Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-10-09

people in the galleries jeering and shout
ing, THE lionsw 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 Al, yes, it is persecution 10 put
you in glorious company. and while there
are many things that you will have to
postpone TO the future world for explana-
fion l tell you that ii is the whole ten
deney 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 and he sees in it
indescribable exqui,iteness - snowdrift
md splinters of hoarfrost and eorals and
wreaths and stars nd crowns and con
ste.atiens of cS:.S picuous beauty. The
fact is that crystal is so beautiful that
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 REF resents that religion as the day
break, as ,he apple blossoms, as the gilt
ter of 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 cross
but twenty-seven times, while it mentions
a crown eighty times? Ask that old man
what he thinks of religion. He has been
close observer. He has been clltiyat-
ing an aesthetic taste. He has seen the
sunrises of half 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: ut is the
most beautiful thing l ever saw. Tb
crystal cannot equal it."
Harmony and symmetry.
Beautiful in it's 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 viii 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 ii 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 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 chrysoprasus-he holds out Of this.
t..I {. IL
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 stale religion; it is not
stupid religion; it is not tc9thless bag,
as some seem to have represented it,, it
is not a Meg Merrilies with shrive1ed arm
come to scare the world; it is the fairest
; daughter Of God, heiress of ali 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
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 springing
fountain? Then come and slake the
thirst of your soul. Do you believe with
Ezekiel and say it is foliaged cedar:
Then come under its shadow. Do you
believe with Christ and say il is a bride
groom come to fetch home bride? Then
strike hands with your Lord and King
while | pronounce you everlastingly one.
Or if you think with job that it is
jewel, then put it on your hand Ike
ring. on your neck like bead, on your
forehead like star, while looking into
the mirror of Gods word you ackHowl-
edge, The crystal cannot equal it,
superior TO Crystal.
Again. religion is superior to the crystal
in its transformations The diamoud is
only capitalization. Carbonate of lime
rises till it becomes caleite or aragonite
Red oxide of copper erystallizes into
cubes and octahedrons. Those crystals
which adorn our persons and our homes
and our museums have only been resur-
rected from forms that We're far from
lustrous. Scientists for ages have been
examining these wonderful transforma-
lions. But tell you in the gospel Of the
Son of God there is more wonderful
:
sin black as coal and hard as iron God.
by his comforting grace, stoops and says,
.'1'hey shall be mine in the day when /
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. lie will not have that jewelry.
When God wants jewelry, he comes down
and digs it out of the depths and dark
ness of sin. These souls are all crystal
lizations of mercy. He puts them on.
and he wears them in the presence of the
whole universe He wears them on the
hand that was nailed over the heart that
was pierced, on the temples that were
stung They shall be mine" saith the
Lord, "in the day when / make up my
jewels" Wonderful transformation!
Where sin abounded grace shall much
more abound. The carbon becomes the
solitaire. THE crystal cannot equal it,"
Now, / have no liking for those people
who are always enlarging in Christian
meetin;s about their early dissipation.
Do no. go into the particulars, my broth
ers. Simply say you were sick, but make
no display of your ulcers. The chief
stock in trade of some minister's and
Christian workers seems Il be their early
| crimes and designations. The number of
pockets you picked and the number Of
chickens you stole make very poor prayer
meeting rhetoric. Besides that, it dis