Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-02-16

compared with that spring morning IS
stupid, and an August sunset Is lnane. and
aurora has no pillared splendor, and dia-
mond has no fash, and pearl no light, and
n berry no aquamarine, and ruby no ruddi-
ness. My gracious Lord My glorious
God Ny precious Christ Roll over on us
a few pillows OF that rapture. Aud now
I ask you, as fair minded men and women,
accustomed to make comparisons, is not
such JOY rs that worth more than anything
one can have in joweled casket2 Was not
Solomon right when he said, Wisdom Is bet-
ter than rubiesY
There is also something In the deep car
mine OF the ruby that suggests the sacrifice
Cd which our whole system of religion de-
J ponds. While the emerald suggests the
meadows, and the sapphire the skies. and
the opal the sea, the ruby suggests the blood
OF sacrifice The most emphatic and start
ling OF all colors has the ruby. Solomon, the
author OF my text, knew all about the sacri-
flee of lamb and dove on the affairs OF the
temple. and he knew the meaning OF sacri-
fetal BLOOD and what other precious stone
could he so we'll use 10 symbolic il rs tho
ruby? Red. intensely red, red as the blood
ofthe greatest martyr of all tlme-Jesus of
the centuries Drive the story OF the cruci-
ilxion out OF the Bible and the doctrine Of
the atonement out Of our religion, and there
|
| worship or our admiration
Why should IT be hard TO adopt the Bible
theory that our redemption was purchased
/ by blood? What great bridge ever sprung its
arches, what temple ever reared its towers,
what Nation ever achieved its independence
what mighty good was ever done without
sacrifice Of life2 The great wonder Of the
world, the bridge that unites these two cities,
cost the lie OF the first architect. Ask the
shipyards OF Glasgow and New York how
many carpenters went down under accidents
before the steamer was launched ask the
| three great transcontinental railroads how
many in their construction were buried un-
der crumbling embankments or crushed I'M
der timbers or destroyed by the powder blast.
Tabulate thestatistics ofhow many mothers
have been martyrs to the cradle OF sick chill
| dren. Tell us how many men sacrificed nerve
/ and muscle and btain and life in the effort
TO support their households Tell us how
many men In England in France. in Ger
many, in Italy, in the United States, have
died Tor their country. Yicarious suffering
Is as old ms the world, but the most thrilling,
tho most startling, the lpOst stupendous
sacrifice OF all time and eternity was on a
bluf back OF Jerusalem when one Being took
upon Himself the sins, the agonies, the per-
| dition Ola great multitude that no man can
number between II o'clock of darkened
noon and 3 O'Clock in the afternoon. purchas-
, ing the ransom Of ruined world.
Dive in all tho seas, explore all the mines.
crowbar all the mountains. view all tho
crowned jewels OF all the emperors. and find
me any gem that can 80 Overwhelmingly
symbolic that mauyrdOm rs the ruby.
Mark you. there are many gems that arc
somewhat like the ruby. So is the cornelian.
50 Is the garnet, 50 IS the spinel, so Is the
I la1o - A..
grayels Of Ceylon and New South Wales. but
there Is only one genuine ruby and that
comes from the mine Of Burmah. And there
is only ono Christ, and He comes from
heaven. One Redeemer, one Ransom. one
Son Of God, only zone name given under
heaven among men by which we can bo
saved"
Ten thousand times 10000 beautiful imta-
tons Of that ruby, but only one ruby. Christ
had no descendant. Christ had no counter
part In the lifted up grandeur and glory
and love and sympathy OF His character He
is the Incompatible, the Infinite One ''The
only wise God. our Saviour Let all hearts,
all homes, all times. all eternities. bow low
before Him Let His banner be lifted in all
our souls
In olden times Scotland was disturbed by
frecbooters and pirates. To rid the seas
and ports Of these dcsperldoes the hero
William Wallace Cited out merchant yes
sells, but filled II with armed men and put
out 10 sea. The pirates. with their flag in
scribel OF a deaths head thinking they
would get an easy prize, bore down upon
the Scottish m,rchantman. when tho armed
men Of Wallace boarded the craft OF the
pirates and put them in chains and then
sailed for port nm Ter the Scotch nag flying.
