Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-10-19

see SOA1clAiAS OA Tic 6ldAOCuI VI AlS
character. 1t is transparent religion
Infidels tell US it is Opaque. Do you
know why they tell us it is Opaque?
1t is because they are blind. The
natural man receivath not the things
of God because they are spiritually
discerned.'' There is no trouble with
the crystal. The trouble is with the
eyes which try to look through it. We
pray for vision. Lord, that our eyes
might be opened! When the eye salve
cures our blindness, then we find that
religion is transparent.
Preparation for Eternal Treasures
The providence that was dark
before becomes pe1lucid- Now you
find God is not trying to put you down.
Now you unders and why you lost
that child and why you lost your
property. 1t was to prepare you for
eternal treasures. And why sickness
came, it being tie precursor of immor-
tai juvenescenca. And now you under
stand why they lied about you and
tried to drive you hither and thither.
1t was to put you in the glorious COM
pany of such a man as Ig1aeius, who,
when he went out to be destroyed by
the lions, said, Il am the wheat, and
grind me before 1 can become pure
bread for Jesus Chr s." Or the com-
pany of such men as t'that ancient
Christian martyr who, when standing
in the midst of the amphitheater wait
ing for the lions TO come out of their
cave and destroy him and the people
in the galleri-s jesrirg and shouting,
THE lions!" replied, 'Let them come
0ntp then Stn0nirO
the cave, where the wild asts were
roaring to get cut, again cried. Let
them come on!" All, yes, it is perse-
cution to put you in 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 unravei and explain and inter
pret and Illuminated and iradiate. Job
was right 1t is a orious traspar-
ency. fThe crystal cannot equal it"
Harmony and Symmetry.
Beautiful in it's 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
| hope it kindles, Beautiful religion in
| the fact that it proposes to garland
| and enthrone and emparadise an i'm
| mortal spirit. Solomon says it is a
| lily Paul says it is a crown. The
| Apocalypse says it is 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 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, il is not a stale religion; it is
not stupid religion: it is not tooth
| less hag, as some seem to have repre-
sented 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 whosoever 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 crown? Then let this
hour be your coronation. Do you agree
| with the Apocalypse and say it is a
springing fountain? Then come and
slake the thirst of your soul Do you
| believe with Ezekiel and say it is a
| foliaged cedar? Then come under its
/ shadow. Do you believe with Christ
| and say it is a bridegroom come to
fetch home a bride2 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
| ring, on your neck like a bead, on
| your forehead like a star, while look
ing into the mirror of Gods word you
acknowledge, The crystal cannot
| equal it,
| Superior to Crystal.
| Again, religion is superior to the
| crystal in its transformations. The
diamond is only a crystallization. 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