The Iola register., 1901-10-11

and tried to drive you hither and
thither. 1t was to put you in the
glorious company of such men as lg-
natius, who, when he went out to be
destroyed by the lions, said: 81 am
the wheat, and the teeth of the wild
beasts must first grind me before l
can become pure bread for Jesus
Christ" Or the company of such men
as that ancient Christian martyr"
who, when standing in the midst of
the amphitheater waiting for the
| lions to come out of their cave and
destroy him and the people in the
galleries jeering and shouting: THE
| lions!" replied: LET them come on!"
and then, STOPPING down toward the
cave where the wild beasts were roar
ing to get out, again cried: Let
them come on!" All, yes, it is perse-
cution to put you in glorious com
pany, and while there are many
! things that you will have to postpone
| to the future world for explanation,
/ tell you that it is the whole tend
ency of your religion to unravel and
explain and interpret and illumine
and irradiate. job was right. II is
a glorious transparency. THE crys-
tai cannot equal it,"
I remark again that religion sur
passes the crystal in its beauty. The
lump of crystal is put under the mag
! nifying glass of the crystallograph-
er and he sees in it indescribable ex-
siteness-snowdrift and splinters
of hoar frost and corals and wreaths
and stars and crowns and constelln-
tions of conspicuous beauty. The fact
is that crystal is so beautiful that |
can think of but one thing in all the
universe that is as beautiful, and
that is the religion of the Bible. No
wonder this Bible represents that re-
ligion as the daybreak, as the apple
blossoms, as the glitter of n kings
banquet. 1t is the Joy of the whole
earth.
People talk too much about their
cross and not enough about their
crowns. Do you know that the Bible
mentions a cross but % times, while
il mentions a crown so times? Ask
that old man what he thinks OF re-
ligion. He has been close observer.
He has been cultivating an esthetic
taste. He has seen the sunrises of
half century. He has been an early
riser. ellie has been an admirer OF
canoes and corals and all kinds of
beautiful things. Ask HIM what he
thinks of religion, and he will tell
you: ut is the most beautiful thing
ever saw. The crystal cannot
equal it,"
Beautiful in its symmetry. When it
presents Gods character, il does not
present Him as having love like a great
protuberance on one side of His ma
ture, but makes that love in harmony
with His justice-a love that will ac-
cept all those who come to Him, and a
justice that will by no means clear
the guilty. Beautiful religion in the
sentiment it implants! Beautiful re.
ligion in the hope it kindlesl Beautiful
religion in the fact that it proposes to
garland and enthrone and emparadse
an immortal spirit. Solomon says il
is lily. Paul says it is crown. The
Apocalypse says it is a fountain kissed
by 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 whole vase
of precious stones-the topaz and the
sapphire and the chrysoprasus-he
holds out of this beautiful vase Just one
crystal and holds it up until it CLEANS
in the warm light of the eastern sky
and he exclaims: THE crystal cannot
equal it,"
Oh, il is not stale religion; it is OF
a stupid religion; it is not a toothless
hag, as some seem to have represented
il; il is not Meg Merrilies with shriv.
eled arm come to scare the world; il
is the fairest daughter of God, heires,
of all His wealth; her cheek the morn,
ing 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 whosoeveI
will, let him come. Do you agree with
solomon and say it is a lily? Their
pluck il and wear il over your heart
Do you agree with Paul and say it is
a crown? Then let this hour be your
coronation. Do you agree with the
Apocalypse and say it is a sprnginl
thirst of your soul. Do you believe
with Ezekiel and say it is a foliageC
cedar? Then come under its shadow
Do you believe with Christ and say il
it bridegroom come to fetch home G
bride? Then strike hands with your
Lord and King while pronounce yor
everlastngly one. Or if you think with
job that it is a jewel, then put it OF
your hand like ring, on your necl
like bead, on your forehead like q
star, while looking into the mirror OF
Gods word you acknowledge: "ThC
crystal cannot equal it,"
Again, religion is superior to the
crystal in its transformations. The
diamond is only a capitalization. Car
Donate of lime rises till il becomes cal
cite or aragonite. Red oxide of copper
crystallizes into cubes and octahed
rons. Those crystals which adorn ouI
persons and our homes and our mu
seums have only been. n.resurrected from
forms that were far from lustrous
Scientists for ages have been examin