Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-10-12

TlIuminates and Brfrhtens.

ures. And why sickness came, It beil
the precursor Of immortal juvenescent
And now you understand why they Iii
about you and tried to drive you hith
and thither. 1t was to put you In Il
glorious company OF such men as Ign
thus, who when he went out to be d
stroyed by the lions said, Il am Il
wheat, and the teeth OF the wild beas
must first grind me before l can b
come pure bread for Jesus Christi"
the company Of such men as that al
Client Christian martyr" who, wit
standing in the midst Of the amph
theater waiting for the lions to CON
out Of their cave and destroy him, an
the people in the galleries jeering an
shouting, "The lionsw replied, "Lt
them come on" and then, stoopin
down toward the cave where the vii
beasts were roaring to get out, agai
cried, LET them come onp All, yes,
is persecution to put you in gloriou
company, and, while there are man
things that you will have to postpon
to the future world for explanation,
tell you that 1t is the whole tendenc,
of your religion to unravel and explain
and interpret and illumine and irradI
ate. Job was right. 1t is a glorious
transparency. "The crystal canno
equal It."
l remark again that religion surpass
es the crystal In its beauty. The lump
of crystal Is put under the magnifyinQ
glass Of the crystallographer and be
sees In 1t indescrlbable exquisiteness-
snOwdrift and spllnters Of hoarfrcst
and corals and wreaths and stars and
crowns and consultations Of conspicu-
GUS beauty. The fact Is that crystal is
so beautiful that can think Of but one
thing in all the universe that is as beau
tiful, and that Is the religion of the BIZ
BILE. No wonder this Bible represents
that religion as the daybreak, rs the
apple blossoms, rs the glitter of q
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 cross but twenty
times, while 1t mentions a crown
eighty times? Ask that old man what
he thinks Of religion. He has been d
close observer. He has been cultivat-
Ing an aesthetic taste. He has seen the
of half a century. He has
been an early riser He has. been an
admirer Of canoes and corals and all
kinds Of beautiful things. Ask him
what he thinks Of religion, and he will !
ell you: at is the most beautiful thing |
ever saw. The crystal cannot equal |
t."
Beauty of Gods Love.
Beautiful In its symmetry. When 1t
PRESENTS Gods character, 1t does not
present him as having love like q great
on one side Of his nature,
jut makes that love In harmony with
lis justice-a love that will accept all
hose who come to him and a justice
hat will by no means clear the guilty.
'eautiful religion in the sentiment 1t
nplants! Beautiful religion in the
ope 1t kindles! Beautiful religion in
be fact that it proposes to garland and
nthrone and emparadise an immortal
pirit! Solomon says it Is lily. Paul
lys it is a crown. The Apocalypse
lys 1t Is fountain kissed of the sun.
zekiel says 1t is foliaged cedar.
hriSt says 1t Is bridegroom come to
Itch home bride. While Job In the
,xt takes up a whole vase of pre-
Gus stones-the topaz and. the sap
hire and the chrysoprasus-he takes
1t Of this beautiful vase just one
'ystal and holds 1t up until 1t CLEANS
the warm light of the eastern sky,
I'd he exclalms. "The crystal cannot
Iual itw
oh, 1t is not stale religion, It is t
It stupid religion. 1t is not a tooth |
ss hag. as some seem to have repre- Z
nted it; it Is not Meg Merrilies with t
riyeled arm come to scare the world. q
Is the fairest daughter of God, heir b
3 Of all his wealth, her cheeks the 4
)rning sky. her voice the music of C
e south wind, her step the dance Of
2 sea. Come and WOO her. The d
irit and the Bride say come, and y
losoever will let him come. Do you f
rec with Solomon and say 1t is a lily? s.
en- pluck 1t and wear it over your a
art. Do you agree with Paul and say 81
is crown? Then let this hour be a
lr coronation. Do you agree with a
! Apocalypse and say it is a spring. Il
fountain? Then come and slake Il
thirst Of your soul. Do you be- N
'e with Ezekiel and say it is a foli- ii
ID cedar? Then come under Its "
dow. Do you believe with Christ W
say 1t Is a bridegroom come to II
,h home bride? Then strike hands
h your Lord and King while | pro- 81
Ince you eyerlastingly one. Or if nj
think with Job that it is a jewel, pi
n put 1t on your hand like a ring, on se
+ neck like bead, on your forehead pl,
a star, while. looking into the mir of
Of Gods word. you acknowledge wi
e crystal cannot equal It," do
Superior to Crystal. he
gain, religion Is superior to the crys- fie
In its transformations. The dia- DO
I'd is only crystallization. Carbo- frc
, Of lime rises till 1t becomes cal ly
or aragonlte. Red oxide Of copper VIC
tallizes into cubes and octahedrons. an
sc crystals which adorn our per- VIC
and our homes and our museums fla
; only been resurrected from forms wo
were far from lustrous. Scientists my
ages have been examining these or
derful transformations But tell tio
In the gospel Of the Son Of God an
e is more wonderful transforma- say
Over souls by reason Of sin black sar
oal and hard as iron God, by his pet
forting grace, stoops and says, tw'
~ shall be mine In the day when I cha
e up my jewels" tioi
THAT" say you, will God wear