The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-10-10

it 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.
But my friends, the chief trans
forming power of the gospel will not
be seen in this world, and not until
heaven breaks upon the soul. When
that light falls upon the soul, then
you will see the crystals. What a
magnificent setting for these jewels of
eternity! l sometimes hear people
representing heaven in a way that is
far from attractive to me. 1t seems
almost vulgar heaven as they rep
resent it, with great blotchcs of color
and bands of music making a deafen-
ing racket. John represents heaven as
exquisitely beautiful. Three crystals!
In one place he says, Her light was
like precious stone, clear as crystal"
In another place he says, ~ saw pure
river from under the throne, clear as
crystal" In another place he says,
Before the throne there was a sea
of glass clear as crystal" Three crys-
tails! John says crystal atmosphere.
That means health. Balm of the eter-
nal June. What weather after the
worlds east wind! No rack of storm
clouds. One breath Of that air will
on all the leaves, crystal light
shimmering on the topaz of the tenn
pies. Crystal light tossing in the
plumes of the equestrians of heaven
on white horses. But 1.-The crystal can
not equal it." John says crystal river
That means joy. Deep and ever rolling.
Not one drop of the Potomac or the
Hudson or the Rhine to soil it. No
one tear of human sorrow to imbitter
it. Crystal, the rain out of which it
was made. Crystal, the bed over which
1t shall roll and ripple. Crystal, its
infinite surface. But the crystal can
not equal it." John says crystal sea.
That means multitudinously vast. Vast
in rapture. Rapture vast as the sea,
deep as the sea, strong as the sea,
ever changing as the sea. Billows of
light. Billows of beauty blue with
skies that were never clouded and
green with depths that were never
fathomed. Arctics and Antarctics and
Mediterraneans and Atlantics and
Pacifics in crystalline magnificence.
Three crystals! Crystal light falling
on crystal river. Crystal river roll
ing into a crystal sea. But "the crys-
tai cannot equal it,
Open the Door to Christ.
"Oh," says some one, "it is just the
doctrine l want. God is to do every
thing, and l am to do nothing" My
brother, it is not the doctrine you
want. The coal makes no resistance.
1t hears the resurrection voice in the
mountain and it comes to crvsta,.,iza-
ton; but your heart resists. The trou-
BILE with you, my brother, is the coal
wants 10 stay coal.
I do not ask you to throw open the
door and let Christ in. 1 only ask
that you stop boiling it and barring it.
My friends. we will have to get rid OF
our sins. l 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 our
pollution. The crystal river would be
befouled with our touch. TRANSFORMED
ton must take place now or no trans
formation at all. Give sin full chance
in your heart and the Transformation
will be downward instead of upward.
instead of crystal it will he a cinder.