The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-08


90 prepare you rorserernai treasures. And
why sickness came. it being the precursor
of immortal juvenescence. And now you
understand why they lied about you and
tried to drive you hither and thither. 1t
was to put you in the glorious company
Of such men as Ignatius, 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 nee before
/ can become pure bread for Jesus
Christ" Or the company of such men as
shat ancient Christian martyr" who,
when standing in the midst Of the amphi-
theater waiting for the lions to come out
of their cave and destroy him and the
people in the galleries jeering and shout
ing. The lionsr" replied, Let them come
on" and then, STOPPING down toward the
cave where the wild beasts were roaring
TO get out, again cried, Let them come
on" All, yes, it is persecution to put
you in glorious company, and while there
are many things that you will have to
postpone to the future world for explana-
ton / tell you that it is the whole tend
ency Of your religion to unravel and ex-
plain and interpret and illumine and ir-
radiate. Job was right. 1t is a glorious
transparency. The crystal cannot equal
it"
/ remark again that religion surpasses
the crystal in its beauty. The lump Of
crystal is put under the magnifying glass
of the crystallographer Inc ne sees in it
indescribable exquisiteness snowdrift
and ~splinters of hoarfrost and corals and
wreaths and stars and crowns and con-
stellations of conspicuous beauty. The
fact is that crystal is so beautiful that I
can think of but one thing in all the uni
verse that is as beautiful, and that is the
religion Of the Bible. No wonder this
Bible represents that religion as the day
break, as the apple blossoms, as the glitter
of a 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 q cross
but twenty-seven times, while it mentions
a crown eighty times? Ask that old man
what he thinks of religion. He has been
a close observer. He has been cultivat-
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 he thinks
Of religion, and he will tell you: st is the
most beautiful thing 1 ever saw. The
crystal cannot equal it."
Harmony and Symmetry.
Beautiful in its symmetry. When it
presents Gods character, it does not pre-
sent him as having love like a 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 a justice that will by no
means clear the guilty. Beautiful religion
~ tho ro.firoor& - ,So-1n-+rf pof,,l
religion in the hope it kindles! Beautiful
religion in the fact that it proposes to
garland and enthrone and emparadise an
immortal spirit. Solomon says it is a
lily. Paul says it is a crown. The Apoc-
alypse says it is a fountain kissed by the
sun. Ezekiel says it is a foliaged cedar.
Christ says it is a 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 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, it is not a stale religion; it is not a
stupid religion; it is not a toothless hag,
as some seem to have represented it; it
is not a 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
woo her. The Spirit and the Bride say
come, and whatsoever will, let him come.
Dc 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
$685. "z-- - 49, l--
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 foliaged cedar?
Then come under it's shadow. Do you
believe with Christ and say it is a bride
groom come to fetch home a bride? Then
strike hands with your Lord and King
while 1 pronounce you everlastingly 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 a bead, On your
forehead like a star, while looking into
the mirror Of Gods word you acknowl-
edge, 1.-THE crystal cannot equal it."
Superior to Crystal.
Again, religion is superior to the crystal
in its transformations. The diamond is
| OulS Il experimentation. CdEDOudle OIL line
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 nave only been resur-
rected from forms that were far from
lustrous. Scientists for ages nave been
examining these wonderful TRANSFORMED
tons. But I tell you in the gospel Of the
Son of God there is a more wonderful
transformation. 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 I
make up my jewels"
what" say you. "Will God wear jew
elry?" 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 adorn-
ment. He will not have that jewelry.
When God wants jewelry, he comes down
end dipS III nut of tho dapthS apd do IL.