Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-10-11
bread for Jesus Christ" Or the COM

III Juc SdllGll6S JeSIluS anu SlOullh5'
The lions." replied, Let them come
on" and then. STOPPING down toward
the cave, where the wild b asts were
roaring to get cut, again cried, Let
them come on" All. yes, it is perse-
cution 10 put you n glorious company.
and while there are many things you
will have to postpone to the future
world for explanation I tell you that
it is the whole tendency of your relig-
ion TO unravel and explain and inter-
pref and Illuminated and iradiate. Job
was right. 1t is a g,orious traspar-
ency. The crystal cannot equal ii"
Harmony and Symmetry.
Beautiful in its symmetry. When
it presents Gods character, it does not
present him as having love like 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 it
implants, Beautiful religion in the
the fact that it proposes to garland
and enthrone and emparadise an i'm
mortal spirit Solomon says it is
lily. Paul says it is a crown. The
Apocalypse says it is a fountain kissed
by the sun. Ezekiel says it is
foliaged cedar Christ says it is
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 chryso
prasus-he holds out of this beauti-
full 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, it is not a stale religion; it is
not a stupid religion: it is not tooth
less bag. as some seem to have repre-
sented it; it is not Meg Merrilies
with shriveled arm come to scare the
world: it is the fairest daughter of
God. heiress of all his wealth; her
cheek the morning sky. her voice the
music of the south wind. her step the
dance of the sea. Come and woe her.
The Spirit and the Bride say come.
and whatsoever will, let him come. Do
you agree with Solomon and say it is
a lily? 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 coronation Do you agree
with the Apocalypse and say it is a
springing fountain? Then come and
Stake the thirst OF your soul Do you
believe with Ezekiel and say it is a
foiiaged cedar? Then come under its
shadow. Do you believe with Christ
and say it is a bridegroom come to
fetch home a bride? Then strike
hands with your Lord and King while
| pronounce you everlastingly one. Or
if you think with Job that it is a
Jewel. then put it on YOUR hand like
ring, on your neck like a bead. on
your forehead like star, while look
ing into the mirror Of Gods word you
| acknowledge The crystal cannot
equal ii"
Superior to Crystal.
Again, religion is superior to the
crystal in it's transformations. The
diamond is only disqualification. Car
Donate of lime rises till it becomes
calcite or aragonite. Red oxide of
copper crystallizes into cubes and
octahedrons. Those crystals which
adOrn our persons and our homes and
our museums have only been resur-
rected from forms that were far from
| lustrous. Scientists for ages have
been examining these wonderful trans
formations. But / tell you in the Cos
pei of the Son of God there is a more
wonderful transformation. Over souls
| hard as iron God by his comforting
grace, stoops and says, They shall be
mine in the day when l make up my
| Jewels"
What" say you. will God wear
/ jewelry?" If he wanted it, he could
make the stars of the 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. When God wants
| jewelry, he comes down and digs it out
of the depths and darkness of sin
These souls are all crystallizatiops OF
mercy. He puts them on, and he
wears them in the presence or the
whole universe. He wears them on
the hand that was nailed over the
heart that was pierced, on the tenn
Piles that were stung. They shall be
mine,' saith the Lord, lin the day
when l make up my jewels" Wonder
| full transformation, Where sin
abounded grace shall much more
abound. The carbon becomes the soil
taire. The crystal cannot equal it
Now, l have no liking for these peo-
pie who are always enlarging in Chris
tian meetings about their early dissi-
patton Do not go into the particu-
lars, my brothers. Simply say you
were sick, but make no display oil
your ulcers. The chief stock in trade
of some ministers and Christian work
ers seem to be their early crimes and
designations. The number of pockets
you picked and the number of chick
ems you stole make very poor prayer
meeting rhetoric. Besides that, it dis
courages other Christian people who
never got drunk or stole anything. But
1t Is pleasant to know that those who
were farthest down have been brought
highest up. Out of internal serfdom
into eternal liberty Out OF darkness
into light. From coal to the solitaire
'The crystal cannot equal it,"
Power of the Gospel.