And 10 our souls, ass2ilet of sin and death
and hell, through Christ are rescued ami
the black flag OF sin is torn down, and tho
striped flag OF the cross is hoisted. Blessed
be God for any sign. for any signal, Tor any
precious stone that brings % min1 the price
paid for such a res rue.
like the coral. for II scans the solilifci
] foam Of breakers, an1I like tho jasper, for
II gathers seventeen cOlors into its
bosom, an like the jet, for it congresses
+ the shadows o. many midnights. and i like
the chrys0prasa because is purple is ilu-
mir with q smal. heaven Of stars ami I
ike the eiry,ote for lis waves Oi c0lo-
which seem ou fire. Bu. this morning moth
in- SO inpresses mo rs the ruby for IL de-
piots. it typncs. il suggests "rho blool of
Jesus Christ that clcJnseih from all sin.
Without the Shedding OF hlOOi ther' is no
remission. Yea. solomon was right when
in my text ne said, Wis ION Is better than
rubics.'
To bring out a contrast that will illustrate
my text Iput before YOU two last earthly
scenes. The one IL in room with rubie-.
bu. no religion, and the other I'm a room
with religion. but no rublcs You enter the
first room. where an afiuent and worldly
man is ABOUT TO quit this life There is
ruby on the mante possibly among the
vases. There is a ruby IN the headdress of
the queenly wife.
on the finger OF the DYING man there is
ruby. The presence Of these rubies implies
opuence Of AL kinds. The pictures on thu
walls are heirlOOms or the trophies OF Eu-
ropean travel Tho curtains are from foreign
looms. The rugs are from Damascus or
Cairo. The sofas are stuffed with ease AMI
Quietude. The rocking chairs roll back
ward and forward on lullabies. The pillows
are exquisitely embroidered. All the mp
pointments OF the room are peroration TO
successful commercial or professional life.
But the man has no religion. never has hal
and never protessei to have There IL not
a Bible or one religious book in the room.
The departing man feels that bis earthI
career = ended. and nothing opens beyond.
Where he will land stepping Of from this lie
Is n mystery. or whether he will land mt all.
for II may be annihilatiou. He has DO
prayer TO offer. and he does not know howto
pray. 40 hope Of meeting again in another
state Of existence. He is through with this
life and is sure Of no other. The ruby on
the mantel and the ruby on the wasted I'm
ger Of the departing ono say nothing OF tho
ransomlng blood which they so nightly
typify. So far rs giving solace or ilumna-
tion to a departing spirit. they are q dead
failure. Midnight Of utter hopelessncss
drops on all the scene.
Another room OF mortal exit. Religion
and no rubies. She never had money enough
10 buy one OF these exquisites. Sometimes
she stopped at a jewelers. show window and
saw row Of them incarnadning the velvet
She had keen taste 10 appreciate those gems.
but she never owned one Of them. She was
not jealous or unhappy because others hal
rubies while she had none. nj she had a
richer treasurer. and that was she grace OF
God that had comforied her along the way
amid bereavements and temptations and per-
secuiions and sickness and privations AMI
trials of all sorts. Now she is going out Of
life.
The reom is bright. not with pictures or
statues, not with upholstery, not with any OF
the gems OF mountain or OF sea. but there IS
a strange and vivid glow in the room. Not
the light OF the chandelier or star or noon
day sun. but something that outshines all Of
them. 1t must be the presence OF super
naturals. From her iliumined face think
she must hear sweet voices. Yea, she does
hear sweet voices-voices OF departed kin-
dred. voices apostolic and prophetic aud
pvanOalfe but all Of them OypruOWered hy