The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-12-03

Beautiful IN Its symmetry. when it
presents Gods character it does not pre-
sent Him as having love like q 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 reli-
Rion in the sentiment it implantsi Beau
tiful religion in the hope it kindlesl Beau
tiful religion in the fact that il proposes
to garland and enthrone and emparadlse
an immortal spirit! Solomon SAYS 1t is
lily. Paul says 1t is a crown. Inc APO
calypso says it is a fountain kissed OF the
sun. Ezekiel says it is p fohaged cedar
Christ says it Is a bridegroom come 70
fetch home n bride. While JOB IN the
text takes up a whole vase OF precious
stones-the topaz and the sapphire and
the chrvsoprasus-h takes out OF this
beautiful vase just one crystal and holds
it up until it CLEANS in the warm light of
the eastern sky, and nc cSclalms, The
crystal cannot equal it,
Oh it is not stale religion. it is not n
stupid religion, it is not a toothess hag, rs
some seem to have represented it; IL is
not a Meg Merrilies with shriveled arm
come to scare the world. II Is the fairest
daughter of God. heiress of all 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 will let him come. Do YOU
dHLtt Will ColOUlOu ana say IL Is 4 lily.
Then pluck it and wear it over your heart
Do .'ou agree with Paul and say it is n
crown? Then let this hour be your coro-
nation. Do you agree with the Apoca-
,ypse and say it is a springing fountain?
Then come and Stake the thirst of your
soul. Do You believe with Ezekiel and
say 1t is n foliagcd cedar? Then come I'M
der its shadow. Do YOU believe with
Christ and say it is bridegroom come to
fetch home "a bride? Then strike hands
with ord and ,,.,,1o
nounce YOU everlastingy one. Or if you
think with Job that it is a Jewel. then put
It on your hand like a ring, on your neck
like bead. on your forehead like n star,
while, looking into the mirror of Gods
word, you acknowledge "The crystal can
not nal it."
What" say YOU, will God wear Jew
clry?' II 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. When
God wants jewelry He 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 uni
verse. He wears them on the hand that
was nailed, over the heart that was
pierced. on the temples that were stung.
They shall be Nine saith the Lord, in
the day when ] make up Nv Jewels"
Wonderful transformation Where sin
aeounded grace shall much more abound.
The carbon becomes the solitaire. "The
crystal cannot equal it,"
Three crystalsl John saws crystal at.
mosphere. That means health. Balm OF
eternal June. What weather after the
worlds cast windl No rack of storm
clouds. One breath of that air will cure
the worst tubercle Crystal light on all
the caves; crystal light shimmering on
the topaz OF the temples; crystal light
tossing in the plumes of the equestrians
OF heaven on white horses. But "the
crystal cannot equal it," John says crys-
tai river. That means JOY. Deep and
ever rolling. Not one drop of the Potomac
or the Hudson or the Rhine to soil it; not
one tear of human sorrow to imbitter it.
| Crystal, the rain out of which it was made;
crystal. the bed over which it shall roll
and ripple; crystal, its infinite surface.
But "the crystal cannot equal it." John
! says crystal sea- That means multitude
nously vast, vast in rapture, rapture vast
| as the sea. deep as the sea, strong as the
| sea, ever changing as the sea; pillows of
| light, pillows of beauty. blue with skies
| that were never clouded and green with
| depths that were never fathomcd; Arctics
| and Antarctics and Mediterraneans and
| Atlantics and Paci6cs in crystalline mag
| nihcence. Three crystals - crystal light
falling on crystal river. crystal river
rolling into a crystal sea. But "the crys-
! tai cannot equal It,"
ooh" says some one, putting his hand
| over his eyes, "can it be that / who have
| been in so much sin and trouble will ever
| come to those crystals" Yes, it may be-
| II will be. Heaven we must have, what
ever we have or have not, and we come
| here to get it. "How much must / pay
| for IT.! you say. You will pay for it Just
| as much as the coal pays to become the
diamond. In other words, nothing. The
| same Almighty power that makes the crys-
| tai in the mountain will change your heart,
| which is harder than stone, for the prom
| Use Is, i Will take away your stony heart,
and | wi" give you heart of flesh"
oh" says some one, ct is lust the
| doctrine l want. God is to do everything,
and l am to do nothing" My brother, it
| Is rot the doctrine you want. The coal
| makes no resistance. 1t hears the resur-
| rection voice in the mountain, and it
| comes to capitalization. but your heart re-
sists. The trouble with you, my brother,
! Is the coal wants to stay coal
do not ask you to throw open the door
| and let Christ in. / only ask that you
stop holting it and barring 1t. My friends.
! we will have to get rid OF our sins. / will
! have to get rid Of my sins, and YOU will
have to get rid Of your sins. What will
| we do with our sins among the three
! crystals? The crystal atmosphere would
display, orr pollution. The crystal river
| would be befouled with our touch. Trans
| formation must take place now or no
| Transformation at all. Give sin full chance
! in your heart, and the transformation will
| be downward instead OF upward. Instead
| OF a crystal it will be n cinder.
In the days OF Carthage n Christian girl
was condemned to die for her faith, and a
| boat was bedaubed with tar and pitch and
! filed with combustibles and set on FIRE
! and the Christian girl was placed in the
| boat, and the wind was oifshore, and the
boat floated away with it's precious treas
| ure. No one can doubt that boat landed
| at the shore OF heaven Sin wants 10 put
| YOU in fiery boat and shove you of in an
opposite drecton-off from peace cff
/ from God. off from heaven, cverlastinglv
of, and the port toward which you would
| sail would be a port of darkness. and the
guns that would greet you would be the
/ guns of despair, and the flags that would
wave at your arrival would be the black
I flags of death, Oh, my brother, you must
either kill sin or sin Will kill you. IL is no
eXagReration when I say that any man or
/ woman that wants TO be saved may be-
/ saved. Tremendous choice A thousand
] people are choosing this moment between
| salvation and destruction, between light
and darkness. between eharred ruin and
! glorious capitalization.
Queer r., 7sons for Marriage
Very few women are able to- say jus'
! why they fell in love with their hls
] III .