Scottish merchantuan, when tue armed
men OF Wallace boarded he craft OF the
pirates aud put them in chainsand then
o. 3 a.. p4rss.
And so our souls, assaulted Of sin and death
and hell, through Christ are rescued, and
the black flag Of sin Is torn down, and the
striped flag Of the cfoss is hoisted. Blessed
be God for any sign, for any sigual, for any
precious stoue that brings to mind the price
paid for such rescued
like the coral, for 1t seems the snlidihed
foam Of breakers, and like the Jasper for
It gathers II u1lors into It's bosom, and
like the jet, for II congresses the shadows
Of many midnights, fJd like the chryso.
prase because It's purple is illumined with
small heaven OF stars, and | like the
Chrysolitc Tor It's waves Of color, which
seem on fire But this morning nothing so
imprcsses me MS the ruby for IL depicts, 10
typihos, 10 suggests 'the blood Of jesus
Christ that cleanseth from all sim "With-
out the shedding Of blood there is no re-
mission" Yea, solomon was right when
in my text he said wisdom is better than
rubies.'
To bring ont contrast that will Illustrate
my text put before you two last earthly
scenes. The one Is in u room with rubjes,
but no religion, aud the other in room
with religion, but no rubles. Nuu enter tho
FIRST room where nn nilluent and worldly
man is about to quit this life. There is
al
vases, There is aruby in the henddress Of
the queenly wife
On the finger u the dying man there Ia y
ruby. The presence Of these rubies implies
opulcnca Of all kinds. The pictures ON tho
walls are herlooms or the trophies OF llu.
ropean travel The curtains are from for.
cign looms. The rugs are from Damascus
or Cairo The sofas nre stuffed with ensu
and quotude The rocking chairs roll back
ward and forward on lullabies The pillows
are cxquisttly embroidered An the Hp.
pOiutmcuts Of the room arc perUrntlon
to a successful commercial or professional
life But the man has no religion, never
has had and never professed to have. Theirs
Is not u Bible or one religious book In tho
room.
The departing man feels that his earthly
career is ended aud nothing opens beyond
Where he will land stepping OH from this
life is n mystery, or whether no will lnnd
at all, for it may b1 humiliation He has
no prayer to offer, aud he does not know
how to pray No hope OF meeting again in
another stat0 Of existence, lo is through
with this life and IS sure Of no other Tho
ruby on the mnutel and the ruby on tho
wasted finger Of the departing one say
nothing Of the rausoming blood which they
ID. Il.
or illumination 70 II departing spirit thoy
ore dead failure Midnight Of utter hope.
lessness drops on all the scene,
AN IDEA or HEAVEN.
Another room Of mortal exit. Religion
and no rabies, She never had money
enough to buy one Of these cxqulsltcs.
Sometimes she stopped at jewelers. show
window and saw a row Of them incArnudin-
ing the velvet. She had keen taste enough
/ to appreciate those gems, but she never
owned one OF them. She was not jealous
or unhappy because others had rubies while
she had none. Rut she had u richer treas
ure, and that was the grace OF God that bad
comforted her along the way amid be
reavements and temptations and persecu-
tions and sickuesses and privations and
trials OF all sorts Now she Is going ont OF
life.
The room Is bright-not with pictures or
statues, not with upholstery, not with any
Of the gems OF mountain or OF sea, but there
IS n strange aud vivid glow In the room
not the light OF chandelier, rstar, or noon
day sun, but something that outshines all
OF them. ~ must be the presence OF super
naturals. From her illumiucd face / think
she must hoJr sweet voices. Yea, she does
hear sweet voices-yoices Of departed kin
dred, voices apostolic and prophetic and
evangelic, but all OF them overpowcrcd by
the voice OF Christ, saying, Como, yo
blessed OF my father, inherit the kingdom 70
From her lllumined face | think she
must hear raptufous music. Yea, she does
hear rapturous music now soft as solos.
now thunderous as orchestrss, nova saint.
ly voice alone, now the hundred and forty
and four thousand In concert From her
illumined face think She must breathe
redolonoe. Yea, she does inhale aroma from,
on the gardens whose flowers mover wlther,
and from the blossoms Of orchards every
tree OF which bears twelve manner OF fruit.
From her illunined face think she must
see glorious sight. Yes, She sees the wall
that has jasper at tho base. and amethyst
at the top, and blood rcd rubles between.
Goodhy, sweet soul Why should YOU long.
er stayl Your work all done; your burdens
all carried; your teau all weptl Forward
into the light Up into the ioyl Out into