Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-10-11

or your religion To unr6vel and explain
and Interpret and illumine and irradI-
ate. Job was right. 1t is n glorious
transparency. The crystal cannot
equal IT."
l remark again thGt religion surpass-
es the crystal In its beauty The lump
OF crystal is put under the magnifying
glass OF the crystaliographer. and he
sees I'm IL iDdescrlbable exquisiteness-
snowdrift and splinters OF hoarfrost
and cosals 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 b.
BILE. 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-seven
times. while IL mentions a crown
eighty times? Ask that old man what
he thinks OF religion. He has been a
close observer. He has been eultivat-
ing an aesthetic taste. He has seen the
SunriseS 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 lie thinks OF religion. and he will
tell you: 1T is the most beautiful thing
l ever saw. The crystal cannot equal
it,"
Beauty OF Gods Love.
Beautiful in its symmetry. When II
presents Gods character, it does not
present him as having love like n great
protuberance on one side of his nature.
but makes that love in harmony with
his juStice-a love that will accept all
those who come to him and a justice
that Will by no means clear the guilty.
Beautiful religion In the sentiment il
implantsl Beautiful religion In the
hope IL kindles, Beautiful religion IN
the fact that 1t proposes to garland and
enthrone and emparadise an immortal
spirit! Solomon says II is lily. Paul
says il Is crown. The Apocalypse
says II Is n fountain kissed of the sun.
Ezekiel says Il is foliaged cedar.
Ns-Ai~e soy IL ~ a DllONkEOOnl COUlG 10
fetch home 4 bride. While Job In the
text takes up q whole vase CT pre-
cious stones-the topaz and the sap
phire and the chrysoprasus-he takes
out OF this beautiful vase just one
crystal and holds II up until it CLEANS
in the warm light Of the eastern sky,
and he exclains, THE crystal cannot
equal itr'
Oh, ii Is not a stale religion, 1t is
not stupid religion, II is not a tooth
less bag. as some seem to have repre-
sented II; II Is not Meg Merrilies with
shrlveled arm come TO scare the world
IT is the fairest daughter OF God, heir
ess OF ali his wealth, her cheeks the
morning sky, her voice 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 viii let him come. Do You
agree with Solomon and say II Is a lilly?
Then pluck 1t and wear It over your
heart. Do you agree with Paul and say
1t is crown? Then let this hour be
your coronation. Do you agree with
the Apocalypse and say it is a spring
ing fountain? Then come and Stake
the thirst OF your soul. Do you be-
lieve with Ezekiel and say Il is n foil
aged cedar? Then come under It's
shadow. Do you believe with Christ
and say Il is bridegroom come to
fetch home a bride? Then strike hands
with your Lord and King while / pro-
nounce you evcrlastingly one. Or IL
you think with Job that IL is a Jewel.
then put IL on your hand like n ring. on
your neck like bead. on your forehead
like star. while, looking into the mir
ror OF Gods word, you acknowledge
THE crystal cannot equal It."
Superior TO Crystal.
Again, religion is superior TO the crys-
tai in its transformations The dia-
mond is only capitalization. Carlo
nate Of lime rises till 1t becomes cal
cite or aragonite. Red oxide OF copper
crystalliZes into cubes and octahedrons.
Those crystals which adorn our per-
sons and our homes and our museums
nave only been resurrected from forms
that were far from lustrous. Scientists
for ages have been examining these
wonderful transformations. But tell
you in the gospel of the Son OF God
there is n more wonderful transforma-
ton. Over souls by reason OF sin black |
as coal and hard as iron God. by his |
comforting grace. stoops and says. |
They shall be mine in the day when ] |
make mp my Jewels
What" say you, "will God wear
JewelryI" II he wanted It, he could
make the stars OF heaven his belt and
have the evening cloud for the sandals
or his feet. But he does not want that
adjournment lie Will not have that Jew
eiry When God wants jewelry. be
comes down and digs It out OF the
depths and darkness OF sin. These
souls are all crystallizations OF mercy.
he puts them on, and he wears them
In the presence OF the whole universe.
lie wears them on the hand that was
nailed, over the heart that was pierced.
on the temples that We're stung. "They
shall be NINE" saith the Lord. I'm the
day when | make up my Jewels"
Wonderful transformation Where Sin
soounded grace shall much more
abound. The carbon becomes the soli-
taiFe. The crystal cannot equal it,"
Now. have no liking for those peo-
pie who are always enlarging In Chris
tian meetings about their early dissipa.
tion- Do not so into the particulars,
my brothers. Simply say you were
Sick, but make no display OF your III
GERS. The chief stock In trade of some
ministers and Christian workers seems
TO be their early crimes and dissipa-
lions. The number OF pockets you pick
ed and the number OF chickens you
stole make very poor prayer meeting
Besides that, 1t discourages
other Christian people who never got
drunk or stole anything. But Il IL
pleasant to know that those who were
tathest down have been brought high
est up. Out Of internal serfdom into
eternal liberty. Out OF darkness into
light. From coal to the solitaire. '.Fhe
crystal cannot equal IT."
Light OF the Gospel.
But, my friends, the chief transform
Ing power OF the gospel Will not be