Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-02-16
REV. DR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
Subjects "Rubles snrpassea.y

1IONerDS VIII, II.
You-havDaI seen the precious stone COM
monty called the ruby. II Is OF deep red
color. The Bible makes much OF It. 1t
glowed in the first row OF the high priests
breastpate. Under another name II stoo5
in the wall of heaven. Jeremiah compares
the ruddY cheek ofthe Nazarites TO the ruby.
Ezekiel points II out in the robes OF the king
OF Tyre. Four times does Solomon use 1t as
a symbol by which TO extol wisdom or reiic-
ion, always setting its value as better than
rubies.
The world does not agree as 10 how the
precious stones were formed. The ancients
thought that amber was made Of drops of
Precipitation OF the goddess &c. The thun-
derstone was supposed TO have dropped from
stormcloud. The emerald was said TO
have been made OF the FREELY. The lapis
lazuli was thought to have been born Of the
cry Of an Indian giant. And modern min.
eralogists say that the precious stones were
made OF gases and liquids. To me the ruby
seems like a spark from the anvil Of the set
! ting sun.
The home OF the genuine ruby is Burmah.
and sixty miles from is capital, where lives
and reigns the ruler. called Lord OF the
Rubies." Under a careful Governmental
guard are these valuable mines OF ruby kept,
Rarely has any foreigner visited them When
n
brought forth with elaborate ceremony. n
procession was formed, and with all BAN
nered pomp, military guard and princely at
tondants the gem was brought TO tho kings
| palace
OF great value is the ruby. much more 90
than diamond. as lapidaries and jewellers
will tell YOU. An expert on this subject
writes. "A ruby Of perfect color weighing
five carats Is worth ut the present day ten
times ms much as diamond OF equal weight"
II was a disaster when Charles the Bold lost
the ruby he was wearing at the battle OF
Grandson. It was n great nffldence when
Rudolph II Of Austria inherited a ruby from
his sister, the queen dowager. It was thought
10 have had much TO DO with the victory OF
Henry V. as he wore It into the battle OF
AgncOurt.
It Is the pride OF the Russian court to own
the largest ruby OF the world. presented by
Gustavus Ill to the Russian Empress. Won
drous ruby II has electric characteristics,
and there are lightnings compressed in its
double six sided prisms. What shall call
~ 1t is frozen fire 1t is petrihed blood
In all the world there is only one thing more
valuable, and myteXt makes the comparison,
"WisdOm is better than ruoies.
But it is impossible 10 compare two things
together unless there are some points Of sim
ilarity as well rs OF difference. | am glad
there is nothing LACKING here. The ruby Is
more beautiful in the night and under the
lamplieht than by day. It is preferred for
evening adOrnment. How the ruoies glow
and burn and fash as the lights lift the dark
| ness Catherine of Aragon hid on her finger
a ruby that fairly lanterned the night.
Sir John Vaudeville, tho celebrated trav-
eler Of 400 years ago. said that the Emperor
OF China had n ruby that made the night as
.f.af.f s. hot
mon, under some OF the lamps that ilumined
his cedar pnlace by night, noticed the pecu-
liar glow Of the ruby as it looked in the hilt
OF a sword or hung in some fold OF the up
holstery, or bcau;iied the lip of some chalce,
while he was thinking at tine same time OF
the excelency Of our holy religion as chiefly
seen in the night Of trouble, and no cries out,
"Wsdom is better than rubies.
Oh. yes, it is a gOolthing TO have religion
while the sun Of prosperity rides high and
everything is brilliant in fortune, i'm health,
10 worldly favor. Yet YOU can at such time
hardly tell how much OF it is natural exuber-
nnce and how much OF it is the grace OF God.
But let the sun set and the shadows ava
lanche the plain. and the thick darkness OF
sickness or poverty or persecution or mental
exhaustion nh the soul and III the house
and M the world then YOU sit down hy tho
lamp OF Gods word. and under its light the
con. olatons OF the gospel come out the
peace Of God which passeth all understand
ing appears. You never fully appreciate
their power until in the deep night oftroubie
the Divine Lamp revealed their exquisite
ness. Pearls and amethysts for the day, but
rubies for the night.
All OF the books OF the Bible attempt in
some way tho assuacement OF misfortune.
OF the $50 psalms OF David at least ninety
allude 10 trouble There are sighings in
every wind. and tears In every brook and
pangs in every heart. Il was originality pro-
posed TO call the Presidents residence ut
Washington The Palace or tho EXecu-
tive Mansion. but after it was destroyed in
the war Of 1Si4 and rebuilt in was painted
white TO cover M the marks of the smoke
and fire that had biacSencd The stone walls.
Hence it was called The White House.
Most otthings now white with atiractivcnes5
were once black with disaster.
What the world most needs il the consola-
tory. and here it comes. our holy religion,
with both hands full OF anO lync- and soda
lives and basams. as in Daniels time 10 stop
mouths l,Onine as in Shalrach'- time %
cool blast furnaces rs in EzekieIs time %
console captivity; rs in II. Johns time iO
unroll an apocalypse over rocky desolations.
Hear its soothing voice rs it declares
weeping may endure for night. hut joy
cometh in the morning. The mOutains
shall depart and the hills be removed, but
Ny loving kindness shall not depart from
you. Whom the Lord loycth Re chas-
teneth' They shall hunger no moro,
neither thirst any mor', neither shall the
sun light on them, nor any heat, for the
Lamb which is in the midst of the throne
shall load them to living fountains OF water,
and God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes.
The most wholesome thing on earth is
trouble. il met I'm Christian spirit To make
Paul what he was il took ship wreck. AMI
whipping the bare back and penitentiary,
and pursuit OF wild mObs. AMI the sword OF
decapitatiOn. To make David what he was
It took all that Ahithophcl and Saul and Alb
salon and Goliath and all the Philistino
hosts could do against him. II took Robert
Chambers's malformation Of feet 70 lake
him the literary cOnqucrOr.
II was bereavement that brought William
Hawortb. OF Wesley's time from wickedness
TO an evangelism that won many thousands
for heaven. The world would never have
known what heroic stuff Ridley was made OF
had not the fires been kindled around his
feet. and not liking this slow work he cried
"I cannot burn. Let the fire come to me. l
cannot burn" Thank God that there arc
gems that unfold their best glOries under the
lamplght Thank God for the ruby.
Moreover, am sure Solomon was right in
saving that religion or wisdom Is better than
rubies, from the fact that Il thing is worth
what il will fetch. Religion will fetch solid
happiness, and the ruby will not. In all
your observation did you ever find q person
thoroughly felicitated by an incrustment OF
Jewels? As you know more % yourself than
any one else, are you happier now with
worldly adornmenis and successes than be-
fore YOU won them? Does the picture that
cost you hundreds or thousands ofdollars on
your wall bring you as much satisfaction as
the engraving that at the expense OF IS was
hung upon the wall when you first began to
keep house?
Do all the cutlery and rare plate that gilt
ter on your extension dining table. surround
ed by fattering guests, contain more OF rea-
bliss than the plain ware of your first table,
at which sat only two? Does wardrobe
crowded with costly attire give you moro
satisfaction than your first clothes closet
with its four or five pegs? Did not the plain
ring set on the third finger OF the left hand
on the day OF your beirOthal give more glad
ness than the ruby that is now enthroned on
the third finger Of your right hand?
II in this journey Of life we have Iearned
anything. we have learned that this world,
neither with its emOluments nor gains, can
satisfy the soul. Why. here come as many
witnesses as / wish TO call 10 the stand to
testify that before high heaven and the
world In companionship with Jesus Christ
~ IT batf fool iOV