The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-11-01

hons" replied 'Tet them come onw and
then, STOPPING down toward the cave
where the wild beasts were roaring 90 get
G {. again cried, "Lcl them come oni"
All, yes, 10 is persecution b put you IN
glorious company, and while there are
many things that you will have TO post
pOne 20 the future world for explanation,
! tell you that 10 Is the whole tendency
of your religion TO unravel and explain
and interpret and illumine and irradiate.
job was right. IL is a glorious trauspar-
ency. 1.-THE crystal cannot equal it."
/ remark again that religion SURPRISES
the crystal ia its beauty. The lump of
crystal is put under the maguifying glass
Of the crystallographer, and he sees in It
indescrbable exquisteness-sno and
splintcrs Of hoarfrost and corals and
wreaths and stars and crowns and conste-
lations Of conspicuous beauty. The fact is
that crystal IL so beautiful that / can
think Of but ono thing in al the universe
that is as beautiful and that is the rei-
gion OF the Bible No wonder this Bible
represents that religion as the daybreak,
as the apple blossoms, as the glitter Of
kings banquet. 1t is the Joy OF the
whole earth.
People talk too much about their cross
and not enough about their crown. DO
YOU know that the Bible mentions a cross
but twenty-seEen times, while 1t mentions
a crown eighty times? Ask that old man
what he thinks Of religion. He has been
a close observer. He has been cultivating
an aesthetic taste. He has seen the sum
rises Of half n century. He has been an
early riser. He has been an admirer OF
canoes and corals and all kinds of beauti-
full things Ask him what he thinks OF re.
ligon. and he will tell you: ut is the most
beautiful thing | ever saw. The crystal
cannot equal it,"
Beautiful in its symmetry. When 1t
presents Gods character, it does not pre-
sent Him as having love like a great pro-
tuberance on one side of His nature, but
makes that love in harmony with His JUS
tice-a love that will accept all those who
come to Him and justice that will by
no means clear the guilty. Beautiful rel-
gion in the sentiment it implants! Beau
! tiful religion in the hone it kindles! Beau
tiful religion in the fact that it proposes
to garland and enthrone and emparadise
an immortal spirit Solomon saws it is
| lily. Paul says it is a crown. The Apo
calypso saws it is a fountain kissed Of the
sun. Ezekiel says it is foliaged cedar.
! Christ SAYS it is a BRIDEGROOM come to
! fetch home a bride. While Job in the
| text takes up a whole vase of precious
stones-the topaz and the sapphire and
! the chrysoprasus-he takes out of this
beautiful vase Just one crystal and holds
! it up until it CLEANS in the warm light OF
! the eastern GlSy, and he exclaims, 1.-THE
crystal cannot equal it!'
Oh, it is not a stale religion, it is not a
stupid religion, it is not a toothless bag, as
some seem to have represented it; it is
not Meg Merrihes with shriveled arm
come to scare the world. It is the fairest
daughter Of God, heiress Of all His wealth,
her cheeks the morning sky, herlvoice the
music of the south wind, her step the
dance of the sea. Come and WOO her.
The Spirit and the Bride say come, and
whatsoever win let him como. DO you
agree with Solomon and say it is hlyY
Then pluck it and wear it over your heart.
Do you agree with Paul and say it is a
crown? Then let this hour be your coro-
nation. Do you agree with the Apoca::
lypse and say it is a springiin1g fountain
Then come and slake the thirst Of your
soul. Do you believe with Ezekiel and
say it is foliaged cedar? Then come un'
der its shadow. Do you believe with
Christ and say it is bridegroom come to
fetch home a bride? Then strike hands
with your Lord and King while / pro-
nounce you everlastingly one. Or if you
think with Job that it is jewel, then put
it on your hand like a ring, on your neck
like a bead, on your forehead like a star,
while, looking into the mirror of Gods
word, you acknowledge "The crystal can
not equal it."
what" say you, will God wear jew
elry" If He wanted it He could make
the stars of heaven His belt. and have The
evening cloud for the sandals of His feet
But He does not want that adornment
He will not have that jewelry. WheI
God wants jewelry He comes down anC
digs it out of the depths and darkness O.
sin. These souls are all crystallizations o.
mercy He puts them on, and He wears
them in the presence of the whole uni
verse. He wears them on the hand thai
was nailed, over the heart that wal
"They shall be Mine" saith the Lord, III
the day when I make up NV jewels.
Wonderful transformation! Where sill
abounded grace shall much more abound
The carbon becomes the solitaire. "Iht
crystal cannot equal it,"
Three crystals! John SAYS crystal at
mosphere. That means health. Balm 0
eternal June. What weather after thu
worlds east wind! No rack of storm
clouds. One breath of that air will cur
the worst tubercle. Crystal light on al
the topaz of the temples; crystal ligh
tossing in the plumes of the equestrian
| Of heaven on white horses. But 9TH
, crystal cannot equal it." John says crys
} tai river. That means JOY. Deep an,
( ever rolling. Not one drop Of the Potoma
or the Hudson or the Rhine to soil it; no
one tear of human sorrow to imbitter il
= Crystal, the rain out of which it was made
crystal, the bed over which it shall rol
and ripple; crystal, its infinite surface
e But "the crystal cannot equal it." job
says crystal sea, That means multitude
{ nously vast, vast in rapture, rapture vas
as the seq deem as the sea strong as th