Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-02-16

the Christian to endure and live An aged
aunt said to me DE Witt. three times |
have tainted dead away under too great
Christian JOY. II was In all three cases at
the holy communion
An eminent Christian man while in prayer
said stop. LDpd cannot bear any more
OF this glndness II {, too much for mortal
Wihhold' withholdT We have heard OF
poor workmrn or workwomen getting a let
ter suddenly telling them that a fortune had
been left them, and how they we're almost
beside themselves with glee. taking the first
snip 10 claim thu estate. But, oh, what IL IA
TO wake up cut % the stupor o; a sinful life,
and through pardonng grace find that all
our earthly existence will be diviney man
aged for our best welfare. and that then ali
heaven will roll 10 upon tho SOUL
Compared with that n spring morning il
stupid, and an August sunset il inane, and
aurora has no pillared splendor, and a dia-
mOnd has no Hash. and pearl no light, and
berry no aquaInarIne, and "a ruby no ruddi-
ness. My gracious Lord Ny glorious
God My precious Christ Roll over on us
few pillows oithN capture AMI now
ask you. M fair minded men and women.
accustomed to make comparisons, is not
such a JOY US that worth more than ANYTHING
one can have In n Jewcled casket? Was not
solomon right when he said, Wisdom Is bet
Ter than rubies?'
There Is also somethin; IN the deep car
mine Of the ruby that suggests the sacrifice
On which our whole system OF religion de-
ponds. While the emerald suggests the
meadows, md the sapphire the skies and
the opal the sea. the ruby suggests the blood
OF sacrifice The most emphatic aud start.
ling oi all colors has the ruby. solomon. the
author OF my text knew all about the sacri-
fee Of lamb and dove on the affairs OF the
I'M In tV,t h, 81.
hcia! hool, and what other precious stone
could he 50 well use to symbolic II US the
ruby! Red. intensely red. red rs the blood
otthe greatest martyr Of MI time--Jesus of
the centuries Drive the story Of the crLci-
fiNion out Oi the Bible and the doctrine OF
the Htonemeut out OF our religion and there
would be nothing Of Christianity la't for our
worship or our admiration
Why should It ho hari L. adopt the Bible
theory that our redemption was purchased
10y blood; What great bridge ever sprung ITS
arcncs. wnht temple eyer reared It's towers,
what Nation ever achieved its Independence.
what mighty good WAS ever done without
sAcriticc Of life, The great wonder OF the
world. the bridge that unites these two cities,
cost the life ot the first architect Ask the
shipyarlS OF Glasgow aud New York how
many carpenters went down under accidents
bcior" the steamer was launched ask tho
three great tranScoatIncntal railroads how
many In their construction were buriet nm
der gambling rnlhankmentS or crushed un-
der timber, or destroyed blythe powder blast
labulatc the statistics o how many mothers
have been HI1rtyrS to the cradle of sick chill
dren. Tell rs how many men sacrificed nerv.
and muscle and brain and life IN the effort
TO support their h0oseholds Tell MS how
| many men in England, ia France. in Ger
many. in Italy in the United States. have
| died tor their country. NicariouS suffering
is as old us the world. but tho most thrilling,
the most startling, the most stupendouS
sacrifice OF all time and eternity was on n
! blum back Of Jerusalem when ono Being took
| upon Himself the sins. the aXonies the per-
| ditton OF great multitude that no man can
| number between II clock OF darkened
noon and 3 O'Clock III the afternoon. purchas-
ing the ransom Of n ruinei world.
| Dive in all the seas, explore all the mines.
| crowhar all the mountains. view all the
| crowned jewels " all the emporors. ana find
me any gem that can so Overwhelmingly
! symbolic TINT martyrdom ms the ruby
Mark you. there are many gems that ar"
| somewhat like the ruby. So Is the comedian.
SO Is the garnet, so is the spinel. so is III.
| balaG. SO the gems brought from among the
| gravels Of Ceylon and New South Wales. but
there Is only one genuine ruby. and that
comes from the mine OF Burmah. Aud There
is only one Christ and He comes from
heaven. One Redeemer one Ransom. one
Son OF God, only "onc name given under
heaven among men BY which We IAN he
saved
leu thousand times ID. 900 beautiful imitG-
tons of that ruby, but only one ruby. Christ
hal no descendant. Christ had no counter
part In the lifted up grandeur and glory
and love and sympathy Of Ills character lie
Is the Incompatible the Infinite One The
only wise Cod. our saviour Let all hearts,
| all homes. all times, all etcrnites. bow low
| before Him Let His banner he lifted in all
! our souls
In olden times scotland was disturbed hv
frrebonters and pirates. To rid the seas
AMI ports Of these desperadoes the hero
! William Wallace lifted out merchant YES
Srls. hut filled II with armed men aud put
ont to SEA. The pirates, with their flag IN.
scribed Of deaths head. thinking they
would get an easy prize, bore down upon
| the Scottish merrhantman, when the armed
men OF Wallace boarded tho craft Of the
pirates and put them in chains and then
sailed for port under the Scotch flag flying
Aud to our souls. a>sailed OF sin and death
AMI hell thrOuga Christ ar rescued and
the black nag ~ aiu IS torn down. and the
striped naG Of the cross is hoisted. Blessed
be God Tor any sign Tor any signal, for any
precious stone that bring o mini the price
paid for such rescue,
| like the c5rt ior it SEAMS the solidi iei
foam Of breaker, an { Ike the Jasper, for
1t gathers seventeen cnlors into ITS
bosom, an I like the jet, for It congresses
the shadows oi many mi nights and 1 like
the chrN soprdse because its purple is illu
mir e.! with IA smal! heaven Of stars and
like the chry. ult" Tor it, waves Of color
which seem on fire. But this morning moth
Ing go inpresseS me az the ruby, for 1t de
picts il typiIes il suggests Tho blood o
Jesus Christ that cleanse.h from nil sin.
Without the shcd ling OF bloc there is nc
remission. Yea, solomon was right wheI
in my text he said, "Nisio II Is better than
rubcs.
70 bring ont contrast that will illustrate
my text, lput before You two last earthly
scenes The one Il In n room with rubies
but no religion aud the other Ia a room
with religion. but no rubes. Ion enter tn
first room, where an afinent and world,
man is about TO quit this life. There Is
ruby on the manteI possibly among tn,
vases. There Is n ruby in the headdresS o
the queenly wife.
On the finger Of the dying man there is a
ruby. Tho presence of these rubies implie
opuence of all kinds. The pictures on thu
walls are heirooms or the trophies OF Eu
ronean travel The curtains are from foreig
/ lOOulS. lHo rugs HES lIpHl v
Cairo. The sofas are stuffed with ease ant
quietude. The rocking chairs roll back
warl and forward on lullabies. The pillow
are exquisitely embroidered All the ap
pointments OF the room are peroraton to
successful commercial or professional life
But the man has no religion, never has ha
and never professel to have There IL no
u Bible or one religious book IN the room.
The departing man feels that his earthl
career is ended, and nothing opens beyont
Where he will land stepping of from this III
is Il mystery, or whether he will land at al
for It may be- humiliation. He has n
, prayer TO offer, and he does not know how
pray. No hope OF meeting again In anothe
state Of existence. He is through with thi
life and is sure OF no other Tho ruby o
the mantel and the ruby OH the wasted fin
ger OF the departing one say nothing OF tn
ransoming blood which they so mghtll
.typify. SO far as giving solace or illumina
, -. 4 .H--la