The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-10-16

S-o- tOGS SC44!yst OL SHS4! iAASIh tiS
natius, who, when he went out to be
destroyed by the lions, said: Il ar
the wheat, and the teeth OF the wllc
beasts must first grind me before J
can become pure bread Tor Jesus
Christ" Or the company OF such meE
as that ancient Christian martyr
who, when standing IL the midst OF
the amDhitheater waiting for the
lions to come cut Of their cave ano
destroy him and the people III the
galleries ieering and shouting: The
lions" replied: Let them come on.
and then, STOPPING down toward the
cave where the Wild beasts were roar
ing to get out, again cried: Let
them come on!" Al, yes, it is persc'
cu;:on to put you il glorious com
pany, and while there are many
things that you VIII have to postpone
to the future world for explanation
l tell you that it is the whole tend
ency of your religion to unrarel and
explain and interpret and illumine
and irradiate. Job was right. 1t IS
8 glorious transparency. The crys'
tai cannot equal it."
I remark again that religion sur
passes the crystal IN its beauty. The
lump of crystal is put under the mag
nifying glass Of the crystallograph-
er and he sees in it indescribable ex-
iteness-snowdrift and splinters
of hoar frost and corals and wreaths
and stars and crowns and constella'
tions Of conspicuous beauty. The fact
is that crystal is so beautiful that !
can think of but one thing in all the
universe that is as beautiful, and
that is the religion Of the Bible. No
wonder this Bible represents that re-
ligion as the daybreak, 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 a cross but 27 times, while
it mentions crown SO times? ASH
that old man what he thinks OF re-
Igiop. He has been close observer.
He has been cultivating an estheuc
taste. He has seen the suorises OF
half century. He has been an early
riser. He has been an admlrer OF
canoes and corals and all kinds OF
beautiful things. Ask him what ne
thinks of religion, and he will tell
you: at is the most beautiful thing
7 ever saw. The crystal cannot
equal it.
Beautiful in its symmetry. Whcc it
presents Gods character, it does not
present Him as having love like great
protuberance On one side Of His na-
ture, but makes that love in harmony
with His justice-s love that will ac-
cept all those who come to Him, and a
justice that will by no means clear
the guilty. Beautiful religion in the
sentiment it inplants! Beautiful re.
ligioo IN the hope it Ein6les! Beautiful
religion in the fact that it proposes to
garland and entbrone and enparadise
an immortal spirit. Solomon says it
is lily. Paul says it is crown. The
Apocalypse says it is 8 fountain kissed
by the sun. Ezekiel says ii is foliaged
cedar. Christ says it is bridegroom
come to fetch home a bride. While
Job in the text takes up whole vase
of precious stones-the topaz and the
sapphire and the cbrysoPrasus-
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 exclains: The crystal cannot
equal it."
Oh, it is not stale religion; It is not
a stupid religion; it IS rot toothless
bag, as some seem 10 have represented
It; it is not Meg Merrilies with shr:v-
eled arm come to scare the world; it
is the fairest daughter of God, heiress
Of al His wealth; her cheek the morn
ing 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 whosoe7er
will, let him come. Do you agree with
Solomon and say it is lily? Then
pluck it and wear it over your heart.
Do you agree with Paul and say it is
8 crown? Then let this hour be your
coronation. Do you agree with the
Apocalypse and say it IS spring;ng
fountain? Then come and sl2lie the
thirs. 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 it
it bridegroom come to fetch home a
bride? Then strike hands with your
Lord and King while 1 pronounce you
everlastingly one. Cr!f you think with
Job that it is jewel, then put it on
your hand like ring, on your neck
like bead, On your forehead ike
star, while looking into the mirror of
Gods word you acknowledge: The
crystal cannot equal it."
Again, religion is superior to the
crystal in its transformations. The
diamond is only capitalization. Car
boaate Of lime rises till it becomes cal
cite OR aragonite. Red oxide Of copper
crystal!izes into cubes and octabed-
rons. Those crystals which adorn our
persons and our homes and our nu-
seuns have only been resurrected from
forms that were far from lustrous.
Scientists for ages have been exanin-
ing these wonderful transformations.
But I tell you in the Gospel of the Son
OF God there is more wonderful trans
formation. 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 make up my jewels"
What" say you. "Will God wear
jewelry?" 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 shat adornment. Ee will
not have that jewelry. When God
,vo,%c Se--e1r- Ea cor,eS down o,3